338 Keeping- Qualities of Grapes. 



first of June, and allow the plants to take care of themselves. They will 

 bloom abundantly until killed by severe frost. 



While there is no more effective flower for the autumn garden than the 

 marigold, it is also very valuable for parlor decoration. The flowers pre- 

 serve their beauty a long time in water ; and we have had them keep in 

 good condition far into December. Although to many the odor of the foli- 

 age is disagreeable, it is only given off when the plant is bruised ; and the 

 varied' shades of the flowers make a bouquet of marigolds very attractive. 



Seed should be saved from the best double flowers, and all inferior va- 

 rieties should be thrown away. Many of the single flowers of the French 

 marigold, however, vie in color and shading with the double, and, to us, 

 seem no less beautiful. 



Our garden would lose a great charm were we to neglect our poppies 

 and marigolds ; and none, having once realized their beauty and effective- 

 ness, will ever omit to plant them. 



Glen Ridge, August, i86g. 



KEEPING-QUALITIES OF GRAPES. 



We looked over, on the loth of November, a lot of grapes which had been 

 saved to plant, and been kept in a rather warm room. The difference in 

 their keeping-qualities was very striking. Some lonas were plump and fresh, 

 others somewhat shrivelled. The Onondaga was bright and plump, even 

 better than the Dianas, although these were fresh and edible. The Martha 

 was shrivelled and rotten. The Adirondac was wrinkled, but sweet and co- 

 decayed. The Israella had many plump and juicy berries, none decayed, 

 and but few shrivelled. Allen's Hybrid was tolerably fresh, as were some 

 of Arnold's. The .Salem, not quite ripe when picked, was wrinkled, but not 

 decayed. The Una was much like the Salem. 



To sum up, we may say that the lona, Israella, Onondaga, and Diana 

 were in better condition than some twenty other varieties of which we had 

 saved samples. 



