18G5.J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
311 
our frieiul can gain the necessary knowledge : 
lie can go into the business and learn the way 
to success through the teaching of many fail- 
ures, or he can engage himself actively for a 
year with some experienced and successful mar- 
ket gardener. We do not wish to discourajc 
attempts at gardening as a business, but do 
wish to impress upon those who feel tempted 
to go into it, that success there, as in any mer- 
cantile, or mechanical operation, depends upon 
knowledge, skill, and unremitting industr)', and 
especially upon personal application. 
Strategy in the Department of Agricul- 
ture. 
Peace as well as war hath her victories. Ag- 
riculture is a peaceful pursuit, and she finds her 
official embodiment in the person of the Com- 
missioner of Agriculture, who is so great a strat- 
egist, that Grant and all the rest of our mililar}' 
men might study and profit by his manocuvers. 
Some time ago our Western friends, thinking 
that their part of the country had some little 
interest in the mutter, made a strong effort to 
displace the present Commissioner by Mi: John 
H. Klippart, Sec. Ohio State Board of Agricul- 
ture. Isaac Newton saw a very ripe apple 
about to fall, which was himself, and he imme- 
diately set to work to overcome the laws of 
gravitation. It was suddenly discovered that 
the Department stood iu need of knowledge — 
everybody else knew it all along — and that arti- 
cle not being included in the stock of that 
Pluladclphia seed store, it was concluded to 
send to Eurojie for a fresh lot. Who of all the 
men in the country so fit to employ as Mr. Klip- 
part. Ho was sent b)' the Department, and our 
Western friends flanked ; a victory showing a 
generalship, which if exercised on the battle- 
field, might liave saved a world of fighting. 
Trophies begin to come in as the result of this 
splendid strategy, in proof of which we see 
that Mr. Klippart contributes «.« European cor> 
respondent, to Isaac Newton's Monthly Journal, 
called " Monthly Report of the Agricultural 
Department." AVc are glad that Mr. K. has a 
foreign tour at our expense, for he is a good ob- 
server, and he can not fail to gatlier much that 
is nsefid. But we are very sorr}' to see so capa- 
ble a man obliged to play the second fiddle. 
Wintering Cabbages and Cauliflowers in 
Cold Frames. 
The earliest cabbages which appear m our 
Inarket arc from seed sown in September, the 
plants being kept through the winter, until the 
season will allow of their being planted out. 
^Messrs. Brill & Kumerle, of Newark, who sell 
large quantities of seeds to the New Jersey 
market gardeners, give in their fall catalogue 
the following practical directions: 
"Sow from 10th to loth of September thinly 
iu open ground, and as soon as the plants are 
large enough to handle (usually in about five or 
six weeks), transplant deeply into cold frames, 
2i inches each way, and on the approach of cold 
weather put on sashes, but be particular to give 
plenty of air every fine day during the entire 
winter. Transplant deeply in spring, as soon 
as the ground will work, in JiiffMi/ manured 
loamy soil, 16 by 30 inches ; keep well hoed and 
cultivated. Fall plowing is beneficial to land 
for garden crops, and if the ground is not in 
prime order, a dressing of manure at this time 
will be very beneficial, though heavy manuring. 
with partly decomposed hot manure iu spring, 
is essentially necessary to secure a good crop 
of Early Cablragt". 
" N. B.— Be particular to observe the follow- 
ing rules. Sowing at the above time, transplant 
*'7%, in cold fi'ames, and again in open ground, 
so that the entire stalk may be below the ground, 
as it is here where the frost injures cabbage 
plants. Give plenty of air in winter, that the 
plants may not become drawn. Avoid much 
moisture. A Cold Bed or Frame is simply a 
frame of spruce or other lunibei', one planii high 
on the front, and two on the back, and should 
foce the south or east, and may be any length 
and width to suit your sashes. Gardeners in 
this section use sashes 3 by feet, this being the 
most convenient size, letting the edges rest on 
sliders, to facilitate in opening and closing, 
to give air." 
Notes on Grapes and Grape Culture, 
Now that grapes are ripening, we arc in the 
receipt of samples, sent cither for a naraa or to 
get a good word iu favor of somebody's seed- 
ling. Wc are always willing to give the name, 
if in our power, but there arc many sent us 
which had better die nameless. The success of 
some accidental seedlings, and of others raised 
by careful culture, seems to have given to many 
the idea that the mere fact that a variety is a 
seedling, is something in its f\ivor which should 
outweigh its "plentiful lack" of good qualities. 
Many of the " seedlings " are no better than 
wild grapes, and are not worth individual no- 
tice. A correspondent in West Maccdon, N. 
Y., sends a small bunched, sour "seedling," that 
stings the mouth painfully, with the remark 
that it is " early, perfectly ?iardy, and was last 
season pronounced by good judges a superior 
wine grape." It certainly can not be hardier 
than the Delaware and Clinton, nor earlier than 
the Hartford Profific, and is vastl}' inferior to 
either of them for any purpose. It is an un- 
pleasant task to show up the defects of one's 
pets, as most persons lake anything said against 
their seedlings as a personal .aff'ront. While we 
desire to encourage every promising new varie- 
ety, it is our duty to discountenance the intro- 
duction of any variety that is not in some re- 
spect superior to well established sorts. The only 
seedling of any promise that we have seen thus 
far this season, is one sent by Mr. A, Child, of 
Middlesex Co., N. J. It is a seedling of the 
Hartford Prolific, and much exceeds it in size of 
berry and bunch. The first fruit of the vine 
was almost fully ripe August 21st, when it was 
cut to save it from the birds. Though not en- 
thely ripe, we think it superior to its parent in 
quality, and shall look with interest for the re- 
sults another year. 
Adirondac. — A great many vines of this vari- 
ety have been distributed over the country, and 
we now begin to get some definite reports from 
it. There are many localities in which it does 
not seem to succeed, where plants which have 
been set out several years nuikc very little 
wood, and of course give no fruit. Then again, 
in other places, it grows and bears well, and 
when it does, it is a first class grape in every 
respect. 'We are glad to be able to report its 
success iu other localities th.an the one in which 
it originated. In the grounds of Geo. H. Hitc, 
Esci., Morrisania, uearN. Y. City, llie fruit began 
to color August 5th, and was ripe on the 23d. 
Isaac Pnllen, Esq., of Hightstown, N. J., sent 
U3 rather over-ripe bunches on Sept. 5th, with I 
the remark tliat they had been in eating for 
more than two weeks. Jlessrs. S. B. Howell, 
and W. S. Hodgman, of Painted Post, N. Y.' 
sent us fine specimens on Sept. 4th, stating that 
with them they are earlier than the Ilarlford. 
The last mentioned specimens were quite equal 
to those exhibited by Mr. Bailej-. Weonco told 
Jlr. B. that when we saw as good fruit of the 
Adirondac raised by otliers as that grown by 
himself, wc should say so. Now that we have 
seen it, we are ready to accord to the Adirondac 
as a fruit, our unqualified praise. For earliness, 
freedom from pulp, sweetness, and great delica- 
cy of flavor, it stands in the first rank, and we 
sincerely hope that the cases we have noted 
above, concerning its unsnccessfulness In some 
hands, may prove to be rare exceptions. 
liebecca. — It is rarely that one has a really 
fine crop of this variet}-, but we have seen one 
this season in the vineyard of Mr. C. T. Schmidt, 
upon the Palisades, opposite Dobb's Ferry. The 
amount of fruit was large, the bunches fine and 
perfect, and from their great beauty, will meet 
with a ready sale. The Delaware close along 
side was dropping its leaves and looking poorly. 
Rogers^ Hybrids. — These, as far as we have 
observed this year, have suffered worse than any 
other varieties from mildew, with the exception 
of No. 1, which seems to have withstood it. 
Last 3'ear we did not speak of these varieties in 
as high terms as those dealing in them thought 
they deserved. AVe observed prettj- extensively, 
and merely recorded what we saw, and no little 
abuse did we get for it. Notwithstanding, we 
said to these gentlemen, " if j'ou will show us 
any number of Rogers' Hybrids equal to the 
Delaware, lona, Allen's Hybrid, or Catawba, 
we will cheerfully say that our judgement was 
made on poor specimens," the dealers accuse us 
of partiality in fixvor of other sorts, and preju- 
dice against theirs. An advertisement has just 
come to our notice, wliich sa)'S : " For the past 
five years these grapes have been acknowledged 
(except by a few dealers interested in other 
kinds) to be among the earliest, hardiest, and 
most exquisite sorts known." Now, we have 
never to our recollection, sold a vine in our lives, 
and it would be quite as well for those interest- 
ed in pushing these grapes to stick to the truth. 
We have no other wish than to do these varie- 
ties full justice, and regret that their very gen- 
eral failure by the rot and mildew will probably 
deprive us of an opportunity to revise our 
judgment. 
Isradla. — We have said but little about this 
variety heretofore, because we have not had a 
fair opportunity of judging of it. In a note in 
August "Basket" we mentioned tlint the vine 
was a good bearer, and we ha^'c now before us 
fruit, which being from young vines, is not aa 
large as we saw it last year. It ripens as early 
as, or before the Hartford, but is vasllj' superior 
to that in quality. It is tender and verj' sweet, 
two important elements of popularity. The ber- 
ries cling to the stem with remarkable tenacity, a 
quality which adds to its value as a market fruit. 
lonu. — Last year we gave it as our opinion 
that this was the best American grape yet intro- 
duced. On Sept. Gth, we tested specimens which 
fully confirmed us in this belief. Some may 
prefer the Delaware for its intense sweetness, 
but to our taste, the high vinous flavor of the 
loua, combined with sufficient sweetness, put it 
in advance even of the Delaware. The great 
beauty of the lona is not equalled by any na- 
tive variety, and jierhaps not surpassed liy any 
foreign one. Both bunch and berry are large, 
and covered with a fine bloom. 
