Horticultural Memoranda. 239 



The CommlUee of publication reported that No. 2 of the Society's Trans- 

 actions was ready for delivery, and that the drawings had been done by 

 hand at an increased expense. 



Adjourned three weeks, to May fith. 



Exhibited. — Fruit : Mr. J. F. Allen exhibited the first grapes of the sea- 

 son, which were of fair size and color ; the varieties were Black Hamburgh 

 and Miller's Burgundv. From T. Needham, Keen's seedling strawberries. 

 From S. Weld, Roxbury seedling apples, of fine appearance and pleasant 

 flavor. 



Vegetables : From T. Needham, a brace of Weedon's prize cucumbers, 

 twenty-one inches in length ; also, Burns's Man of Kent, Black Spine, Sion 

 House, Young's Champion, Hamstead Black Spine, and Manchester prize. 

 From S. Bigelow, new potatoes, and a brace of Black Spine cucumbers. 



HORTICULTURAL MEMORANDA 



FOR MAY. 

 FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



Grape Vines will now require considerable attention. Early runners will 

 now have set their fruit, and the berries will be sufficiently swelled for thin- 

 ning: this will require to be done carefully and well, if fine bunches are 

 desired ; indiscriminate thinning, without any reference to the natural shape 

 of the clusters, will greatly injure their appearance. On this head, we 

 must refer all cultivators to our article in our last volume, (XHL p. 309,) in 

 which we have given some advice upon the subject. As soon as the bunches 

 are all thinned, syringing may again be commenced, and the walks well 

 watered once or twice a day in all fine weather, unless the situation is damp : 

 keep the laterals well pinched in to one joint. The border may now have 

 a dressing of guano, and be carefully forked over. In cold houses, the 

 vines will now be breaking their eyes, and will need liberal syringing, both 

 morning and evening : nothing is more favorable to an even breakage of the 

 buds than this : if the tendency of the sap is to the top, then the head of the 

 shoot should be bent down, bringing it back again to its place after the eyes 

 have all pushed. Give air in good season, but close early in the after- 

 noon. Vines in the open air will now need attention. All the shoots 

 should be carefully tied up to the trellis, and any weak wood should be cut 

 out ; disbud where the eyes are too thick. Let the soil be enriched with 

 good manure or guano, and carefully dug. 



Raspberry Vines should be firmly tied up to strong stakes, cutting off the 

 shoots to the length of four or six feet, according to their strength : manure 

 and spade the ground. 



Strawberry beds should be carefully weeded, and put in good order: new 

 beds may be made all this month. 



Grafting Pear and Apple trees may be continued all this month, if the 

 scions are in good order. 



