Notes and Glcajiings. 243 



it is of a dark orange-scarlet color, and blooms very freely. Meteor produces 

 a profusion of rich dark-crimson flowers, and is of good habit. The old Cat- 

 tell's Crimson, Cattell's Scarlet, Scarlet Tom Thumb, and the Yellow Tom 

 Thumb, are also very useful indeed ; but the last will never make a good, much 

 less a sufficient, substitute for the Yellow Calceolaria. 



Of varieties for basket and trellis work, I may instance Brilliant, a strong- 

 growing, deep scarlet ; Atrococcineum, known also as Splendens, very free- 

 blooming, and having plenty of small, deep scarlet flowers ; and Ball of Fire, 

 very bright scarlet, a free bloomer, and a good climber. — Florist. 



Those who, in consequence of the article in our February number translated 

 from " LTllustration Horticole," are disposed to give the Jerusalem artichoke 

 a place in their gardens, ought fairly to know that it may not be so- easy to 

 get rid of it when it has once taken possession of the soil. By the way, could 

 we not, while we keep the thing as a garden vegetable (for which it is not to be 

 despised), contrive to get rid of its unfortunate }iame by calling it artichoke-root? 

 The plant, as is well known, is a species of sunflower ; and Jerusalem artichoke 

 is merely sutiflower artichoke, an English corruption of the French girasol, 

 the li3\\:in girasola, changed in England, through a linguistic process in which 

 an unmeaning word is made to mean something, into Jerusalem. 



While, from this name, some have imagined the plant to have come from 

 Palestine, we are bound to add that neither is it "indigenous to Brazil " nor 

 " to Chili." Although it is nowhere known as an indigenous plant, the whole 

 evidence on the subject points to the Valley of the Mississippi as its birthplace, 

 and to a wild sunflower of that region, with usually slender tubers, as its parent. 

 While we write, we recall an experience related to us by a benevolent officer of 

 our army, who, when stationed in New Mexico some dozen years ago, and not- 

 ing that the Indians of the district were at times on the verge of famine, pro- 

 posed to his superiors in the War Department to introduce and naturalize this 

 prolific tuber in the valleys and bottoms, where it could hardly fail to thrive, 

 He sent, accordingly, a requisition for a sufficient quantity of artichokes. This 

 was allowed, and the order duly filled ; but when at length, with much expense 

 and long transportation, the precious supply reached the distant post, the arti- 

 chokes were found to h^ pickled. 



Grape-Culture ix Minnesota. — The assertion that grapes may be suc- 

 cessfully cultivated in the high northern latitude of Minnesota will seem incredi- 

 ble to many. From a residence of sixteen years in Minnesota, and an experience 

 of some twelve years with vines, I am decidedly of the opinion that grapes can be 

 more successfully produced here than in the States farther south or at the East. 

 This we know is claiming much for our State ; yet the facts seem to bear us out 

 in the assertion. 



Grapes have been grown, to some extent, for about fifteen years ; and, thus far, 

 we have not heard of either vine or fruit having been injured by disease to an 

 extent that would be considered worthy of notice. Mildew and rot, which cause 



