254 Editors Letter- Box. 



to the year 1863, both at my own place and at his, when examining his vine on 

 Warren Street ; and he never intimated that his vines were any thing but the 

 Concord Grape. On Sept. 18, 1863, he had an advertisement in one of the city 

 papers, headed "Concord Grape-vines," saying, "The subscriber is jDrepared to 

 furnish all in want of grape-vine roots of this fine variety." Here is positive 

 proof, that, up to this time, the owner believed his vines were the Concord Grape. 

 Since that time, "a change has come over the spirit of his dream ;" and he now 

 advertises these same grape-vines as "the Main Grape," saying "it was raised 

 by him from the seed." This is the origin of " The Main Grape," or, as it is 

 now called, " Main's Seedling Grape- Vine." A. Chandler. 



Concord, N. H, 



[We publish the above communication from one of our subscribers who does 

 not hesitate to give his name, because we believe it to be true ; and we hold it to 

 be our duty, as an independent journal, to denounce imposition and humbug in 

 horticultural matters, wherever it comes to bur knowledge. We believe the 

 " Main Seedling," or " Main Grape," to be the Concord, notwithstanding the 

 rose-colored advertisements that have from time to time been published ; and so 

 ■remarked to our friends. To better satisfy ourselves, we bought a vine of a 

 \well-known nursery firm in this city who had vines of Mr. Main ; and we are con- 

 ifirmed in our opinion. A nursery-man and large grape-grower said to us the 

 other day, that he would furnish the " Main Grape " by the hundred or thousand 

 at a low price, as he had plenty of Concord vines on hand. Varieties that have 

 not been fully indorsed by some competent committee of pomologists should 

 be looked upon with suspicion. — Ed.] 



W. T. H., Harrisville, Penn., writes, " I have in my garden two fine green- 

 gage plum-trees, eight or ten years old, large and vigorous ; but not a single plum 

 has ever ripened on either of them. They blossom freely ; but little or no fruit 

 sets, and that little never matures. I have pruned freely, cutting out more than 

 half the wood ; still no fruit. Last spring, early, I pruned again ; and some fruit 

 set this season, but all fell off, stung by the curculio, I suppose, though I saw 

 very few of these insects. Now, what can I do to render these fine-looking but 

 fruitless trees productive ? Tell me." — Your trees make so much wood, that 

 they have nothing to spare for fruit. Your pruning in spring only aggravates 

 the evil, and causes them to grow all the more vigorously. Stop manuring ; or 

 if your land is very rich, and they will grow too much without manure, sow the 

 land about the trees to grass, and lei it remain so until 3'our trees come well into 

 bearing. But it may be that the fruit sets well enough, but is destroyed by the 

 curculio. We have successfully tried the plan of dusting the tree and fruit all 

 over with air-slacked lime, and renewing it every time it is washed off beginning 

 soon after the fruit sets, and keeping it up until the fruit is about half grown. 

 Ashes used in the same way answer a good purpose. The little " Turk " does not 

 like either substance, and will keep off. Another plan is, to go out every morn- 

 ing with a sheet or blanket to spread or hold under the tree, and a mallet with a 

 'rubber-head with which to strike the limbs and jar the fellows down, when they 



