1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



161 



cow manure, well littered, may be used, to 

 make it compact. In a few days it will begin 

 to heat, which is known by the steam rising. 

 When well steaming, throw it over, mixing it 

 well and keep it trim, to prevent having frozen 

 lumps, &c. When used in the bed, spread it 

 evenly over the whole surface, beating it down 

 -with the fork well, and if lightly trod to pack 

 and keep even, no hami is done. The object 

 is to keep an even surface when the bed set- 

 tles, as settle it will, after heating awhile. 



Care after Sowing the Seed. 



Any one who is indisposed to give some 

 time, and take a little trouble in order to en- 

 joy the luxuries that may be derived from a 

 well-managed hot bed, had better not meddle 

 with one, for we may not expect to enjoy the 

 luxuries of life without care and trouble. Es- 

 pecially where we turn nature and her laws 

 from their course by so direct an interference, 

 more care is required than when less interfered 

 with. 



The bed will need protection from the heat 

 of the sun when It shines bright in mid-day, by 

 sliding the sash to give air, or in shading par- 

 tially ; also protection during the night, till 

 into May, In this latitude, by covering with 

 light shutters or straw mats. It will also need 

 to be looked to, that it never gets dry. The 

 water used should be slightly warmed and ap- 

 plied from a watering pot with a fine rose- 

 sprinkler. A neglect for an hour of any one 

 of these little things may result In the entire 

 destruction of the plants that have been started. 

 By failing to give air, or shade, when the sun 

 is hot and clear, the concentrated rays will 

 often burn and ruin the plants. Hence in 

 clear still days it is often advisable to remove 

 the sash entire for an hour or two In the mid- 

 dle of the day. If the wind blows, with a 

 bright sun, slide the sash down a faw inches to 

 give air. While guarding against the effects 

 of heat, don't forget the frost, lest some cold 

 snap may leave your tender plants or vegeta- 

 bles with the chills, or you find them fi-ozen 

 in the early morning. 



The large variety of plants that the hot bed 

 is useful in starting, or forwarding, early in the 

 season, needs no repetition here ; but for all 

 that require a long season, it Is almost indis- 

 pensable, as well as for those early spring lux- 

 uries which can be had In no other way as 

 early. March is the proper time for making 

 up the hot bed, as a general thing, In this lati- 

 tude. Wm. H. White. 



So. Windsor, Ct., Feb. 12, 1867. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 "GRAPE FEVER." 



Doctors say that sometimes fever saves life. 

 I suppose they mean that In the cases alluded to, 

 the fever saves the Individual from a worse form 

 of disease. But as ' 'fever" causes undue excite- 

 ment and loss of strength, I have adopted the 



heading of this article to call attention to the 

 following question, — Does it pay to grow 

 grapes in New England ? 



The agitation of this question is producing 

 so much excitement in the minds of persons 

 o\vning land, that there is danger of much 

 money being lost by some of those who will be 

 induced to plant grape vines for profit. The 

 love of money and the necessity of possessing 

 it. Is an inducement to industry In good men, 

 but in bad men it is sometimes an inducement 

 to sell that which is worthless and to misrepre- 

 sent in order to do so. The Industrious farm- 

 ers of our neighborhood are In danger of catch- 

 ing a fever, which, to get patients, ignorant 

 pretenders as well as experienced doctors can 

 produce, and which fever, through the pocket, 

 may leave them shorn of their strength ; and 

 ever after liable to have an intermittent fever 

 when the subject of grape culture comes under 

 their notice. 



Under one class of conditions grape culture is 

 rtiinous to the pocket, under another class of 

 conditions it Is remunerative. 



To those who, by wisdom dearly bought, 

 have proved this to be tnie, it is a matter of 

 regret that so many persons write about grapes 

 In such a way as to give the impression that 

 the variety of grape they prefer must be the 

 best for general cultivation, without saying 

 anything about the adaptation of the vine to 

 the various conditions of climate, soil and cul- 

 ture ; as though It would do well and be profit- 

 able in any State of the union — in any soil — 

 where coi-n will grow. 



Distant propagators, personally, by their 

 agents and through the newspapers, are visit- 

 ing our towns and selling large quantities of 

 vines that are useless. If profit be the object of 

 the purchaser. A large number of the varieties 

 they sell can no more ripen their fruit here 

 than the orange or lemon can ripen its fruit 

 in Pennsylvania ; and such a degree of ripeness 

 can never allow of profit in their culture. 



The demand for vines has been so great, 

 that persons have been led to raise them from 

 parent vines that were unfit, by reason of ex- 

 cessive layering; from these weakly vines, 

 others have been propagated ; and again from 

 these, in the same way, many times in succes- 

 sion, until of some varieties It seems difficult to 

 get a healthy plant. AVhat makes the matter 

 worse is, that the demand has called into exer- 

 cise skill in propagating from even these un- 

 healthy vines, under glass, and from green 

 wood. 



Many of these may be nursed and made to 

 do pi'etty well In a warm climate, by persons 

 whose object Is not profit, but when they are 

 sent north they are for the most part useless. 



Many of the varieties called hardy are grown 

 from diseased vines ; some from wood that is 

 feeble as to size ; some from wood that is soft, 

 owing to the soil having too much manure In it, 

 and some from wood that was unripe ; none of 

 these can be expected to be profitable, for they 



