64-6 General Notices. 



part of the shoot which is within the house have developed, draw in two or 

 three joints more till the buds on these are developed, and so on, until the 

 whole of the shoot has been introduced. {Gard. Chron., vol. i. p. 614.) 



Preservation of Grapes. — When grapes hang long on the vines they prevent 

 them from being pruned ; but that it is quite possible to keep grapes in as 

 high a state of preservation as when left on the vines, if not more so, I have 

 proved by the adoption of the following method. In the last week in De- 

 cember, or first week in January, I prune the last house of grapes, which were 

 ripe in September, and cut the whole of the grapes remaining, with a joint or 

 two, or more, of wood below the bunch. I make a clean cut, and apply 

 sealing-wax, as hot as can be used, to it, and seal the wood closely, so that no 

 air can enter the tissues communicating with the bunch. I then hang the 

 bunches up on cords suspended across a closet in a cool airy room, taking 

 care that they do not touch each other, and after this they are cut down as 

 wanted. In this way the White Muscat of Alexandria was kept in 1840, 

 until the latter part of May : of course they were slightly shriveled, yet not 

 so much as they would have been had they remained on the vines. In 1841, 

 Black Lombardy, Black Hamburgh, and White Muscat of Alexandria were 

 kept until the fifth of February, in an excellent state of preservation, most of 

 the berries being quite plump and firm. To succeed, much depends on the 

 situation where the grapes are preserved ; they must not be exposed to a 

 current of warm air, nor yet be so damp as to cause mould. The bunches 

 being well sealed is a most important point to be attended to. (G. G. 

 Watson, in Gard. Chron., vol. i. p. 663.) 



Mr. Haywardh Manure for Grapes. — I have tried a great variety of 

 compounds as food, and have found that one quart of cider or cider grounds, 

 added to two gallons of water, brings a grape vine to a more perfect prolific 

 state than any thing else. This mixture must be supplied in such quantity as 

 will saturate the earth, like water, to the depth of the roots, and all over the 

 surface occupied by the roots. It must onlj' be given once in the year; and, if 

 repeated the second year, its good effects will be sustained for several years 

 afterwards without further supplies. The apple and pear, and the fig, are 

 alike benefited by this compound. {Ibid., p. 413.) 



Keeping Fruit. — R. Tongue observes, " if you wish to mature your fruit 

 for immediate use, put it into heaps that it may sweat, and your object will be 

 attained ; but, should you desire to keep your fruit a long time, place it in an 

 underground room, one apple or pear deep, upon shelves of flag or slate, or 

 any other material which will rapidly conduct away the heat generated in the 

 fruit during its sweating, or which will check its fermentation, so as to 

 postpone its decay." {Ibid., p. 717.) 



Raspberries have grown fifteen years on the same spot, and continued in 

 high bearing. {Ibid., p. 213.) 



Thinning Pears, and even apples, when the fruit is set, and again in July or 

 later, is strongly recommended {Ibid., p. 37.) ; and again by Mr. Whiting 

 {Ibid., p. 69.). 



The Scale on Peach Trees may be destroyed by painting them over with 

 diluted clay when the buds are beginning to swell. Two coats of the paint 

 will be necessary, and the trees should be covered during rains for a fortnight. 

 When the clay drops off it will bring all the scale with it. {John Kyle, in 

 Gard, Chron., vol. i. p. 70.) 



Preserving Pears on the Trees. — Pears have been preserved on dwarf 

 trees by matting up, as is done with currants and gooseberries, by Mr. Grace 

 of St. John's Wood. In this way Marie Louise pears were kept in perfection 

 till Christmas. {Gard. Chron., vol. i. p. 5 and 6.) 



Wild Crab Apj}les exist in two distinct forms in our hedges ; one pubescent 

 and the other perfectly glabrous. The latter is supposed by Ray to be the 

 effect of a certain degree of cultivation. {Leighlon's Flora of Shrojjshire, p. 199.) 



Pears. — The wide departure of many varieties of pear from their usual 

 period of ripening is noticed in detail by Mr. Rivers, who recommends 



