The Canadian Horticulturist. 291 



ents regarding grape growing. The general opinion of the growers seems to be 

 that the markets are opening up quite as fast as vineyards are being planted, and 

 that no fear need be entertained that in the very near future, our markets will 

 be so over-stocked as to make the business unprofitable. One writer says the 

 great need is improvement in quality, cheaper and quicker transportation, and 

 the season of maturity such, that every northern market may be supplied with 

 fine grapes from June until January, in abundance. 



JUDGING MELONS. 



3N view of the importance of establishing correct principles in judg- 

 ing fruit, we give place to the following remarks by E. Williams 

 in \.\\& Rural New Yorker : The judging of melons as generally 

 practised as a farce, as they are almost invariably judged by ap- 

 pearance, size being the ruling factor, and oftentimes by persons 

 unacquainted with the varieties. Musk melons are often evidently 

 wrongly named, and so mixed by crossing as to seriously impair the quality, but 

 they are seldom tasted, and taste should be the deciding factor as to quality, as 

 it often would be of identity. If there is anything more disappointing in the 

 fruit business than, after cutting a large, handsome melon, to find it no better 

 than a pumpkin inside, I do not know what it is. The absurdity of the in- 

 detiniteness governing these exhibits and awards must be apparent to all who 

 have ever had any thing to do with them. The judges should be experts and 

 know the tastes and characteristics of the fruits they are to judge well enough to 

 recognize any departure from the normal condition, and the shedule of instruc- 

 tions should specify and define what is meant by best — size, appearance or 

 quality. If the former, the Hackensack, and other pumpkin-hybrids, will invariably 

 secure the prizes, and the delicious Jenny Linds, Christianas and Golden Gems 

 may as well stay at home. The nomenclature of these exhibits needs correcting, 

 and the judges should be able, and it should be their duty to do it. Our socie- 

 ties should secure at least one expert on each committee and pay his expenses ; 

 or, better still, reduce the duty to one person in each class ; let him be an expert 

 and pay for his services. It would be cheaper for the society, and more satis- 

 factory to all concerned, and more expeditious in the bargain. 



Keeping Grapes Fresh. — The following recipes were given at a fruit-g owers 

 meeting in Ohio : (i) Dip the stems of the bunches, where broken off, into 

 melted red sealing-wax and pack them in cotton in large pasteboard boxes. 

 They must be kept where it is dry and cool. (2) Toward the end of October 

 cut the shoots with the cluster attached, sharpen the lower ends to a point and 

 stick them into potatoes. Spread the bunches out on straw or dry hay, so that 

 they shall not touch each other. The grapes must be placed where it is dry 

 and cool. 



