THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 47 



propagating? it. It was produced by fertilizing the flower of the 

 Doolittle Blackcap with the pollen taken IVom the Philadelphia. The 

 blending of the characteristics of the two parents in this hybrid is 

 very remarkable, both as to the flavor of the fruit and the general 

 appearance. The color of the fruit is a dark purplish maroon. The 

 plant is exceedingly productive and very hardy. The berries in size 

 and form are intermediate between the Philadelphia and the Black 

 Cap, and the flavor intermediate also. The foliage and wood are like 

 those of the Black Cap, and the mode of propagation, namely, rooting 

 at the tips of the young shoots, is also like that of this one of its 

 parents. Those members who have the Eeport for 1873 will find on 

 page 55 the opinion of the committee who examined these hybrids at 

 that time. They were very strongly of the opinion that some of them 

 would be very decided acquisitions to our list of hardy sorts ; and we 

 believe that those whose raspberries often winter-kill, will find the 

 variety they will receive this spring to'be able to endure the winter, 

 and bear large crops of fruit. 



(3.) " What is the best way to keep grapes ?" 



The keeping quality varies very much ; some varieties will not 

 keep but a very short time, others keep till quite late in the winter. 

 The best method of keeping them is to gather them when perfectly 

 dry, and lay on a table in a cool, airy room for a few days, to toughen 

 the skin. Then examine each bunch, remove with sharp pointed 

 scissors all green, unripe or defective berries; put up in small packages, 

 baskets or boxes, and store in a dry, cool room, free from frost — the 

 colder the better so long as it does not freeze. The best keeping 

 variety is the Clinton. Isabella will keep for some time. Salem also 

 keeps until after New Years. 



SPLITTING OF BAIiK AT THE COLLAR. 



Ptobert Scott, of Hopeville, in the County of Grey, writes : — 



" I would ask, Will hilfthg up young trees in the fall cause the bark to split near 

 the root in the spring? If not, what is the cause, and what will prevent it?" 



We have not been troubled much with this splitting of tlie bark 

 at the collar. We once had a few rows of very thrifty young trees, 

 growing in a rich piece of black soil, that we found to be nearly all 

 split in the bark just at the collar. The winter had been very severe, 



