3 1 2 Culture of thirteen Kinds of superior 



mildew ; and I am informed that farther to the north of us, 

 for instance, at Albany and Boston, they succeed better than 

 they do here ; that is to say, they occasionally produce fine 

 crops of grapes. Protection, however, in winter is necessary 

 every where ; for such is the severity of that season here, that, 

 if kept exposed, the vines are frequently killed down to the 

 ground. Our mode of protection is to bury the wood under 

 the soil. From the above statement of facts, you will perceive 

 that artificial aid is more necessary to bring the grape to per- 

 fection in America than in England. 



The Peach in general does well in the middle States ; but 

 is often killed by cold in the eastern States, and to the north 

 of us. We cultivate the trees as standards. Their roots 

 are much infested by a grub called the worm, which, if not 

 carefully looked after and destroyed, will very soon destroy 

 the trees ; it is therefore with a great deal of care and expense 

 that we at all succeed, nor is it uncommon to have all our 

 expectations of a crop blasted by our late spring frosts. This 

 season they have been unusually abundant and cheap. 



Nectarines are almost a hopeless crop with us ; the skin 

 being smooth, it is attacked by some kind of insect, by which 

 it is destroyed before it comes to maturity. In some of the 

 small gardens in town we occasionally have a few fine necta- 

 rines, but they are always considered a fruit of great rarity. 



Cucumbers. To have them in the early part of the season 

 requires as much artificial aid as it does in England. The 

 short prickly kind is the sort generally cultivated here, and 

 they succeed best in light sandy soils. We sow them in May 

 in the open ground ; and about the latter end of July, and in 

 August, we have great abundance cheap, if the season is 

 favourable: for it sometimes happens here, as in England, 

 that some seasons are more favourable for them than others. 

 In England the plants or vines continue to bear fruit for a 

 much greater length of time than what they do here ; the 

 plants likewise, when young, are very much infested by some 

 insect, which often destroys them. 



Melons. To have them early requires the aid of hot-beds, 

 in the same way as for raising them. The seasons here are 

 frequently unfavourable for them. When planted in the open 

 ground they are frequently killed by heavy rains, particularly 

 after dry weather : they do best in hot dry seasons and on 

 sandy soils. In favourable seasons they are very abundant 

 and cheap. If the old-fashioned mode in England of raising 

 cucumbers in ridges were adopted for melons here, it would, 

 I think, well pay for the trouble. 



Pumpkins, Vegetable Marroiso, and Squash are generally 



