334 Answers to Correspondents. 



woods, and however costly to procure, were in France deemed mere trash, 

 and totally unworthy cultivation, notwithstanding they had " high-sound- 

 ing" or Indian names. (See Mons. Vibert's pamphlet entitled, " Avis du 

 Commerce.'''') Mons. V. thinks he was regularly humbugged. Difference 

 of soil and climate, however, or the want of taste in Frenchmen, may offer 

 some explanation of the mystery ; for true it is they could not appreciate 

 the high aroma, thick skin, and substantial pulp of these remarkable grapes 

 from Texas and elsewhere. " Thereby hangs a tale." — A Subscriber, 

 Flushing, L. I., June 20, 1848. 



Art. IV. Answers to Correspondents. 



Pelargoniums for Exhibition. An Amateur. — If you wish to be a 

 successful competitor, you must procure some of the new varieties ; there 

 is no chance of competing successfully unless you do. If you procure the 

 following six, you need not fear to compete with any person, provided you 

 grow the plants well : — Beck's Aurora, Desdemona, Rosy Circle, and 

 Hebe's Lip, Foster's Orion, and Drury's Pearl ; if twelve, add the follow- 

 ing : — Beck's Competitor, Arabella, Mustee, Bacchus, and Isabella and Ce- 

 lestial. Nearly all these were in the four stands which were awarded the 

 highest prizes in London at the May exhibitions, as will be seen in a pre- 

 vious page. 



Laying Carnations. J. C. W. — The moment the blooms are past 

 their prime, the young shoots should be layered ; this is easily done by earth- 

 ing up around the root, and pegging down the shoots, after making a lon- 

 gitudinal slit about an inch in length. 



Prize Dahlias. B. — Some of the newer ones in the catalogues have not 

 been grown here so as to form an opinion ; but, according to the exhibitions 

 in England, the following 12 obtained the number of prizes against their 

 names last year : — 



Andromeda, Jm^, 7 ; Berryer, maroon, 21 ; Cassandra, ruby crimson, 14 ; 

 Lady of the Lake, crimson tipped, 14 ; Louis Philippe, crimson, 24 ; Mar- 

 quis of Worcester, crimson tipped, 13 ; Minn, rosy crimson, 12 ; Miss 

 Vyse, rose tipped, 29 ; Scarlet Gem, scarlet, 20 ; Star, crimson tipped, 10 ; 

 Victorine, lilac, 8 ; bellow Standard, yellow, 19. 



If you have all these, by giving them good attention, abundant waterings, 

 &c., you will probably be able to show twelve of the very finest flowers. 



Herbaceous Perennials. A lover of Hardy flowers. — We agree with 

 you, that not sufficient attention is given to the hardy herbaceous plants; 

 the little care they require, and the abundance of bloom they furnish, are 

 sufficient to render them indispensable in every garden. There is yet 

 abundance of time to get many of the newest and best, as nurserymen 

 keep them in pots, and they can be immediately turned out into the open 

 air, where, if they do not bloom very strong, they will make fine plants for 

 flowering next year. 



