370 Notes and Gleanings. 



it must be put on hot, there will be almost invariably some of the wax found 

 in the fruit when it is eaten, which does not particularly improve the flavor. I 

 have found common putty to answer the purpose very much better. It requires 

 no heating, is no trouble to use, and never leaks through into the can. When 

 wanted for use, the cans are easily opened ; and after sealing, and standing to 

 become cold, the name of the fruit, and the date of putting up, can be easily 

 written with a lead pencil on the putty. If it be desired to keep the putty on 

 hand, it should be put in a cup with enough water to cover it. 



The Apple-crop in A'ortJiern Illinois is unusually heavy, many trees break- 

 ing down beneath their loads. Being so full, of course the fruit is small, as 

 most fruit-raisers are too tender-hearted to thin out their fruit. Another 

 trouble is, that most kinds are somewhat scabbed or blotched. One orchard of 

 Red Junes, that have heretofore brought the highest prices, were this year made 

 into cider. As to the reason of their being so blotched, I have no theory to 

 offer, except that it was probably, as the old lady said, the iveatlier. The like 

 may not occur again for many years. Pear-trees have borne well, and it is 

 a wonder that so few are planted. I saw two young Flemish Beauties from 

 which the owner told me he had taken two bushels each. Would not an acre 

 of such trees be a paying investment .-* C. C. M. 



New Grapes. — A few years ago, and there were only two good hardy out- 

 door grapes known : now there are scores ; and the number is increasing so rap- 

 idly, that it is really almost impossible to keep up with them. Go where you 

 will, into any garden or nursery of any note, and you will find tens, hundreds, or 

 even thousands, of seedling grapes'. The careful experimenter has resorted to 

 the use of the camel's-hair brush, and hopes to produce a cross between some 

 favorite varieties that will utterly eclipse all others. Now, it will be strange in- 

 deed, if, among all these new varieties, some good ones are not found, possibly 

 possessing all the good qualities we have ever desired in a grape. There 

 is room enough yet, and a wide field open before all who would enter upon this 

 interesting work. We have very few grapes that can be safely recommended for 

 general cultivation. 



We have many varieties of pears, with a very wide range of flavors ; and it 

 should be our aim to extend the list of grapes until we get some suited, if possi- 

 ble, to each localit}'^ throughout our extended country. There seems to be some- 

 thing lacking in almost every variety now before us ; and the grape for the million 

 is yet to be introduced. 



We ^re occasionally delighted to hear that such a person has a new grape 

 that is far superior to all others : but when we come to see or taste it, or, what 

 is iDetter, to fruit it, we find that we have paid our money for that which does 

 not satisfy us ; and we turn and look in another direction, and go through the 

 same process many times over without any satisfactory results. Once in a while, 

 some old and well-known variety is trotted out under a new name ; and the pub- 

 lic are cheated either designedly or ignorantly by the originator, or some person 

 to whom he may have sold his stock. But let the work go on until we have 

 secured the desired results. 



