THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



285 



THE PRENTISS GRAPE. 



We have recently had an opportunity 

 of testing the quality of this white grape 

 more fully than ever before, and confess 

 that it stands the test well. In quality 

 it will rank among the best of hardy 

 out-door white grapes. It is a medium 

 bunch, and a medium sized berry ; in 

 color (like all white grapes) of a green- 

 ish white with a slight tinge of amber. 

 The bunch is very compact, nearly as 

 compact as the Delaware, the berries 

 adhere well to the stem ; the skin is 

 tough, the pulp soft, with a sweet, 

 aromatic flavor. We should think it 

 would keep well and ship well. 



As for the hardiness, vigor, and 

 productiveness of the vine and the 

 healthiness of leaf and fruit, we know 

 nothing from observation, but Mr. T. 

 S. Hubbard publishes numerous testi- 

 monials from those who have grown the 

 vines, some of whom are well known to 

 the horticultural public, and they speak 

 highly of its qualities in those respects. 

 It is certainly a cause of congratulation 

 that, whereas a few years since we had 

 no white grape that we could rely on, 

 now we have quite a respectable list of 

 those that are decidely promising, if not 

 of established reputation. — American 

 Rural Home. 



DAMSON DYE. 



W. T. Harding, of New Jersey, 

 writing to the Gardeners Mmdhly from 

 Staffordshire, England, giving account 

 of a visit to a farmer, says : 



" I noticed an additional orchard of 

 damsons, several acres in extent, that 

 had recently been planted, and to my 

 query. Why so many] was informed 

 that they were not intended for culinary 

 purposes, but to supply a new demand 

 of the arts, and for which they were 

 immensely profitable. 



" Now, here was something new 

 under the sun, aa the sequel will pre- 



sently show. As I had hitherto looked 

 upon the domestic damson as one of the 

 most useful and palatable fruits eaten, 

 either in a natural state, preserved, or 

 otherwise prepared, I felt astonished at 

 the assertion. As damson pudding and 

 pie had been one of the gustatory de- 

 lights of my youthful days, and for 

 which I sometimes feel a yearning now, 

 I was at a loss to know what other art, 

 save that of mastication, could find a 

 use for damons. But, good i-eader, be 

 not amazed when the secret is divulged, 

 as it was told to me, they were intended 

 for dyes instead of pies. ' The fact is 

 this,' said my friend, * I last year sold 

 nearly all my damson crop which real- 

 ized £50, or $250, to parties who, in 

 the season, go about the country, buy- 

 ing up all the ripe fruit they can find 

 for dyeing purposes.'" — Rural Home. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE CANES AND 

 BUSHES OF THE SMALL FRUITS. 



Two years ago I read in some paper 

 an article from an experienced writer, 

 who pretended to know all about this. 

 He said that only three or four canes 

 should be left to grow and bear fruit 

 from blackberries, raspberries, currants, 

 and gooseberries. This may do very 

 well in a clay or quite rich loam ; but 

 it does not answer at all for a poor, 

 sandy, or fine gravelly soil, except in 

 the case of blackberries, and even these 

 had best be left with half-a-dozen canes 

 to grow up together. For years I had 

 left from eight to twelve canes to grow 

 up in bushes of all the above, except 

 the blackberries, and they bore fruit 

 abundantly, and of fully medium size. 

 After reading what this writer had to 

 say on the subject, and being desirous 

 to increase the size of my berries, I 

 adopted his recommendation of only 

 letting three to four canes stand 

 together. The result is that several of 

 the bushes died, and not one bears as 



