THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTUKI8T. 



61 



resembling the Concord, and two or 

 three days earlier. 



If planting a vineyard would recom- 

 mend, say one-third Concord ; one-third 

 Champion, Moore's Early, Worden and 

 Niagara; one-third Delaware, Rogers' 

 9 and 15, and Salem; but would not 

 recommend this selection for all locali- 

 ties. 



A. M. Smith liked the Brighton very 

 much, but it needs marketing as soon 

 as ripe. Thinks the Vergennes a very 

 desirable grape, being a long keeper 

 and of good quality, and the vine a 

 strong, healthy grower. 



Mr. House would recommend letting 

 Rogers' 9 and 15 run long arms. Had 

 them with arms seventy (70) feet long. 



Mr. Orr had found Champions pay 

 best, Delawares next, and then Con- 

 cords. Rogers' 9 and 15 also paid. 

 Believed the Niagara the king of grapes. 



THE CHINESE PRIMROSE. 



Mr. Editor, — Your clipping from 

 the California Horticulturist on 

 Chinese Primrose culture in windows, 

 is misleading to the lovers of that use- 

 ful winter window decoration. 



With your permission, I will give 

 %he mode of culture we have practiced 

 the past twenty years, with good results. 

 As it is costly and troublesome to raise 

 seedlings on a small scale, and not very 

 satisfactory if but two or three plants 

 are required, we purchase good quality 

 of plants of the colors wanted, and 

 they last a number of years by dividing 

 the old plant to single crowns, in the 

 month of June. We do it with a small 

 knife. S[)lit the plant from crown to 

 root, shorten back the old root, plant in 

 five-inch pots but two thirds full of 

 earth. By September the plants will 

 have grown so much as to stand high 

 above the soil. We fill the pot with 

 earth, just leaving room to water ; take 



these into the house and let them bloom 

 all winter, which they never fail to do, 

 to the delight of all who see them. By 

 this treatment the plants do not become 

 top-heavy, as our California friends do, 

 but steady themselves by the old leaves 

 turning down until resting on the rim 

 of the pot, thus bracing the plant. We 

 prefer to keep the plants in a cool room, 

 with plenty of light, and keep the earth 

 moist. 



Mary A. Hall. 

 Woodstock, Jan. 28th, 1S85. 



RHUBARB WINE. 



Noticing an article on unfermented 

 wine in the January number, I thought 

 it good, now we are deprived of a little 

 luxury that way by the Scott Act. I 

 am no friend to that Act. I look on it 

 as arbitrary ; and as we are not all 

 growers of grapes, but most eveiy one 

 with a garden, however small, grows 

 rhubarb, and a very good wine, with a 

 good body, can easily be made. To 

 every gallon of cold 'water {rain-water 

 is best) add five pounds of ripe rhubarb 

 cut into thin slices ; do not peel it ; let 

 it stand a week or nine days, stirring 

 it every day, and cover it with a cloth 

 or blanket ; strain the macerated sub- 

 stance through a coarse cloth. Now, 

 to every gallon of the liquor thus pro- 

 cured add four pounds of sugar and the 

 juice of a lemon and the i-ind of one ; 

 now cask it ; when fermentation is over 

 bung it down ; bottle in March, and by 

 June it will be fit for use. 



Rhubarb makes also excellent jelly. 

 Cut the rhubarb up, and put it in an 

 enamelled kettle, with very little water 

 — enough to keep it from burning — 

 until the juice comes ; when tender, 

 strain it, and to every pint of juice add 

 one pound of sugar, and boil until it 

 jellies. T. A. H. 



Medoi'a, Muskoka. 



