354 Notes and Gleajiings. 



after the French-fashion, reminds me that I have seen it done ; and I quite agree 

 with him, that it did not improve their appearance ; and, instead of " adding per- 

 fume to the violet," it must destroy the delicate fragrance of the flower in its 

 natural state. 



Mr. Flagg's plan for Plantittg an Orchard can be fully appreciated by those 

 who have had the pleasure, as I have, of gathering fruit from a great collection 

 of specimen-trees, where, if there were two of a kind, they were pretty sure to be 

 far enough apart to exercise my pedestrian powers pretty thoroughly ; and it 

 would truly be delightful to tend his carefully and systematically planned fruit- 

 garden after working in one which never had a plan, but, like Topsy, " only 

 growed." 



Variation of Flowers from Seed. — Is there any thing in the whole round of 

 culture more fascinating than watching the transformation of flowers when 

 guided by a skilful hand like Mr. Parkman's .-* I know of nothing, unless it is 

 producing a fine new fruit ; and flowers have this advantage, that one need- not 

 wait until he gets to be a grandfather before receiving the reward of his labors. 

 I am glad to see the record of such experiments ; for I look on it not merely as 

 gratifying curiosity, but adding to tlie data from which we may deduce the laws 

 which govern these transformations : for, though called " sports," I cannot doubt 

 that they are governed by laws ; and, though some of my friends think it hope- 

 less to attempt to discover them, I have seen too many impossible things done, 

 to set a limit to the progress of our knowledge in this direction. 



Strawberry-Culture. — Why take out the "old row " before picking ? Does 

 not the loss of berries from fourteen inches lessen the product to a greater ex- 

 tent than the picking without the path 1 After picking, might not the old row, 

 and as much of the new as necessary, be taken out at one time, and thus labor 

 be saved, and the field left the same as by the other method, for the next 

 season t 



Gossip from Southern Iowa. — I do not wonder that '■ Hawkeye " asks the 

 question, "What grapes do succeed in Massachusetts ?" I often think, while 

 working among my own or when admiring my neighbors' vines, how applicable 

 to us would be the declaration, "Thou shalt tread upon olives, but shalt not 

 anoint thine head with oil." We cultivate vines, but are seldom drunken with 

 the product of our own wine-presses ; and our markets are not often over- 

 stocked with well-ripened fruit of home-production. 



Our failure cannot arise from inexperience, or lack of good cultivation ; for, 

 notwithstanding "the sad tale seems all one way," vines are still set, and labor 

 and expense lavishly bestowed to make grape-culture a success. Where, then, 

 is the difficulty ? Can our severe winters and short summers account for the 

 failure ? Does our proximity to the sea so cool the heat common to inland 

 districts, that the ripening is retarded in consequence 1 And again : does it 

 follow, that, where the Catawba will succeed, every other variety ought to do well t 

 It may indeed seem so ; but slight differences of soil or climate, I apprehend, 

 often produce marked effects when the cause is not apparent. If any one urges 

 that grapes have done well this year in Massachusetts, I admit it ; but the past 

 season has been as exceptionally favorable here, as in the West it has been 

 exceptionally unfavorable. 



