A Curious Apple. 333 



for any crop, but especially for grapes. It is an easy soil to cultivate, and 

 the vines grown in it are much more vigorous; and as I stated in the first 

 part of this communication, if fresh from the woods, it will be worth fifty 

 per cent more for a vineyard. Our poor, w^orn-out lands will require a good 

 deal of manure to give the vines a good start ; but we have a great deal of 

 good land that will grow strong vines without stimulants. 



In conclusion, I would say. Plough the land not over ten inches, plant 

 shallow, cultivate shallow, and you will have vigorous and healthy vines 

 and fruit. Sod-land well turned and limed is the next best to new land. 

 Vegetable-matter is a very important element for the vigorous and healthy 

 growth of the vine. Don't use animal manures if you can get wood-ashes 

 or bone-dust. 



Sept. io, 1869. 



A CURIOUS APPLE. 



We remember seeing, some years ago, at an exhibition of the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society, an apple called the "No Core," which, singular- 

 ly enough, had two cores. We had also another apple, received from 

 Messrs. Baumann, the French nursery-men, the '* Hillars Grande," which 

 showed the same extraordinary formation ; and, in turning over the " New 

 Duhamel," we came upon a colored plate of the " Pomme Figue," show- 

 ing also a section of the fruit, and exhibiting the same jDeculiarity. We 

 think it possible that the two varieties last mentioned are identical. The 

 flower of the Hillars Grande was destitute of petals, or showed only what 

 were supposed to be bracts in their place. The section of the flowers of 

 the Pomme Figue given in " Duhamel " appears as if these supposed 

 bracts were the sepals of the calyx of the second flower ; one being 

 superimposed upon the other, on the same axis. The fruit of the Hillars 

 Grande was of a yellow color, with dull reddish-brown cheek, pearmain- 

 shaped, tapering, with quite concave lines, and showing the five carpels 

 very plainly in prominent knobs at the apex. It was sweet and rather dry, 

 and of little value except as a curiosity. 



