156 



THE GENESEE FAEMER. 



understood, they are as simple as any other ; and 

 no one who can not exercise judgment, care, and 

 ekill, has any business iu a vineyard. It may be an 

 objection that wire trellises will be too expensive 

 to warrant their erection. They may be more ex- 

 pensive, in the first instance, than staking out the 

 vineyard with stakes ; but in the end they will be 

 the cheapest. The annual attention required in re- 

 fastening the stakes, and taking out bad ones and 

 supplying their places with new ones, will soon add 

 up to the cost of the wire trellis ; and the trellis, if 

 well set, will last a great many years. 



The French, near Fontainebleau, have a cheap 

 way of making very good and durable trellises, for 

 the raising of table grapes upon. They set posts 

 of locust, about three or four inches iu diameter, 

 two feet in the ground and six out, and about eight 

 or ten feet apart. They then tie across the posts 

 strips of white oak or ash, about one inch thick 

 and ten or twelve feet long. These strips are split 

 out in the same way that we split out hoops for 

 flour barrels. They are tied to the posts with 

 annealed iron wire, which is bound round and 

 twisted tight. josiah saltee, 



Rochester, 2f. T., March, 1859. 



THE WINTEE CHEKKY. 



The "Winter Cherry {Physcdis viscosa) is an an- 

 HTial of the PhysalU* family. It is of the same 

 habit as the tomato in growth. It grows anywhere 

 in the United States, and is used in various ways — 

 for pies, preserves, pickles, &c. The fruit grows in 

 an inflated calyx or husk, is about the size of a 

 Catawba grape, and of a light yellow or transparent 

 color. It falls to the ground when ripe, and the 

 fruit may easily be seen through the husk. It has 

 various names, such as ground cherry, cape goose- 

 berry, tomato gooseberry, strawberry tomato, &c. 

 The name winter cherry is given it from the fact 

 that it will keep three or four months without any 

 preparation, by just keeping it in the husk. We 

 have some of the fruit now (Feb. 7th) as fresh and 

 good as when it was gathered trom the plants, 

 although it has been frozen several times. 



It should be planted early, if you want early 

 fruit. It can be planted in a box in the house, or 

 in a hot-bed, and then transplanted into the open 

 ground, about two and a half or three feet apart, 

 and then cultivated the s£.me as the tomato. Plant- 

 ed iu good, rich ground, and well cultivated, it will 

 produce from a pint to a pint and a half per plant; 

 and I think we have had some plants which have 

 yielded a quart or more. The plants do not come 

 np for three or four weeks after planting, and it 

 does not grow very fast the first three or four weeks 

 after it comes up ; but after it gets fairly started, it 

 grows very fast. 



It is excellent when eaten raw, and makes a pre- 

 serve very much like honey. To preserve it, add a 

 pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and cook to- 

 gether till you think it is done, and then add a few 



♦ PhyMlU is the name or the genus to which this plant belongs. 

 The nataral order or family i» Svlanacovt, to which belong the 

 e-ommon potato, tomato, red penxir, and ?gg plant ; as also tobac- 

 co, the petunia, bittersweet, deadly Dight*hade, and other well 

 known plants. bdb. 



drops of the extract of lemon, or a medium-sizi 

 lemon, to every four pounds of the preserves. F 

 pickles, take the fruit when nearly ripe, put it 

 vinegar, with spice and sugar enough to suit tl 

 taste. 



When once introduced into a garden, there is r 

 fear of losing it, as it will, like the tomato, gro 

 from seed left in the ground all winter. We tiiir 

 any person who tries it once will not be williu<^ 

 be without it again. It takes the place of mar 

 of the smaller fruits for the various ways in whi( 

 it is used. It is easily grown, and any person wl 

 wants fruit can have plenty by planting the see 

 There are many varieties of it — some good ai 

 some not. It is found growing wild in many jiar 

 of this State, and I suppose in other States. 



I advise every one to plant seed of the winti 

 cherry, if they can do so ; and I think they w 

 not regret the time and trouble expended in raisii 

 it, provided they get the true kind and have 

 cooked right. f. a. Fleming. 



OurwensvUle, Clearfield Co., Pa., 1S59. 



Remaeks. — We are compelled to conclude tb 

 our correspondent, from the high estimation 1 

 places on this plant, caa not have a good supply 

 the small fruits, such as the many good strawbt 

 ries that are now cultivated ; the new varieties 

 currants, such as Cherry., White Grape, Whi 

 Dutch, &c. ; of BrinchWs Orange raspberry, or t 

 Autumnal Bearing, Belle de Fontenay, and Me 

 veille de 4 Saisons ; of the iVew Rochelle and Do 

 cheater blackberries ; of Houghtori's Seedling goos 

 berry ; and many other valuable fruits that mig 

 be mentioned. 



The Physalis viscosa we know very well, b' 

 could never discover anything in it which won 

 entitle it to cultivation while a currant bush or 

 wild blackberry could be made to grow in oi 

 garden. Its keeping qualities are certainly no be 

 ter than those of our native grapes ; and the san 

 attention paid to a grape vine as would be require 

 by half a dozen of these plants, would probably I 

 productive of ten times as much fruit. 



The winter cherry, however, is not without qua 

 ities which recommend it to those who are not we 

 supplied* with other fruit; and we should inft 

 from the advertisements of the gardeners aboc 

 Chicago, that its full merits are appreciated by th 

 denizens of the Qneen City of the West. 



Rabbits asd Teees. — A. Woolley says, in th' 

 Prairie Fanner, " Lay a coat of mud on the par 

 of the tree barked by the rabbit, extending an inc! 

 above and below the injured part; lay it on one o 

 two inches thick ; wrap the mud on with cottoi 

 cloth, and tie with a string. If the trees have do 

 become dry, it will save them, provided it is kep 

 on long enough." 



