212 



The great feature of the book is the minuteness 

 of detail in all things pertaining to pruning and 

 training the vine. The Gayot system, the Thomery 

 system, Quesnel system, and Charnaux system, are 

 all given in full, besides the various modes in com- 

 mon practice. 



In treating of "varieties, " we think most fruit 

 authors discover a weakness in some particular di- 

 rection; and so enthusiastic and zealous a grape cul- 

 turist as Mr. Mead cannot be expected to be free 

 from it. His weakness is very evident. Isabella, 

 has only a little space " between the skin and tough 

 center that is really good to eat." Concord is "only 

 one remove from a wild native," " in quality, 

 bearing a close resemblance to Northern Muscadine. ' 

 Hartford Prolific has the ' usual tough acid center, 

 little or no vinous flavor, but more sprightliness than 

 Concord; Creveling, has the same degree of hardi- 

 ness as the Isabella, ' which we are told will not ri- 

 pen in the New England States. It is less foxy and 

 more sprightly than the other two, but as we infer 

 from the whole of the remarks on it, not worth 

 planting. Adirondac drops its leaves early, ripens 

 imperfectly and gets winter killed. Ives' Seedhng 

 has no merit, but for wine purposes, and " attempts 

 to make real wine from it must end in a small mea- 

 sure of success. " The Catawba may "now very 

 well be laid aside. " The Diana has ' a peculiar 

 animal odor, ' which cannot be ' characterized with- 

 out offending good taste, ' but it gets more praise 

 than some other. Allen's Hybrid is a real hybrid 

 with the Catawba, but gets ' winter killed and mil- 

 dews when exposed, but in places where shelter 

 and ventilation are provided it is one of the best 

 grapes we have. ' The Union Village the more 

 you eat the worse it is. The Rebecca sometimes 

 does well but cannot be recommended. The Elsin- 

 burg is praised and seems to have no faults, but the 

 Clinton has a tou^h acid center, and with the aid 

 of sugar makes a poor wine. To Kalon to often 

 mildews and rots. Taylor's Bullitt is about evenly 

 balanced between praise and condemnation, as is 

 al 0 Miles. Roger's hybrids are no hybrids, none 

 of them rise to the rank of first qualit3\ Herbe- 

 mont wont do for the north. The Lincoln seems to 

 have no drawbacks, neither has Lenoir. The Nor- 

 ton's Virginia is all right, except a little tender in 

 the north. Then we have a list of about fifty dis- 

 missed with brief descriptions. Brackett's Seedling, 

 Diana Hamburg, Fancher, SiTatoga, Vf alter, Mar- 

 ti a, Dana's Seedling, and some fifteen others are 

 fpoken of, but we infer from the remarks made, 

 that Mr. Mead does not think them worth planting. 



The only grapes worth planting as far as we can 



understand Mr. Mead's book is, Israella, lona, and 

 " Dr. Grant's new seedling. " The Israella seems 

 to be absolute perfection in the " Isabella group. " 

 The Delaware is "hardy and vigorous," and has 

 some good qualities, — "its small size, bunch too 

 compact, and a small fibrous center being its only 

 fault. " The lona has six pages devoted to its 

 praises. The "hardiness of the vine," &c., &c., 

 &c., &c., &c., &c., &c., &c., places it at the head of 

 everything; and though nothing more seems to be de- 

 sired, we have in a chapter on " new grapes" in 

 which ail are dismissed with from two to a dozen 

 Hues as indifferent, — a whole page describing an 

 "excellent and entirely distinct grape, " ' hardy, ' 

 ' early, ' ' no foxiness, ' ' tender, ' ' melting, ' 

 ' sprightly, ' ' vinous,' ' sweet, ' 'abundant, ' ' beau- 

 tiful bloom ' ' good size, ' ' compact, ' and a lot 

 more, and more than this, about all of which it is in- 

 timated Dr. Grant will tell us more by and bye. 



It will take strong evidence to satisfy us that this 

 chapter has not been written on lona Island, and 

 entirely with the view of helping the trade interests 

 of Dr. Grant, — which, if the author conscientiously 

 believes iu the varieties, as he has written, may be 

 considered, by some, a legitimate business transac- 

 tion in its proper place; which, however, we think 

 is not in a professedly elementary work like this. 



Every one who knows the history of grape cul- 

 ture knows how temporary is a "good character" 

 in a popular grape. In 1818 Nuttall wrote (Gen. 

 page 143,) "There is, however, at the present 

 time a variety cultivated in the garden of Z. Col- 

 lins, Esq., in Philadelphia, called Bland's Grape, 

 a hybrid, no way inferior to the best European 

 grape. It is perfectly/ hardy and excels in produc- 

 tion." Who will vouch for the hardiness and pro- 

 ductiveness of the Bland n Philadelphia now? 



Though we cannot endorse this chapter of Mr. 

 Mead, the balance of the book will, no doubt, mezt 

 with a cordial welcome from his fellow pomologists, 

 and be received as a handsome and valuable contri- 

 bution to horticultural literature. 



MiLCil CoYfS AND DAIRY FARMING.— By Charles 

 L. FHnt. Boston : J. E. Tilton & Co. Philada. : 

 J. B. Lippincott & Co. 



In nearly every city paper we find lamentations 

 over the "high price of butter. " Dairymen are 

 deemed extortioners, and farmer's generally as.swin- 

 dlers of the deepest dye. 



It is remarkable that keen business men, such as 

 city Editors are, or such as, at least, city Editors 

 associate with, should not know the product of the 

 Farm can no more resist the g eat laws of supply 

 and demand than any other branch of trade ; and 



