530 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



There will be dead wood upon many vines this 

 year, but a good root, with a few good buds, will 

 make the best of growth when planted out. 



I find the autumn to be a good time to set grape 

 vines, as a better growth is obtained the follow- 

 ing season. Most herbaceous trees and shrubs 

 do equally as well when fall-planted. 



I have propagated a stock of vines, and pro- 

 cured the accompanying illustration, which is not 

 overdone, either in size of berry or cluster, as 

 both are frequently larger than the engraving. 



I have ripened various kinds of hardy grapes 

 this season, in my nursery. It is better to have 

 a grape that will ripen with a certainty, in this 

 latitude, even if the quality is not quite equal, as 

 a table grape, to some, the crop of which cannot 

 be relied upon. The following list perfected fruit, 

 more or less, before frost, the present season : 



Diana, good clusters, some well ripened, Sept. 25. 



Delaware, not iarge enough to bear. 



Rebecca, not large enough to bear. 



Concord, fiue clusters, nearly ripe Sept. 30. 



Dracut Amber, ripe Sept. 18. 



Nortiiern Muscadine, ripe Sept. 20. 



Hartford Prolific, ripe Sept. 20. 



Sage, ripe Sept. 15. 



Pearl, ripe Sept. 15. 



Large Purple, ripe Sept. 15. 



Strawberry Grape, good for jam, ripe Sept. 25, 



Clinton, ripe Sept. 25. 



Warren Seedling, ripe Sept. 20. 



Early Isabella, new, ripe Sept. 25. 



Beading, Mass., 1860. J. W. Manning. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 K-EEDHAM HORTICUIiTUKAL SHOW. 



Mr. Editor : — As your very just rule pre- 

 cludes all monotonous details of premiums, I will 

 simply give you a little account of the Needham 

 Horticultural Society, held at Village Hall, Need- 

 ham Plains, on the evenings of Sept. 24 and 25. 



Quite early in the day of Sept. 24th, the friends 

 of the Society commenced sending to the hall 

 contributions to the Fair, from the farms, kitch- 

 en and flower-gardens, work-shops, dairy-rooms, 

 and the more fanciful domains of the ladies. 



Seldom have been gathered, even by societies 

 of more numerous years and more pretentious 

 claims, a finer collection than the Hall presented, 

 when all were duly arranged. It would be diffi- 

 cult to specify any particular department of ex- 

 cellence, for all in their own sphere excelled. 

 There were apples very abundant and large, pears 

 luscious and tempting, peaches, fewer in number, 

 yet not Avithout attractions, grapes reminding one 

 of the clusters of Eschol, tomatoes of so many 

 varieties as to show that these healthful vegeta- 

 bles are fully appreciated, large pumpkins and 

 squashes, causing every one to anticipate family 

 gatherings at Thanksgiving time, potatoes, beets, 

 carrots, cabbages, &c., of no ordinary dimensions, 

 and flowers in such profusion and tastcfulness of 

 arrangement as to prove that our citizens ap])re- 

 ciate the element of beauty as well as utility. Last 

 and not least in attractions, were the contribu- 

 tions of the ladies, consisting of a great variety 

 of fancy articles, paintings and drav.'ing, cone 

 frames, worsted, bead, leather and wax work, em- 

 broidery, &c., all evincing much skill in devising 

 and delicacy in execution. 



In the evening, after an opportunity had been 

 afforded to examine the articles on exhibition, the 



assembly was called to order by the President of 

 the Society, Hon. E. K. Whitaker, who intro- 

 duced Rev. E. S. Atwood, of Grantville. Mr. A. 

 made a short, but highly interesting address. He 

 was followed by Rev. Messrs. Green and Willard, 

 of the Plain .Village, in addresses appro])riate to 

 the occasion. The Society voted to continue the 

 Exhibition the following evening, when the Re- 

 port of the Copimittee of Arrangements, an ably 

 arranged document was read by the author, Mr. 

 C. E. Keith, followed by remarks from J. S. Whit- 

 aker, Esq., of New Orleans, who congratulated 

 the society on the success of their exhibition, and 

 compared the scene before him from the richness 

 of its fruits and the beauty of its flowers, to the 

 paradise of old. Also by Dr. J. Noyes upon the 

 cultivation of plants and vegetables, and Rev. A. 

 Harvey, of Oakland Institute, upon the richness 

 of the soil and healthy locality of Needham. 



H. N. B. 



PRUNING OF GRAPES. 



We have often heard the remark made — ^^ I for- 

 got to trim my grape vines last fall, and now they 

 must run at random, another summer" Let us 

 suggest to thee, friend reader, that at any time af- 

 ter the foliage has all fallen from the vines, you 

 go among them with your twig cutters, and prune, 

 before the weather gets so cold that you will find 

 no enjoyment in the pleasant labor. It is true, 

 that, for several seasons, we have had little en- 

 couragement to cultivate the grape, but that must 

 not prevent us from doing what lies in our power 

 to secure a crop — for the next season, and a se- 

 ries of seasons may follow, that will be favorable. 



If shade from the vines is desired, let them run 

 profusely, merely cutting ofi" such laterals as you 

 do not want, — but if you wish them kept within 

 your control, do not allow them more than six 

 feet in height, and cut down the side branclres to 

 within two buds of the main shoot. By doing 

 this, and pinching ofi" the straggling shoots next 

 summer, the vine may be kept compact, under 

 your control, and with a plentiful application of 

 wood ashes, and a little bone-dust and manure, all 

 your labor will quite likely be amply repaid. 



Hints for the Farmer. — Dig your potatoes 

 when the ground is dry, you can then gather 

 them free from dirt ; then stow them away under 

 cover, where the frost will not touch them. 



Toads are the best protection of cabbages 

 against lice. 



Plants when drooping are revived by a few 

 grains of camphor. 



Sulphur is valuable in preserving grapes, &c., 

 from insects. 



Corn meal should never be ground very fine, as 

 it injures the richness of it. 



Turnips of small size have double the nutri- 

 tious matter large ones have. 



Rats and other vermin are kept away from 

 grain by a sprinkling of garlic when packing the 

 sheaves. — Ohio Valley Farmer. 



