Calls at Gardens and J\\i7'series. 347 



result has been fully equal to Mr. Haggerston's anticipations; the grapes 

 in the grapery where no fire was used, and where the vines were al- 

 lowed as much air and light as possible, are now just beginning to color, 

 while the berries on the ckisters of those in the one which the experi- 

 ment of retarding was tried upon, arc but little larger than peas — at 

 least three weeks behind the former. PossibI}' it may require fire heat 

 to ripen them off. By pursuing this experiment, which, Mr. Haggers- 

 ton informs us he intends to, the vines will be retarded another fortnight 

 next season, the same time the next year, and in the same manner eve- 

 ry year, until, he thinks, their bearing season will have been completely 

 reversed. We are not confident that retarding can be performed be- 

 yond a certain time by this mode: we are well aware that forcing by 

 using fire heat three or four weeks sooner, each season, than the pre- 

 ceding one, will reverse the season of bearing ; it is easy to create heat, 

 but it is hard to prevent the vines from starting during the hot weather 

 of our summers, unless other means are resorted to than merely cover- 

 ing the borders of, and the sashes on, graperies where they are grown, 

 with boards. The air of graperies might be kept cool enough to pre- 

 vent vegetation from proceeding, by occasional!}^ putting in quantities 

 of ice, covering the sashes with boards, keeping the doors closed, and 

 by covering the border to a good depth with tan; in this manner we are 

 not certain but what the object of reversing their season of bearing 

 might be wholly eflfected, but by no other method. We shall look, 

 however, to Mr. Haggerston's experiment, with much interest. The 

 wood for next year's crop is exceedingly large and well grown. 



In one of the stoves, (both of which have in fact become pineries,) 

 are upwards of eighty pines in a fruiting state, and some have already 

 begun to swell off, as the term is when they begin to color; there are 

 six kinds now ripening, among which are the black Antigua, Provi- 

 dence, and Globe: the former are already of tolerable size, and will un- 

 doubtedly arrive at the weight of six or eight pounds. It is gratifying 

 to see such a fine number of plants, and we may date the present time 

 as the commencement of the taste for growing this " king of fruits," as 

 it has been justly and truly denominated. In the other stove the pit is 

 full of succession plants, which will produce a better crop, than the 

 present one, next year; the plants look very well, are entirely free from 

 the scale or any other insect, and are growing vigorously. Pines are 

 easier to grow than cucumbers, when forced, andWe hope that every 

 gentleman who is fond of fine fruit will possess a pinery. 



We had nearly forgot to notice one or two fine specimens of gra])es 

 in pots which were standing in one of the graperies; the grapes were 

 ripe some time since, and Mr. Haggerston informed us he was reserv- 

 ing them for exhibition the ensuing month. We certainly never saw a 

 finer crop upon the same amount of wood; some of the clusters would 

 weigh, we should judge, at least one and a half pounds. Grapes, from 

 vines in pots, have been cut here ever since the month of Ai)ril. Two 

 dwarf apple trees, in pots, had each a fine large fruit upon tlicm. 



In the green-house we found but little that was interesting at this 

 season, although most of the stove plants had been removed into it; 

 the pines requiring a high heat to ripen off'the fruit, it was found neces- 

 sary to remove the plants, which usually remain there during the sum- 

 mer, Passiflora Kermesmff, since last winter, has attained a consid- 

 erable height, and had several flowers expanded ; it is the finest of the 

 lobed-leaved species, excelling the racemosa. Amarylh's Belladonna, 

 several jjots of, was in bloom, having thrown uj) their flower stems 

 rather prematurely. A number of f)lants of Trevirana coccinea were 

 the prettiest ornaments of the green-house. Stapeli'a grandiflora was 

 expanding several flowers. Alstrccmerm Pelegrhia was beautifully in 



