80 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



fall success. Years must be required to establish his theory. These 

 grounds, when taken by Dr. Lodge, were little better than a wilderness of 

 trees and rocks, exposed to sea spray, and with little soil to work upon. 

 His avenue now is long and shady, within his own domain, and he has 

 made ceveral grass plots and garden spots where only waste and wood, 

 were found at the outset. It is a valuable place, with grand sea views, 

 retired from noise and interruption, where health and comfort can be 

 hopefully sought. 



The Garden of S. G. Damon, Esq., Arlington. 



On the eighteenth of September, the Committee visited the garden 

 of Mr. Damon, and were so much pleased with its appearance, that the 

 Chairman was induced to visit there again on the twenty-ninth day of 

 that month. 



The grounds are near the centre of the town, and contain a little less 

 than three acres, and yet they comprise a complete vegetable and fruit 

 garden, with flowers enough on the street for home use. The lot is 

 about seven hundred feet long, and about one hundred and sixty feet 

 wide, and almost every foot is usefully employed; being well and 

 closely enclosed. Blackberry and raspberry bushes are planted along 

 the easterly side ; and on the north and west, grape vines of different 

 varieties were trained against the fence. Next to the vines and bushes 

 a path of five or six feet was left, and then another row of grape vines 

 of various kinds, parallel to the fence and nearer to the other vines than 

 was desirable. The inside row uniformly did better than those shaded 

 by them in the rear; but all these vines exhibited better growth and 

 fruit than other gardens during this season, especially the Delaware 

 grape ; all were vigorous and very prolific and were rapidly ripening, 

 the clusters hanging lower than one's head. The largest number of 

 vines were Delawares and the best in fruit. They were trained exper- 

 imentally in two ways, the back row on perpendicular wires, one foot 

 apart, and the front row on horizontal wires. Those exposed most 

 to the sun flourished best and had the best clusters. 



Among these the Committee noticed the Adirondac, which has 

 ripened early; the Diana, lona, Creveling and Israella, worthy of men- 

 tion; and the Concord, Salem, Lydia, JSTorthern Muscadine, Rogers' 

 Xo. 4, Bull's Cottage, Una and Ives' Seedling, the last named promis- 

 ing well. Four years ago these were little more than small cuttings. 

 The best of them were planted in ground trenched to the depth of 

 eighteen inches, turning up a rich virgin soil. Little dressing has been 

 used, the ground being rich and sandy. Ko signs of blight or mildew 

 appeared, as sun and air were on the vines. With the exception of a 

 few plants exposed to the easterly wind, all seemed to thrive well. A 



