MOOIiE'S KB&iLL KEW-YORKER. 





AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE 



Tbat before many rears »« shall rival lie finest 

 vine growing districts of Europe in the quality, 

 variety and hardiness of our grapes, ii our faith. 

 Jo quality we are certainly making rapid advance. 

 The Di«n». Delaware and Rebecca, moke a near 

 approach to Hie very best European varieties. 

 Tbe Isabella bas been known and cultivated bnt 

 about forty year*, and the Catawba even a less 

 time. Previous to tbat time we had only tbe Frost, 

 or Fox gropes. Now, some of oar nurserymen's 

 catalogues contain names and descriptions of from 



one with over two hundred. Not five per cent, of 

 these, perhaps, will prove worthy of general cul- 

 ture, or even ofa place in the garden or vineyard ; 

 yet with the Diana for general culture, the bardy 

 Hartford Prolific, for <o'd sections, and others we 

 might name of a somewhat similar character, and 

 the good opinions we entertain of tbe Delaware 

 and others, we have done enough the past ten 

 years to satisfy tbe most sanguine, and to encour- 

 age all to future effort in the production of bardy 

 grapes of excellent quality. 

 Hundreds of persons are engaged in the produc- 



eareful trial of those already produced. It will 



thing indiscriminately, os some seem disposed to 

 do, insisting that the Isabella is good enough, for 

 this would put an end to all progress ; nor should 



greatest part of the vines that have left the garden 

 of Judge Privost, of Frenchtowo, and its vicin- 

 a of their products, or the ofTiets that sprung 

 them. With tbe few that remain there I 

 have also a hand to band acquaintance. Many 

 thousands of them have passed under my bands, 

 my heart warms and enlarges at every remem- 



treachery, deceit or false promise lurks in any part 

 it. Of sturdy rigor, and most enduring hardi- 

 ss of both wood and foliage; most abundant iu 

 fruiting; unequaled io beauty, and flavor, and 

 iig in no good quality. I cannot but feci a 

 fa] pride in the good fortune tbat basso inti- 

 mately associated me with tbe Delaware grape, 

 id peruiiltcd me to take part in its dissemination. 

 I need not few to soy I inow the Delaware 



!." The excellence of gold only is counter- 

 feited ; counterfeiting of copper is rarely attempted, 

 and although from the tenor of Mr. Orr's commu- 



ci'li 





The only safe way is to follow the scripture rule. 

 "try nil things em! hold fast to tbat wh>cb is 



In our issue of November 19tb,. we gave tbe 

 Opinion of Mr. Meehax, editor of the Gur.h mtV 

 MontMy, that the Delaware was a native grape, 

 and that il could be found growing ou the banks 

 of the Delaware river, where Mr. M. thought he 

 had seen it years ogo, but this was only an opinion 

 willieut proof, and it seem3 strange that if Mr. M. 

 saw such a fine grape growing wild that he should 

 pass it by instead of introducing it to tbe notice of 

 the public. The November Dumber ofthe Monthly 

 also contains the following communication : 



lb ': 



You will r 



•ame grope growing about us In abandonee. Thi 



of the Kuenisli vineyard 





public boa been tiumbujpfd long enonjiri, and I thtDfc 



The writer (W.E. P.) 1 



aving inspect 



It no wore than Just li> moke its Irue character known. 





where, bas lull 



1 believe the history of tho Delaware Grope It. Hint 



self of lis foreign orlgt 





Mr Prevost, a gentleman living at Frcoelitowii, N. J., 



Introduced to New Jers 





received some grape Tines from Italy, and this Is a 





and brought 



aupposed seedling from ISOM grapes. We hove- nod 







ibis wonderful grope growing in onr neighborhood at 





me, no Nollv 









Ud Isabella. Mr». Dan, an old German lady, first got 







Iboui at Mr. PrevoBl's <il Inml Ihlriy rears ago, and 







Introduced llietn In our nelgliborbood. I liove two 







large vines growing In my garden as thick as an arm, 







Which were plan tod about eighteen years ag«, und 







never here ii'sreuly anything until hist year, when I 











Prevohl, or 



quality of tbe grope, and from its being a poor bearer, 







have been found similar 



the seeds wc 





dropped by birds, wbo'a 



o especially fo 











The foreign origin of 











If any person wants culling:, I could supply him with 



combines every specific 



■trlbuie .,i il.,- 



■I loud (or mnroty Ihepri 

 Yours truly. 



We have not the least idea that! be unproductive 

 vino of Mr. Or? is n Delaware. Our experience 

 that it is remarkably productive, rivaling tbe 



hi ilns respect. To this communicat 

 of Mr. O. we hare received the following raplj 

 Eds. RtJHAi Nsw-Yobkbb:— In the Qardm 

 Monthly for November, appeared a communicat 

 signed Charlie It. On, Pleasant Valley, Bucks 

 Co., Pa, which is a little extraordinary 



', and is possibly designed to accomplish 

 xtraordinary end, but what that end may be 



■■ i.|.].:, 



Xfrumthtv 



That Mr. Oir is no humbug is sufficiently 

 feat from his implied hatred of humbuggery, 

 is equally clear that some ulterior motive 

 mtU him. He is also, at least, in port, endorsed 

 by the editor who has bad some indefinite d: 

 of something for some indcGnite period, haunting 



aio knowledge even aj'Ur ditto 

 i never hare been, and nerer ca 



age that he should, at least, 



oh;,., 





■ Car,] 



sitae i 





is all righi, but if he had 

 " nou nee m en t, he would hare been all 

 wrong, lie* was sored by bis editorial "instinct," 

 which is palpably » a great thing." Bui, Mr. Ott. 

 o snch guardian angel, is all wrong, and 

 emedy, unlc-s be goes over incontinent]* 

 to the raises of humbugs. 



When Mr. On had staled that he had a Dola 

 ware vine eighteen years old, and that the region 

 was "filled with them growing wRa," ,, e b 

 waded to the utmost limit of safety. He took o 

 more step, and that swamped him. He sta 

 that his rino al tbe age of eighteen jear*, |, 

 i, for tbe first time bearing, produced oi 

 half a crop. Now, unless tomitMing ha.i ury«j 

 Aim on, he would not bare taken this step, 

 would hareknown the Delaware vine nerer t 

 one sixth of that oge without bearing a most pro- 

 fuse crop, under circumstances which would bare 

 precluded bearing on aDy vine. 



For seven years past I bare been intimately 



acquainted with the Delaware, and during its 



if growth, carefully noted all of its charac- 



I may further say that 1 have bad a not 



uninterested general or special knowledge of tbe 



. tW 



u'd T 



■.. the I. 



I did not know how to understand his communica- 

 persnaded that he ever thought be had tbe Del- 

 he really had, and also to learn what he aimed at, 

 tbat I mode a journey to his place, where I found 



f a DtUunrt. 



The vines in question hare a small black fruit 

 far below the Clinton in quality, end is one of tbe 

 iorthern Foxes that approach most nearly to tbe 

 •Yost grape in quality Of what I further learned 

 m my journey I sball speak to you on another 

 iccasion. Of something which I inferred, I may 

 peak to you in private. J. C. Rennison. 



While Mr. Hxnux and some others are so 

 decided in the opinion that the Ihlawart is a 



>, Wit. R. PruscE is just as decided in the 

 opinion that it is a foreign variety, brought from. 

 Europe, and planted end propagated iu New Jer- 

 sey. Tbe following extracts will show Mr. P.'s 



>n on tbe subject: 



ttows vlgoronily. Il Is not productlvow 

 sge ; ripens Ibe beginning of September, I 



genous origin." 



New, wc have given our readers the different 

 opinions on this subject, and tbe facts, so : 

 they can be ascertained. We do this to sb 

 whntg rounds opinions, so confidently state 

 founded, so that our readers may not be misl 

 this subject by any who use bold assertioi 

 arguments. There jb not tbe least proof tb 

 Delaware was brought from Europe, nor t 

 originated from seed of any European va 

 Nor, on the either hand, do we see any evi 

 that it can be found growing wild in any section of 

 our country. Of its quality and pnductiemt 

 there can be no doubt. Of its /tardinc.v over 

 very large section of our country we have t 

 highest hopes. Tbis point settled, and the De 

 ware takes rank as the first of American grapes. 



The only objection we could ever make to t 

 Delaware was its small size. On mentioning this 

 once, in the presence of a number of horticultur- 

 ists, Mr. Downing replied that its mi, all »is>e |j c jjj 

 not consider a defect ; on tbe contrary be thought 

 it rendered it much more convenient to handle 

 and consequently more suitable for the dessert. 



Isabella grape had become unhealthy and must be 

 abandoned. It was first started, we believe, by 

 that celebrated institution, thsiVflo York larmtrU 

 '■.M, I iKiiiiiLL'scelebratcd vineyard of Isa- 

 bellas was reported os worthless, along wilh many 

 others. We saw nothing of the kind in Western 

 New York. Our Isabellas were nerer better; and 

 now Mr. I' she tin ill denies the whole statement, 

 and says he shall plant this year more than ever. 

 A gentleman, in whose judgment we have the 

 greatest confidence, writes us—" You made a great 

 mistake in saying the BOteca is a higher flavored 

 grape tban the l>d&uare and Diana, Il is more 

 )ii,,),h, perfumed, butTaslly inferior in flavor, lack- 

 ing tartaric acid greatly, and sugar considerably." 

 Owing to the kindness of Mr. BimcKjntNK.and Mr. 

 Dowwrxa, and Dr. Gbast, we hod a very fine 

 opportunity of lasting and testing the /?»i«v<if and 

 lbs present season. Pcrbups, however, 

 out taste is all at fault. With a similar opportu- 

 nity neit year, we will endearor to revise our 

 epioion, and perhaps may improre our taste. 



THE JAPAN QUIKCE. 



: following interesting article on tbat beauti- 

 anl, the Japan Quince, we take from the 

 London Gardener's CAronicit. M ore attention 

 1 be given to this shrub—it is fine for tbe 

 n, and not excelled by any thing for an 

 iecU! hedge: 



It has often struck ns as a singular omission on 

 tbe part of gardeners that they hare not attempted 

 to domesticate the Japan Crab, or Pvai * Japonic* 

 as it is improperly called, tbe plant being in reality 

 a Quince, or Cydonia. This most beautiful of all 

 hardy shrubs except the Hose is now in precisely 

 the same state as when it first, about the year 

 1815, arrived from China; the poor pallid variety 

 called "white" having been also an imporlation 

 and not of home production, Here was a plant 

 uosurpossed for hardiness, for brilliancy of color, 

 and for the durability of its blossoms, a winter 

 Uowerer and an evergreen, propagated moreover 

 with the greatest ease, left disregarded by those 



upon tbe Rose. And wbat is tbe more remarkal 

 it was a species eridently having a tendency 

 change, 03 its two or turee unimportant varict 

 plainly indicated, and most nearly related to t 

 Apple and Pear on the one band, and the Rose 





'. plat 



all 



It has perhaps been owing to the unwillingness 

 of tbe plant to ripen its fruit here tbat the oppor 

 tunity of raising seedlings has beeu neglected, 

 And yet it does sometimes produce good seeds. 

 more often perhaps than has been suspected, the 

 fruit itself beiDg worthless and disregarded 

 moreover been turned more in thf 



fruit. <■ 





i have been 



thought hopelessly bad, tban towards tbe flowers, 

 which appears to possess all tbe elements of 

 mutability. When we think of tbe poor field 

 Rose, with its red blossoms, not 

 florin, which, when transferred fi 

 corn- field, grew up from generation to generation 

 in increasing beauty till it stood revealed what 

 now is— the loveliest of flowers, there is surely 

 every inducement to subject the Pyrus Japoni 

 the same discipline. 



We have been led to these remarks by the 

 examination of a cose of .very marked improve 

 ment actually elected in the plant before., us. Ho1 

 in the flowers, however, but in the fruit. Tb« 

 Quince which the species bears is described by 

 TiiiMiFi.,. as having the >i*e 

 Japan, where it grows wild o 

 Wilh us it sometimes become: 



ling, 



which 



pause to look upon. But 

 day from Messrs. Lowe & Co., somespe< 

 an improved variety raised by one of thi 

 spondents in the South of France, which presents 

 so very marked an advance towards change as to 

 hold out great encouragement to skillful breeders. 

 Insteod of the shapeless, angular, rugged fruil 

 that we see here, the spocimeus in question wen 

 very exactly oblong, as large at one end as tbe 

 other, without any angles whatever, and clean 

 skinned like a Nectarine. Tbe large*', specimen, 

 of which the annexed cut represents a section, 



. and it proved to be admirably suited 



: thai i 



■ -.Ud,-. 



s now clear tbat the Pyrns jsponicsdoes not 

 belong one of those unchangeable na'urei thnl 

 fy attempts at alteration; but that like others 

 lis Rosaceous kindred it is capable of yielding 

 the influence or tbe arts of cultivation. To 

 iat eitent it will yield can only be ascertained 

 experiment; but considering the changes 

 eady brought about in China in its flowers, and 

 Europe in its fruit, there is surely no extrava- 

 gant enthusiasm in anticipating the appearance of 

 some day, wilh flowers as double ond as large 

 those of tb-; China Rose, This at least is cer- 



_,!.,, , 



now sufficie 

 npts at opera 



ttng upi 



NURSERYMEN'S CATALOUGES. 



It bas lately occurred to me to wonder why 

 nurserymen do not take greater pains to circulate 

 their published catalogues. So far as I am aware, 

 the only effort they make in that direction is to 

 furnish thetn free to those who make personal 



Ll'I.lh- 



af..r 



and. , 



• udv. 



ind them by mail to such as apply in 

 writing and inclose a stamp, to pay the postage. 

 A principal object ef mirserymeu in publishing a 

 descriptive and priced list of. their wares, must be 

 to inform the public what trees, vines, plants, Ac , 

 they propagate for sale, what are the dislinguisb- 



ttve little pamphlets sent out by nursery establish- 

 ments, it ib the proprietors' interest to scatter as 

 widely as possible among the people; but the 

 means spoken of above are sadly inefficient. F„r 

 even of those who would like copies of such cata- 

 logues, maoy neglect to send for then., as they 

 neglect to procure for themselves many other 

 things which they want, but caouot obtain with- 

 out a little trouble; while the multitude of persons 

 who are naturally careless of such things, and 

 need to be educated to an interest in them, con 

 never be reached in this way at all. Agents for 

 nurseries do something towards spreading a 

 knowledge of tbe existence of finer fruils and 

 flowers tban are commonly found in country 

 gardens, but they generally carry about but a 

 single copy of tbe list of articles tbey wish to 



brief call at each house, the people whose patron- 

 age they solicit ore necessarily limited to a very 

 hurried examination of it. It loo often happens, 

 also, thol the agent himself is a person of little or 

 no horticultural knowledge, unacquainted with 



fitness for dtll'eient localities, and, therefore, ill 

 prepared to render intelligent aid to persons 

 bewildered and perplexed in the attempt to 

 make a basly selection liom a long list of strange 

 names, each claiming some peculiar and desirable 



mense service to the nursery intereal ; their draw- 

 ings and descriptions of fine fruits and flo' 

 beiog tbe best advertisement of the things tbey 

 represent, and doing more to bring Ihem 

 notice and create a demand for them than any 

 means employed by nurseryman themselves, 



Rut, as comparatively few of those who read 

 tbe proposal to Turnish catalogues to appli, 

 avail themselves of the otter, and as agents c 

 profitably spend much time discoursing upon the 

 merits of articles to people who do not want them. 

 and as there are thousands of homes whereic 

 horticultural journals are yet strangers, we Bug 

 gest to nurserymen the policy of sending tbeii 

 catalogues unsolicited— making a general distri 

 bulion of them as dealers in stoves, patent medi- 

 cines, Ac , scatter abroad pamphlets containing 

 the best things that can be said of their vendibles. 

 The great advantage expected from such a plan of 

 adrerMafng to, that, while informing persons who 

 wish to procure articles of horticultural com, 



would also create a desire for these thin 

 thousands of persons who have yet felt no wont of 

 them. For, so long as one hears little or nothing 

 of tbe improved fruit', splendid flowering shrubs, 

 plants, 4ft, nurserymen otter for sale, he is con- 

 tented without them ; but, leave in bis house 

 where he can take up half-a-dozen times a doy, 



lor .,. 



...I,,,, 



I, HI, 



of the small 

 tbey can be obtained, and it will i 

 before he experiences a longing to c 

 of them. 



It would bean experiment well worth trying by 

 an agent for some nursery, to distribute catalogues 

 of the establishment for which he 

 over a certain territory, say one lown, informing 

 tbe recipients tbat after a time, some weeks 

 months, be will return and take their orders. 

 comparison of the aggregate value of ordi 

 obtained on a second tour through that to 

 with the worth of those collected iu aootl 

 district equally large, populous and able 

 purchase, but canvassed in the usual maun 

 we have no doubt would show largely in fai 

 of the former. For, even those who most gladly 

 improve an opportunity to obtain i 

 and shrubbery, will seldom make 

 an order, during a flying visit from a nursery 

 agent, and after only a hasty glance at the li 

 to be selected from, as they will If they go abn 

 it leisurely, with the advantage of a catalog 

 constantly at hand to consult, as long and 

 often as they please. One will rarely look ov 

 the pages of a nursery list without noticing 

 some tree, iihi ub or vine that ho would gladly 

 add to those be b 

 purchase, and the o 



s -^2^ 



.tifrer i 



, tOl 



t do v 



weighed 4 ! ; or., and was s inches round when 

 measured lengthwise. The flesh was very firm, 

 *ub-acid, but rather austere, with a weak fra- 

 grance. As it did not promise to be eatable when 



finally, be concludes 



Rut, reader, if the nurseryman oeglettg 

 fer upon himself and you the benefit ot pre 

 you with a calalogoe gratuitously, do not inflict 

 opon yourself tbe injury of doing without on 

 If too.' have never examined a descriptive Hat 

 fruits and flowers, you have no idea how much 

 pleasant reading it contains. Once gel 





iiteratoi 

 ;nin and again. It is wondeiful 1 

 mguage may be mode up o( s few *ir 

 word*, descriptive of tbe - 

 odor and flavor of fruit-, ond ihe elm 

 of ireea and flowers. By all menm, 'end and get 

 of these little book* ; you will find it a per- 

 petual garden. a. 



1 cheap way of circulating trade 

 Ulogues among the people, is pursued by the 

 English nurserjmen, and might, perbap*, be 

 adopted here witbadTanuge, which 



in a somewhat eoikd 

 Agricullural and Hortitmlttftl Journals. 



WINTER PROTECTION OP GRAPE VTflES 

 M r ..,> editors :— In No. 511 W the Rmuj . 



S. N.HoLwrs, or Syracuse, vi/..: a Vh.ap Lmrant* 

 for (rropi Vina. For some time I have mlondtd 

 id you my experience for 12 or It jest ion 

 tbat subject. When my large vines first began to 

 bear I practiced covering them with dirt through 

 o winter, and tbey never failed lo give a crop of 

 uit with that treatment. For eight or ten years 

 ey have remained on tho frame on account of 

 eir lajge siie. Three winlei | in that time bus 

 e crop of fruit been iujaTad by the seveie cold. 

 The winter of '6? or '.'3 I got only two- thirds d 

 three-fourths of a crop of grapes ; the winter of '56 

 and 'fid, when the thermometer was 8fl" below tern, 

 every fruit bud was destroyed excepting a few 

 branches that got oil tbe' frame and were corerod 

 with snow, showing dearly that even a corering 

 of snow was a sufficient protection to the fruit 

 buds with that degree of cold, ns I cot on them 

 large oud well filled clusters. The Hidden change 

 from warm to cold of lait winter, that dent roved 

 about every peach bud in this section, injured tho 

 grope crop more than the JunetVeexe did. The' 

 freeze injured my crop of fruit scarcely any, yet I 

 got only about one-third of a crop of grupo. 

 I estimate, the loss of fruit in (en yea,- b] Iht 

 severe cold of three winters, to be at least l.OOo 

 pounds of grapes. Now what would have been 





1 i 



i bni-k 



again in the spring '! I estimate tbat ten dollars 

 would be ample to meet the expense for ten years, 

 and if 1,000 pounds of grapes can be saved by thut 

 outlay, is it not a valuable one t 



There was nu inquiry last summer from one of 

 your readers how to manage his vines on tbe sonlli 

 side of a building. lie said tbey were destroyed 

 in tbe winter. I had a large vine destrojed back 

 close lo Ihe ground in the same position; tlie 

 changes from beat to cold are frequent and sud- 

 den, jnst as it was last winter. One day at near 

 evening it was thawing, t 



be!.,' 



That was tbe time the peach and grape crops of 

 Western New York suffered no much. The grap.; 

 Tine proved itself the most bardy. Take such 

 vines down and cover them is the cheap insurance. 



ALMOND CUSTARD, GOLDEN PES, Ac. 



Dbah RnuL:— Seeing an inquiry in your paper 



for Almond Custard, I send my recipe, with some 



other., for tb- bene til of those Indies who like new 



things, and would be pleos?d wi'h something new 



G 



Ai.moi-'d CCSMBD.-OOC pint of new milk or 

 cream; one teacup of while sugar ; one quarter of 

 a , pound of almonds, blanched und pounded, two 

 spoonfuls of rose-water ; yolks of four eggs,— stir 

 these ingredients in a spider, over a slow flre, until 

 it is the consistency of cream, then remove it 

 quickly to a deep dish or cup*, lieat the white* 

 ofthe eggs with a little sugar, a few drops of 

 brandy, and lay lightly on tho top. 



QOLDBN I'ie.— Take one lemon, grate tbe peel, 

 and squeeze the pulp and juiee in a bowl,— be euro 

 to remove every seed,— to which add one teacup of 

 white sugar; one leacup of new milk ; ono table- 

 spoonful of powdered starch, and the yolks of 

 three eggs, well beaten ; pour this mixture into 

 a nice paste crust, ond bake slowly. Ue*t ihe 

 whites of three eggs lo a stiff froth, and when the 

 pie is just done, pour it over the lop evenly, ond 

 return to the ovon, just to stiffen, not brown. 



Silvio Ph.— Peel and crate one largo whilo 

 potato into a deep plale. add tbe juice and grated 

 rind of one lemon ; tbe beaten white of ooe egg ; 

 one teacup of white sugar, and ono teacup of cold 

 water —pour tbis into u oiee under-crust and bake. 

 When done, have ready the beaten whites of three 

 P ggB , half teacup of powdered sugar, a few drops 

 of rose- waler, pour this over the pie, and return to 

 Ihe oreu to set. When reody for table lay a few 

 lumps of currant jelly on the top. Have these 

 i i r dinner. Uu, M. L. Scott. 



T !,i'.!o, iii.io.im 



,< xithlscodai 

 t for burns, which is tbe ver 

 and no family who will try i 



live without it. It will retain its virtue for y 

 Take half a pint of white manure from unde 

 hen-roost, and simmer it in fresh lard ten min 

 then strain it off into a tin box, and it is read 

 use. Tbe offensive odorvu 1 ! 

 iug, which is but trifling, and you will hav 

 ointment that will heal a hum quicker tban 

 other ever invented. — Mm. tf. A. toes, /. 

 Eft ,i SO 



Cookixo Er.o Fust. Ae — Will some ofthe 

 Rural friends give us directions to cook egg 

 plant, and also to make rancid butter sweet 

 SrBSCRlBBB, ifexko, Oswigo Co., X V., 1859 



_ _' tJ '^- , ' Na 



