1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



233 



loitB antr gUanings. 



Grapes and Graperies. In the October No. 

 we shall commence a series of articles with illustra- 

 tions, on the construction of graperies and the cul- 

 ture of grapes therein, by J. S. Parker, M. D., Ithi- 

 ca, N. Y. The subject will be treated in a manner 

 that will enable any one to go about the business 

 understandingly — full specifications being given for 

 the erection and management of such structures. 

 Dr. Parker's articles on graperies and the grape 

 have met esseem both in this country and Europe. 



Missouri Valley Grape-Grower's Associa- 

 tion. The annual meeting of this Association will 

 be held at St. Joseph, Mo., the 6th and 7th of Sep- 

 tember, in connection with the fair of the St. Jo- 

 seph Horticultural Society. One and all interested 

 in the grape are invited to be present with fruit 

 and wine for exhibition. Grape-growers of the 

 Missouri Valley who cannot be present are invited 

 to send fruit and wine, and to furnish the Secretary, 

 Daniel L. Hall, Kansas City, Mo., all the informa- 

 tion they can relative to grape culture, in their re- 

 spective localities. 



Horticultural Notes From missonri. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — As I prom- 

 ised to give you an account of the fruits of this 

 region the present sea.son, it is about time to begin. 



The strawlierry crop was a good one for so dry 

 as the weather wa.s. Among the new ones, Nica- 

 nor, Southern Mammoth, both earl)', done very 

 well, and are worthy of trial. Wilder, Boyden's 

 No. 30 arc fine indeed. Charles Downing was 

 not satisfactory. Napolean promises to be one of 

 the most valuable late berries I ever grew. A seed- 

 ling of mine, Maud Miller, shows more than ordi- 

 nary ciualities: vigorous plant, very productive, 

 fine in flesh, and excellent in quality. I picked 

 from the original plant twenty-seven berries, aver- 

 aging nearly an inch in diameter, at one picking. 

 Of this I will .send you plants for trial as soon as 

 the ground gets wet again. I have distributed a 

 few plants, and will more, to have it tested ; and if 

 it proves valuable in ditlerent parts, it may be 

 advertised. 



Of raspberries, it is the old stor)' — a big crop of 

 fine berries. Seneca, Surpri.se and Mammoth Clus- 

 ter the best of the Black Caps ; Purple and Phila- 

 delphia, Kirtland, and Clark, best of the Reds; the 

 latter liy far tlu- finest. The white varieties, I have 

 bul (wo, Karly White Cap good, and Orange King, 

 a hardy variety; few Cr Arnold, of Canada. It is 

 equal to the Brinkle's Orange in qtiality, but not as 

 large. 



Blackberries were a splendid crop. Missouri 

 Mammoth large and good, but too few ; will des- 

 troy all mine. Kittatinny superb. Crystal, a fine 

 crop of the most beautiful berries, some an inch 

 and a quarter long, clear as crystal, almost, and 

 sweet as honey. This is a contradiction by some, 

 who call it a white blackberry. Crystal is the 

 proper name. 



About apples there is no use to write. The crop 

 here is an overwhelming one, all fine; but our trees 

 are affected by twig blight every year, yet I do not 

 see that it seems to injure the trees; but it certain- 

 ly gives them a very unsightly appearance. 



Peaches, an immense crop of natural ones. Of 

 budded fruit, a fair crop on the hills, while on the 

 low lands there is a very sparse sprinkling of them. 

 But oh, what peaches they are ! A basket beside 

 me with ten inches in it look well. 



Pears, a fine crop wherever there are bearing 

 trees. Of grapes it would be difficult to give an 

 account. Here it is all that could be asked, and so 

 I learn from all around, except at Herman, the 

 vineyards do not look so well, so a grape friend told 

 me lately. 



In my next number I will give you some account 

 of varieties and their doings. 



Samuel Miller. 



Bhifflon, Ml}. 



Notes From Benton County. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — About fruits 

 I have to say, my lonas. Concords and Clintons are 

 doing well. I have Concord vines planted two 

 years ago last spring, that now hold nearly two 

 hundred bunches to the vine. — No mildew or rot 

 yet. My Israellas (which I think as good as Black 

 Hamburgs,) Bumelan, Ives and Delawares were all 

 killed last winter. 



The apple tree blight is worse than ever. Tall- 

 man Sweet was first affected. I think sweet apple 

 trees suffer more from blight than sour. I think 

 your Adel correspondent is mistaken in regard to 

 the cause of blight, for all my crab trees were af- 

 fected except Soulard. I have some Summer 

 Queens grafted two years ago into Siberian stocks, 

 and now all are dead below the graft. There is 

 a mystery about this blight. Is it caused by some 

 " varmint ? " 



Last spring I tried your mode of grafting the 

 grape, as recommended in the Pmnolor/int. It 

 worked like a charm. I worked lonas into some 

 wild stocks, and in four weeks some of them made 

 a growth of nearly eight feet. I then pinched the 

 tips of the vines. S. D. Rbdfield. 



Vinton, Iowa, Avg. 12, 1871. 



