62 MASSACHUSETTS HOETI CULTURAL SOCIETY. 



five dollars each, and perhaps for less. ' These houses were put to 

 different uses. In some were early vegetables, in others bedding 

 plants, and in one were put two Black Hamburg vines. The house 

 was placed in the vegetable garden, with one end towards the 

 south, and the soil underneath and at the south end enriched with 

 stable manure. The roots of the vines were placed in the soil out- 

 side the house, and the vines taken in and trained one upon each 

 side of the house. They grew rapidly, but the house being so 

 situated that it was inconvenient to join another to it, it became 

 necessary to cut the vines off in the fall at the length of six feet. 

 Before the ground froze the house was removed to the stable, and 

 the vines covered with eight or ten inches of soil. They were 

 found in good condition in the spring and were allowed to produce 

 five pounds of fruit the second year ; the third year fifteen pounds 

 and ten ounces ; and the fourth year fourteen pounds and two 

 ounces. The same gentleman started several houses the past 

 year with the intention of joining two together, allowing the vines 

 to grow to the length of twelve feet instead of six, being fully 

 convinced that this plan offers the quickest, safest, and most eco- 

 nomical way of growing Hamburg grapes. 



If a more general use of these houses fulfils the expectations 

 which a limited experience seems to warrant, it will go far towards 

 answering the question, " How can we grow successfully, with the 

 least care and expense, the foreign grape ?" It is a subject which 

 interests every family, as there are few things that add more to 

 the attractions or enjoyment of our homes than a liberal supply of 

 the various fruits in their season. 



Discussion. 



Marshall P. Wilder said he was at Mr. Rivers' grounds in 

 1867 and had ocular demonstration of the usefulness of the 

 ground vineries. The world ov/es a great debt of gratitude to 

 him for this invention. Mr. Rivers, who is now more than eighty 

 years old, has done more than any other man in England, for 

 fruit culture. 



The Chairman asked what objection there was to leaving cold 

 graperies open all winter. His experience was that it might be 

 safely done except in snow storms. 



Henry F. French asked why it would not be beneficial to cover 

 the vines with mats more closely than is usually done. 



