15 



itself to me from the practice of keeping ourselves warm by a blanket, of 

 which I have manufactured some COO pairs a day for the past ten years. 

 It is therefore very natural that I should have thought of a blanket to cover 

 the border to keep the heat in ; but it would require a great many woollen 

 blankets to cover a border 100 feet long and 40 feet wide, and a great 

 many thicknesses to give sufficient protection. However, we have the 

 principle in the thought, and now for the practice. Instead of the woollen 

 blankets I substituted two tons of meadow hay, very dry ; this covered the 

 border about one foot in thickness, and in order to keep it dry I placed 

 upon the top of it about six inches of waste and manure, to absorb the rain, 

 until the frost should make it a more perfect protection. This has an- 

 swered the purpose ; the heat has passed from the border, about three de- 

 grees a week from the 1st of December, at which time it was sixty, and the 

 fruit has ripened perfectly. It was generally supposed by grape growers 

 that I should fail in color and flavor, as well as size, from want of sun, in 

 December ; but my experience proves a plenty of pure air is quite as im- 

 portant. My mode of ventilating is entirely new, and appears favorable to 

 the growth of the grape. The warming apparatus inside of the house, is 

 simply a stove at each end, consequently the ventilation is complete, as the 

 heavy bad air is constantly rushing to the stoves, and passing out of the 

 funnels. 



I do not, in speaking of this mode of ventilation, recommend stoves for 

 heating in preference to the common furnace and hot water pipes ; but refer 

 only to the principle of ventilation, which can be applied to the common 

 furnace, by conducting the air from the house to supply the coal instead of 

 the outside air; this plan would as effectually draw off" the bad air as my 

 stoves. 



It has been stated that I get two crops of grapes in one year from the 

 same vines. It is true that this year I have, but as 1 have not practiced 

 this mode of growing grapes, I cannot recommend it, but should have appre- 

 hensions, if followed up, the vines would soon show injury. My present 

 judgment would be rather to receive from them one crop in two years, than 

 two a year. 



You will notice from this statement that the real advance in Horticult- 

 ure, which I think is secured to us, is, that we may supply ourselves with 

 delicious grapes during the months of January, February, and March, 

 which heretofore was considered impracticable by our best grape growers. 

 Respectfully yours, M. H. Simpson. 



In this department the Society has been mainly indebted to J. Fisk Al- 

 len, W. C. Strong, Mrs. F. B. Durfee, M. H. Simpson, Jos. Breck & Son, 

 Azell Bowditch, James Nugent and Thos. Page. 



Grapes. — Open Culture. — This has, indeed, been an awakening season 

 for seedlings, and all outdoor grapes. It is the first of a perfect furore or 

 mania, in bringing out of slumbering varieties, and tliough your Committee 

 have been obliged at the tasting board to make " wry faces" sometimes, yet 

 they have been well recompensed in believing that a few of the many may 



