192 Retrospective Criticl 



Art. II. Retrospective Criticism. 



Errata. — In the March number, p. 87, seventeen lines from the top, for 

 " places " read " place " ; p. 96, ten lines from the bottom, for " vine " read 

 " vinery." In our January and February numbers, in publishing tlie 

 communications of Mr. Ernst to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 two errors occur. The name of the person wlio introduced the original 

 tree of the stone pear (p. 26,) should have been "Jones" instead of 

 " James " ; the name of tlie gentleman who was the first to bring the 

 Broadwell apple to notice (p. 51,) should have been " Broadwell" instead 

 of " Bradwell." 



Proiluctiveness of Hovexj's Sttdling Straicberry. — I am happy to say tliat 

 tlie Hovey Seedling Strawberry bore well last year, and no male with them. 

 There may be some mistake, and I think it is tliis : that rujme?"* very often 

 degenerate, taken at a distance from the parent stock. I had a bed of 

 Victorias : they degenerated and became small and worthless. It is a sub- 

 ject worthy your examination. I may give you a paper upon this when I 

 have accumulated more facts. I believe that we can trace the loss of 

 many apples, &c. to this cause. — Yours, J. L. R. Huntington, L. I., JV. Y. 



Cidtivatio7i of Grapes mider glass. — (In answer to the Editor, p. 86.) — 

 In your Magazine for March, 1843, is an article of yours on the cultiva- 

 tion of grapes under glass, as grown by Mr. Crawshay, in England. 

 From this I should judge, that the superiority of his fruit was owing to 

 the constant circulation of air in the house. 



If it is in vour power, it would be useful to inform us when these vines 

 were planted, what system of pruning was practised before the vines came 

 into bearing, how many years planted before allowed to fruit, and the 

 weight of the crop suffered to mature on each vine in successive years. 

 The close pruning appears to be similar to the Thomery practice. 



Your remarks on the quality of the grapes sent to Boston for sale are 

 very just; at Covent Garden Market, it would be difficult to make them 

 believe that many of the grapes sold in Boston as Black Hamburg were 

 in reality such. I have seen and eaten much fruit obtained there ; the 

 bunches are usually small and compact, weighing about half a pound each, 

 berries of equal size, very black and covered witli a fine bloom — but large 

 bunches are grown. At the Society's exhibition at their garden, Chiswick, 

 in July, 1836, there was a bunch of Black Hamburg weighing eight lbs. 

 six oz. and bunches of Muscat of Alexandria weighingfive and six lbs. each. 



It is of the greatest importance that grapes should have color ; without 

 it they cannot be rich in flavor — they may be sweet, but not sprightly. 

 Let any one compare the fruit at the exhibitions of the Horticultural So- 

 ciety with much that is exposed for sale, and the difference will be very 

 apparent. 



I differ from you in the following : — you say " By the means of houses 

 in which artificial heat may be applied, grapes of the finest quality may 

 be produced the year round ; or at least with scarcely any expense of fire 

 heat, and but little trouble, from June to January." 



It is more difficult to grow grapes in this country in winter than in Eng- 

 land, our climate being much colder. If you begin to force a grape-house 

 (the vines of which have been kept dormant during summer) the 15th 

 Oct., you can hardly expect ripe fruit before the middle of March ; and in 



