Jan. 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



was very marked ami decisive, as follows : 



Average of whole quantity, 091 lots, 83.35 

 degrees. Average of 103 lots, from 15th to 

 lOtli of October, say entire receipts for five 

 days, 80.06 degrees, or three degrees and 

 twenty -nine huudrcths below tlie i,ivcrage of 

 the whole. Average of 81 lots, taken after 

 tlie 15th of November, 88.13 degrees, or four 

 degrees and seventy-eight hundrcths above 

 the average of the whole ; thus showing an 

 improvement in the quality of the must of 

 eight degrees and seven hundrcdtlis between 

 that pressed before the 20th of October and 

 that pressed after', the 15th of November, or 

 a fraction over ten per cent. 



To compensate for the loss in gross weight 

 consequent on leaving the grapes so long on 

 the vines, the price was graduated according 

 to the gravity of the must; making the 

 worth of the grapes picked after the 15th of 

 November ten per cent more than those 

 picked between the 15th and 30th of Octo- 

 ber. Tills increase in price was considered 

 as more than equivalent to the loss of avoir- 

 dupois. — Secretary L. S. O. Association. 



The Grape Season of 1869. 

 We see statements afloat that some of the 

 principle grape regions are in a panic conse- 

 quent upon the unfavorable season just pass- 

 ed. Somehow it has come to be expected 

 that grape-growing must be an uninterrupt- 

 ^jd success ; else we hear of great disappoint- 

 ments, and our friends who give their expe- 

 rience relate only their griefs, all which may 

 be a relief to their wounded hopes, but is 

 poor encouragement to those just emliarking 

 in the business and not very instructive ex- 

 cept to their immediate localiteis. If there 

 were less croaking and more interest mani- 

 fested in improved culture and methods of 

 training, it would be quite as well. Ours is 

 a variable climate, and the weather not unfre- 

 quently makes or mars a season's success 

 with all our products in their turn. 



The cereals often fail totally or in a meas- 

 ure in different localities. The apple crop 

 over much of our country of late is a failure 

 three years in four. The fact is that in the 

 past ten years no crop has been more certain 

 than the grape, where there was a judicious 

 selection of varieties and intelligent training 

 and cultivation. No fruit is in more uniform 

 supply in our markets during its season. 



One thing has been pretty well settled for 

 all tills northern section, which is tliat the 

 early varieties pay much the best. Tlie Isa- 

 bella and Catawba have had their day. The 

 original vineyards in tliis country were main- 

 ly Isabellas. These are fast being supplant- 

 ed by the earlier sorts. Some vineyards of 

 the early varieties composed of Ilartfijrd, 

 Delaware, Concord, etc., in bearing eight 

 years or more, have never failed of a remun- 

 erative crop. Even in this worst of all sea- 

 sons, in well cultivated viuej'ards the return 

 has been highly encouraging. The Hartford, 

 on early soils, is always reliable and jirofita- 

 ble. The Concord is not ijopular every- 



where. It is a poor shipper, ancient in qual- 

 ity. Rogers' No. 4 is a lietter grape every 

 way, and ought to supplant it. I notice Solon 

 Roliinson, in the Farmers' Club, says the 

 Concord will produce six times as iiiuch as 

 the Delaware. Such is not the case here. 

 A Delaware vineyard, with good cultivation, 

 will yield three to four tons to the acre. This 

 ought to satisfy any one. In this locality the 

 Delaware seems perfectly at home. True 

 the season just past has been wet and cold, 

 which injured the foliage and retarded the 

 ripening, but another such may not come in 

 twenty years. 



The lona is not .succeeding universally. 

 Some vineyards on early soil have done well, 

 and where it ripens, is a splendid grape. 

 Several of the Rogers' Hybrids promise to 

 be very valuable. In my own vineyard, 

 Nos. 4, 15, 19 and Salem ripened their fruit 

 well, and were healthy. They are all strong 

 growers and must have more room to accom- 

 plish better results. The "American system" 

 of training and pruning requires still further 

 extension. These strong fellows, which reach 

 out so vigorously, should be at least a rod 

 apart in the row. Vineyards set half that 

 distance should, after a few crops, have every 

 other vine taken out. Leave more bearing 

 wood, and thin out the smaller bunches of 

 fruit. In that way we shall accomplish 

 great results. Large, showy grapes sell well 

 in market. If of good quality, we cannot 

 raise too many. 



We hope much from new varieties, but 

 have not fruited them yet. Martha, they tell 

 us, ripens so early " it will not keep." It is 

 also very hardy. What a boon this will be 

 to those sections where our grapes of best 

 quality will not succeed. The Eumelan and 

 Walter certainly put in strong claims for our 

 recognition, and we trust that further ac- 

 quaintance will confirm our most sanguine 

 expectations. — Lochport, W. T., Cor. Country 

 Cent. 



of bright green moss, but the contimu.1 evap- 

 oration from the moss will impart a coi isidera- 

 ble degree of humidity to the air immedialc 

 surrounding the plants. If the box is lined 

 with zinc, it adds very nuich to its durabili- 

 ty, lu addition to any such arrangement, 

 the leaves of the ijlants should be frequently 

 washed or syringed. 



" To protect plants [from freezing nights, 

 nothing is more simple and effective than 

 newspaper.s. A single thickness of news- 

 paper folded around a tender plant is suffi- 

 cient protection against a moderate degree 

 of frost. Tlie most convenient form for tlu; 

 paper is that of a conical cap. It is quickly 

 slipped on at night and oft" in the morning." 



House Plants in Winter. 



The Buft'alo JUxpress gives the following 

 useful suggestions on the management of 

 House plants in winter : 



■'The great obstacle to the health and 

 beauty of the plants, kept in living rooms in 

 winter, is the dryness and heat of the atmos- 

 phere in such rooms. This is a difficult mat- 

 ter to provide for. Many who love to Ijeau- 

 tify their homes with these cheerful plants 

 cannot afford the expenditure of Wardian 

 cases and other elaborate devices for provid- 

 ing a .separate atmosphere for their plants. 

 A good substitute is made by setting the 

 plants into a broad, shallow box, and filling 

 the space between the pots with moss. Then 

 lay over a smooth coat of moss, covering 

 everything but the earth immediately around 

 the plants in the pots. The moss should then 

 be kept moderately damp. 



" This arrangement not only adds much to 

 the appearance of the plants — giving the 

 effect of that growing directly from the bed 



The Mulberry in the South. 

 G. W. C. Munro, Buena Vista, Ga., writes 

 the Southern CuUiwitor his experience in 

 mulberry culture. He writes : 



" About ten years ago, I got a few sprigs 

 for grafting of a mulberry which was very 

 highly reeonmiended, and represented to be 

 ever-ix'ariiig or perpetual. I grafted into the 

 morus multicaulis mulberry, and got about 

 forty young trees from the grafts that lived. 

 Tliey were very .slow in bearing, and not, 

 until this year, have borne a remunerating 

 crop. The berry is quite large, long and 

 black, when ripe — begins to ripen about the 

 first of May, and continues till July. I have 

 another kind ripening at the same time, but 

 the berries are smaller. One of my neigh- 

 bors has still another variety, wliicli is nearly 

 white when ripe. These mulberries all begin 

 to ripen at the same time, last two months, 

 and are ijrolific bearers; and are valuable 

 for hogs, as they ripen at a time when other 

 fruit is scarce, or not ripe at all, except the 

 plum, which, with us, ripens at the same 

 time, and is equally valuable. 



The mode of propagating the mulberry is 

 simple. Take the morns multicaulis limbs, 

 of one year's growth, and plant them in a 

 furrow, as you would sugar-cane. They 

 will put out roots and a stem at each bud. 

 Take them up at the projicr time for graft- 

 ing, cut off the stem and divide the root.s — 

 put ill the graft of the kind of mulberry 

 wanted. Plant them out where neither 

 stock, cliickens, or anything else cau disturb 

 tlieni. Cultivate one year carefully, and 

 they will grow ten feet if the soil is good. 

 The second year transplant them where 

 they are wanted to grow, and be sure to 

 never let cows and horses have access to 

 them until they attain to large trees. The 

 mulberry grows on desperately poor land, 

 as well as rich, but not so large, and bears 

 equally well on both. But the' trees should 

 have good distance on good land, say fifty 

 feet each way. Plums may be planted in 

 the mulberry orchard, after the trees have 

 been standing ten years. If auything can 

 be planted that will pay better, land must be 

 high and labor cheap. 



Seedling Cherries. — The Horticnltui'iat 

 suggests to Western fruit-growers gathering 

 the pits of Louis Philippe, Early Richmond, 

 Donna Maria, Belle Magnitique, Ilortense, 

 and other varieties of like habit or elas.s, and 

 grow new seedlings. If only one in a thou- 

 sand prove of great value, there is a pros- 

 pect that two-thirds of the balance will 

 prove as good as the Early May now grown, 

 and all will cetrainly answer for stocks on 

 which to bud. 



