BUDS. BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



233 



bagging or the use of fungicides. There were but few 

 defective bunches, and the fruit sold for more than any 

 other grape on my place. Moore Early and Brighton 

 did not do well ; the former is naturally unproductive 

 under poor culture, and the latter for lack of pollen. 

 Michel Early strawberry is not perhaps all that was 

 claimed for it, but is a good early berry in this section of 

 western Maryland. I have spent more on some over- 

 praised fruits than my means justified, but Michel 

 Early was not one of them. — S. Gamble, Marylajid. 



Planting White Grapes. — (On pagq 39.) You say, 

 "Co slow on the planting of even the best of white 

 grapes." This may be proper with you, but it won't 

 hold good in central Illinois. I marketed white grapes 

 (Pocklington, Niagara and Martha) at 10 cents a pound, 

 while other persons marketed black grapes at two and 

 three cents. Now I not only got more money for my 

 white grapes, but they sold more readily than the dark 

 ones. I sold Brighton for the same price as the white 

 grapes. The proof of the pudding is in the eating 

 thereof ; it's the money value there is in our farm prod- 

 ucts by which we measure each article. It will pay us 

 best to plant white grapes, and as to hardiness they have 

 proved for me equal to any black grape. — W. E. Jones, 

 Illinois. 



Native Persimmons. — The interesting article upon 

 the persimmon in February Gardening shows a fruit 

 of different shape from those on our farm. Are there 

 not several varieties of the native persimmon ? We 

 seem to have two in a small area. One variety, though 

 growing where the tree gets sunshine nearly all day, 

 does not ripen until after frost, and is a dull purplish 

 black. The other begins to ripen near the end of Au- 

 gust, and is of the beautiful reddish golden brown color, 

 which is seen in the fruit shown in fancy fruit-stores in 

 large cities. The early-ripening tree is almost entirely 

 shaded from morning sun, and is only protected on the 

 north by the chestnut tree against which it grows. The 

 fruit is of a far finer flavor than the late-ripening kind. 

 Both trees are alike in the shape of the fruit, having a 

 much flattened upper and lower surface. Who can tell 

 me what the early variety is ? — Agnes Gregoire, 

 Barton Co., Ca. 



Amateur Celery-Growing. — Your article on celery- 

 culture in December prompts me to write my experience 

 for the benefit of those who think only an expert can 

 raise celery. I made a hotbed with sash from double 

 windows in April, and sowed a packet each of Boston 

 Market and White Plume celery in a space about 1x2 

 feet at one end. The plants were twice pricked out, and 

 just before haying, on a rainy day, 225 plants were set 

 in a damp place in the garden. Shortage of help made 

 me neglect the celery and it was hoed but twice. In 

 September it was banked up and allowed to stay till the 

 ground froze hard, when it was taken out but a little 

 blanched, put in the shed cellar and entirely covered 

 with moist sand. At Thanksgiving it was sweet but not 

 white enough ; now (Jan. 14) it is almost as white as sn . w, 

 and my neighbors say they never ate finer-flavored 



celery. That was my first year on a farm since a boy, so 

 I know it was no skill of mine that produced the result, 

 and I firmly believe any farmer by the exercise of a 

 little care can be supplied with celery all through the 

 winter. — A New Hampshire Farmer. 



"Wanderer's" Notes in the February number made 

 me think of my own keepsakes. Covent Garden market 

 was one of our eagerly-sought spots in London. Al- 

 though a pouring rain might have deterred us, we made 

 our way thither long before six o'clock of a March 

 morning, and were more than repaid. A parsley-fern 

 for the greenery at home was bought and taken to our 

 hotel. After a few days we found the chambermaid 

 sufficiently interested to care for it during our absence 

 on the continent; and a cheap hemp bag carried it safely 

 to America, for it could swing on the stateroom hooks 

 and have an occasional plunge in the wash-bowl. Its 

 only name now is "Covent Garden fern," and with our 

 cool rooms and open fires it grows finely in winter as 

 well as in summer. — Agnes Gregoire, Barton Co., Ga. 



Pampas-Plumes. — (Page752, December.) A grow- 

 er here who has been in the business fifteen years has 

 twelve acres of pampas-grass. He has pulled 300,000 

 plumes from this patch in a season, selling for about five 

 cents each. This is nice to tell, but last year his crop 

 sold in Europe, delivered, for 2.],i cents, and he got 

 more than other growers because he dealt with old cus- 

 tomers. The plumes will bring but little over one cent 

 this year. I can buy now the choicest by the dozen for 

 25 cents. I see plumes by the ten thousand left on the 

 field as not worth the labor of pulling. These growers 

 will not become "bloated bondholders" by this season's 

 work. The plants produce best plumes when three or 

 four years old. A plant by itself will sometimes grow 

 200 nice plumes, but seldom over 100 when in a field 

 with others. A dozen or more can be tied around a 

 stick perhaps a yard long, then covered with paper and 

 sent by mail to the East, and often to Europe, with 

 safety. — A. T. Grant, California. 



The Substitution Nuisance. — (Page 18.) If only a 

 different grade of the same variety of trees is substituted, 

 no material difference will result to the planter ; but a 

 buyer is entitled to what he orders, and if it cannot be 

 supplied, his money ought to be returned. For instance, 

 a man has Crawford Early peach and concludes to 

 order Foster. They are similar, and the nurseryman 

 being out of Foster concludes to send Crawford Early, 

 thus stocking his customer up with more trees of one 

 variety than he wants. This substitution-clause ought 

 to be struck out of all nurserymen's catalogues if they 

 expect to deal fairly with their customers. There is 

 another side to this question worthy of consideration. 

 Many people go to first-class nurseries expecting to get 

 stock at second-class prices, and are unwilling to pay 

 a cent more for this good stock than for the doubtful 

 article they could buy of irresponsible dealers. They 

 seem to forget that in order to grow stock true to name, 

 no cheap or slipshod labor can be employed. Th-ra 



