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TIIE GENESEE FARMER. 



TRELLISES FOR GRAPES AGAIN. 



Eds. Gexesbe Farmer: — I see in the June No. of 

 the Farmer a method suggested by " Ruricolist " for 

 stretching wires on grape trellis." Now, I think I have 

 a better plan, and full as cheap, as " Ruricolist." Take 

 seven-sixteen round iron, five or six inches longer than 

 the diameter of your post; take your iron to a machine 

 shop where they have the facilities for cutting bolts ; have 

 a thread cut four or five inches on one end, the other end 

 flattened down to half its thickness. Through this end 

 have a hole drilled one size larger than your wire, this 

 will admit the wire to pass through the flattened end of 

 the bolt easily. Now fasten your wire securely, and pass 

 the screw end through a hole in your post, two sizes 

 larger than the bolt. Put on the washer and burr, and 

 you will find but little difficulty in making your wire as 

 tight as you desire. In this case, it is all important that 

 the end post should be securely braced. w. h. s. 



Perm Yan, N. T. 



THE DOUGLAS FLR. 



The London Gardener's Chronicle speaks of this tree 

 m the highest terms, both for ornamental puposes and 

 for timber. 



Experiments recently made in France show that the 

 timber of the Douglas fir from Vancouver's Island is of 

 great strength, and its vast height and freedom from 

 knots render it superior to all others for masts of vessels. 

 It thrives well in all parts of Great Britain, except the 

 extreme north, and is, "of all trees, that which deserves 

 the attention of planters for profit, j 



It is a native of British Columbia, where the climate is 

 very severe. "The trees there," Dr. Lindley thinks, 

 " must have iron constitutions, and their offspring may- 

 be expected to resemble them in every particular." He 

 recommends the importation of large quantities of seed, 

 and the extensive propagation of the plants in England. 

 The subject is one which deserves the attention of arbori- 

 eulturists in this country. 



The Douglas fir has been supposed to be rather tender 

 in the northern parts of the United States. It is quite 

 possible that by selecting the seeds from trees growing in 

 a more elevated and colder region, we may get hardier 

 plants. Mr. Sargent, of Duchess Co., N.Y., says " with me 

 plants in low, damp ground suffer occasionally in color* 

 if not in loss of leader, while those grown in the shade, 

 or on an exposed hill-side, in poor, slaty soil, succeed 

 admirably." 



SMITH S SPRUCE FIR. 



Mr. S. classes it with Abies Smithiana (India spruce] 

 in regard to hardiness. We annex a cut of both these 

 beautiful evergreens, and can only hope that both will 

 prove sufficiently hardy to withstand the severity of our 

 climate. 



Grapes on Kelly's Island. — A correspondent of the 

 Oberliu News says there are now on Kelley's Island about 

 500 acres of vineyard, of which 210 are in bearing. In 

 1861, there were 126.J acres in bearing. From this area, 

 the product was in value, for fruit and cuttings sold, and 

 wine produced, $353,305, being §421 per acre. One man 

 will do the labor required for five acres. Each acre, when 

 in full bearing, yields about three tons of fruit. A gallon 

 of wine is produced from eleven lbs. of fruit, and as the 

 fruit, when sold for eating, brings about seven cents per 

 gallon, it will be seen that the grape business must be 

 very profitable. The appearance of this island, its rapid 

 improvement in all respects, and the evident self satis- 

 faction of the people, all prove that everybody is well- 

 to-do. 



Thinning Pears. — One great error in the management 

 of dwarf pear trees, is allowing the trees, especially 

 young trees, to bear too much fruit. It is absolutely 

 necessary, for the health of the trees and to secure good 

 sized fruit, that the young fruit be thinned thoroughly at 

 this season. Don't be afraid of thinning too much. 



