228 Notes and Gleanings. 



Address before the Lake -Shore Grape-Growers' Association. — 

 The following is the address of G. C. Huntington, Esq., referred to by Dr. 

 Warder, in his article on " Meteorology in Horticulture," in a previous page of 

 this number of the Journal : — 



" The tables given below will show the mean temperature, rain, cloudiness, 

 and sunshine for six months — say May to October, both inclusive — for the last 

 ten years ; also the date when grapes come into bloom. This does not occur in 

 this locality before the twentieth day of June ; and, some seasons, it has been 

 several days later. We may find that a few days' delay in coming into blossom 

 may have a very important bearing on the future crop ; and since the date of 

 blossoming is determined, in a great measure, by the temperature of the month 

 of May, I include that month as properly belonging to the grape-growing season. 

 I have not included November, for the reason that all danger from rot is past 

 before that date, although the harvest may not be completed until two or three 

 weeks later. 



" The tables are more extended than I could wish ; but any thing short of this 

 would be of little use. It is not enough for us to know that there were a certain 

 number of rainy days in the aggregate during the season, or that a certain number 

 of inches of rain fell during that time, or that there was more or less sunshine 

 in the aggregate. If in any season there is found to be any unusual deviation 

 from the ordinary course of things, it is all-important that we know at what par- 

 ticular time during the season this occurred. A cold north-easterly rain-storm 

 just at the time when grapes are in blossom might be the cause of very serious 

 damage to the expected crop by preventing fructification, as was the case two 

 years since. The same storm occurring at any other time during the season 

 might be perfectly harmless. On the other hand, one week of warm, bright sun- 

 shine at the time of blossoming miglit prove of greater benefit to the crop than 

 twice the amount at any other time during the year. 



" I am strongly inclined to the belief, that the particular state of the weather 

 during the latter half of June exercises a very decided influence, be it good or 

 bad, on the coming crop. Every practical grape-grower must have observed, 

 that, if the weather is warm and bright at the critical time, his grapes come into 

 blossom at once and altogether, and, in the course of one or two days, are all 

 out of blow, and the grapes set. They will ripen much more uniformly than 

 when, owing to cold and wet weather, they are a week in completing this pro- 

 cess. In the latter case, those which set last will never catch up, but will be 

 straggling behind all the season, and he will have a great many green grapes to 

 pick from his clusters when harvesting. We know, that, throughout the whole 

 domain of Nature, very much depends upon getting a good start in the world. 

 No person, animal, or plant, brought into the world under very unfavorable cir- 

 cumstances, either from deficient vitality, predisposition to disease, or otlier 

 causes, can ever expect to enjoy the same degree of health, or the same length 

 of days, as when life is commenced under conditions directly the reverse, every 

 thing being right. The results given in the tables are not compiled from data 

 collected from different sources ; but every figure is taken from my manuscript 

 journal, in which, three times every day for ten years, a full record has been made 



