AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 251 



Union Society of Shakers, Harvard, Massachusetts, raise pro- 

 digious crops of Green Gage, Imperial Gage, Jefferson Gage, and 

 others. We scatter air-slacked lime on the trees for six weeks, 

 once a week, beginning soon after the fruit is discoverable, when 

 the dew is on, or on a damp day. Sprinkle the lime on until 

 the whole tree appears white, as with snow in winter. We have 

 tried other methods, but have found this to be the best. 



Sprinkle with flour of sulphur just as the fruit is setting. 



Plums carefully dried make prunes— a useful and even im- 

 portant article of commerce. We should add much to our plea- 

 sure and profit if we should cultivate the Bolivar, the Jefferson, 

 and some other of our best on a large scale, to make prunes. The 

 northern states ought to pay in prunes for the oranges of the 

 south. When ripe the plums will not bear much handling or 

 transportation, but as prunes can go any distance. 



GRAPE-HOUSES, &c. 



From the condensed correspondence of the Honorable Charles 

 Mason, Commissioner of U. S. Patents, in the Agricultural Re- 

 port for 1853, we extract the following. In this we think that 

 we follow the noble plan of Smithson, of London — diffuse know- 

 ledge: 



San Francisco, Los Angelos county — James S. Waite. Mexi- 

 cans have given most attention to the culture of grapes. Three 

 varieties are cultivated, two of them are black, and the Muscatel, 

 which is white. Large quantities of grapes are annually sent to 

 San Francisco and to the mines. The entire product of grapes in 

 this country, last year, was estimated at two thousand tons, (four 

 millions of pounds,) of which this county yielded about three- 

 quarters. They are carefully picked and packed in saw dust. 



Bangor, Penobscot county, Maine. Henry Little says : — We 

 raise, under glass, Black Hamburgh, Chasselas, and other fine 

 foreign varieties. In open culture we raise Isabella, Black Clus- 

 ter, and White Sweet Water. Isabella is rather too late for us; 

 we seek for others. 



Maryland. Catawba and Isabella are hardy, full, and constant 

 bearers. 



Anthony Miller, of Portland, Calloway county, Missouri : — To 

 cure rot in my grapes, I take fresh cow manure, mix in a ditch, 

 or hogshead, with offals of tobacco, ashes, lime, hops and rain 

 water. I stir it daily till it ferments; let it stand several days. 

 I make a ditch about five or six inches deep around the foot of 



