Sec. 29.] 



ORIGIN AND UISTORY OF GARDEN PLANTS. 



465 



growing trco-sliapcd. Xext s))ring shorten all these canes, and let the fruit 

 grow below and new shoots above, and next spring shorten these again. 

 Pome of Mr. IIitc'.s thrco-y ear-old plants arc now five or six feet liigli, so 

 leaded witli fruit that they have to be trained to stakes, v.'hich, liy-the-by, 

 ii the true way to grow currants. Next spring thujo vigorous, fruitful 

 branches, all that arc three years old, will be unsparingly cut away. It is 

 the secret of success. Meantime, now s-hoots come up in succest-ivc onlcr 

 to take their ])lacc. I have no doubt Qf the fact that currant bushes llius 

 treated, of the sour sort that arc now growing neglected along many a gar- 

 den "wall, nntrimnicd in half a century, may lie made to aftbnl a Held crop 

 of more than two hundred bushels per acre of superior size and Ihivor t'> 

 those grown in the ordinary way, and that the cost of production will be far 

 below twenty-five cents a bushel. Tlie annual pruning would bo the great- 

 est part of the labor, and, in the vicinity uf tiiis city, the wood cut away 

 would be worth nearly the cost of cutting; and in the country, where stono 

 chimneys and brick ovens are still fashionable, the brush, when well sea- 

 soned, would make superior oven wood. I'.esides what I have saiil <<f this 

 G;arden, there is much more to bo learned from it, and that where it bloa^ 

 soms now, nine or ten years ago was a wilderness of wild bushes, blackber- 

 lies, and rocks, and that ho who has said " presto, change !" is not a nnvgician, 

 liut a very humble individual, with no more ])ower to produce such change 

 than the most humble one of the mighty multitude who have an idea abovo 

 the "Utter Mith a will to work that idea out in the rich productions of na- 

 turc improved. 



Besides the fruitful grapes I have alluded to, :Mr. Ilito has otiicrs, prin- 

 cipally of the Delawares, now growing beautifully; and so satistied is ho 

 with the advantages of growing super!.. r grapes, that he dug up a fruitful Ikk! 

 of strawberry -plants to make room fi>r mure ]Jflaware gr.ipevines, which 

 he thinks will be the greatest wine-grajic in America. Some of the surphia 

 products of his little jdot of gn.nn<l all'urded the owner one year !?400^ in 

 cash, which was more than enough to j.ay for hired labor and nntnnre. This 

 sliou'ld encourage others to go and do likewise, I would havo gone to this 

 man for my miniature i^ortrait, but who would think of going to an artist 

 to learn horticulture? Yet I have learned, and in my opinion oth.rs may, 

 from verv unexpected sources. Let us fry. 



519. Origin and History of sonip rommosi (iardrn Vr?elables.— The history 

 of "soinc of"our fruits and vegetables is. in many re.-pects, extremely curious. 



"Thcrtr</c/«)/.v, wcfind, was so highly esteemed in Rome, that an arhi- 

 tiry law was enacted to ].revent commoticrs from eating it." 



Tiiis statement shows the importance of calling all plants l)y their botanical 

 or scientific name, since wo can not tell whether the writer un-am tho 

 IhUanthm tuherosus (Jerusalem artichoke), which is a plant ..f iho him- 

 flower species, or the artichoke which s-^.n.cwhat resembles a thwile, tho 

 Cynara scolymm, which grows the edible part at the top instead of iho 



bottom. 



