58 Editors Letter- Box. 



ViTis. — I have fruited the Concord grape for several years, and think well 

 of it. Is there any better variety to plant for profit ? — We think not, all things 

 considered. It never fails to ripen its large bunches of pretty fair fruit. 



I. L., Auburn. — Please inform me how I can preserve my fine hardy picotees 

 and other pinks ? I buy good plants, and they do well, and bloom the first year ; 

 but most of them die during the following winter. — These pinks are propagated 

 by layers, and, if left to themselves, become old, and are easily winter-killed. 

 Layer the grass or new shoots just after the plants are out of bloom, and in this 

 way you can keep your stock fresh and vigorous. The operation of layering is 

 very simple. Bend down a shoot, and cut it partly off by a long slit, or cut, leav- 

 ing a tongue ; cover it up with earth, and in a few weeks it will have become 

 sufficiently rooted to transplant. 



L. D. T., Worcester, Mass. — We have, as requested, asked Mr. Rand the 

 reason of your bridal-rose not blooming. He replies, — 



" The bridal-rose {Rubus roscsfolius corojiarius) is rather a capricious plant. I 

 have often bloomed it freely, and again failed to obtain a blossom. I have been 

 led to think that there are two varieties in cultivation, — one of which blooms 

 freely ; the other seldom, if at all. The plant is more often killed by kindness 

 than by neglect. It only needs a rather poor soil, moderate waterings, and not 

 much heat. Your plant is probably in too large a pot, and kept too warm. If, 

 however, you have the flowering variety, you will, by reducing the heat and giv- 

 ing a free circulation of air, have plenty of flowers in time. The easiest treat- 

 ment would be to plunge the pot at once in the border where there would be 

 plenty of sun, and, while not letting it suffer from drought, not watering very 

 freely. This would ripen the shoots thoroughly. On the approach of frost, take 

 up the pot, slightly top-dress the soil of the pot with fresh loam, and place the 

 plant in the coolest part of the conservatory, where it can have plenty of light 

 and air. When it begins to grow, which will be early in January, give more 

 light and heat, and the plant will flower all along the shoots. 



" The plant is a native of Prince-of- Wales Island. It is not a rose, but a 

 bramble ; and its name is double rose-leafed bramble. Whence it obtained the 

 popular name of bridal-rose, I cannot say. It is often erroneously called Ricbus 

 sinensis.'''' 



E. P. C, Rockland, Me. — I noticed in the " Editor's Letter-box " of the 

 May number the statement, that Daphne Cneonan is hardy as far north as 

 Boston. Perhaps it will interest some of your readers to know that it is hardy 

 farther north. I have had one of the plants in my garden three years, and all 

 the protection I have given it is two or three spruce-branches laid on in the fall. 

 I consider it a very beautiful plant, and it is now covered with buds and flowers. 



The Editors were aware this plant was hardy, with protection, north of Boston, 

 but preferred to be within the limits ; but hardly expected to find it stand as far 

 north as Rockland. We thank our correspondent for his communication, and 

 are always glad to learn facts of such general interest. 



