50 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
usual manner, and tied in bundles of conve- 
nient size, and the lower ends are dipped in 
thin mud to the depth of about an inch. This 
not only prevents the cutting from drying out, 
but induces the formation of a callus before the}' 
are put into the ground. Cuttings thus pre- 
pared, if kept in a shed and sprinkled occa- 
sionally, will be found to be finely callused by 
planting time, and when set out will rapidly 
strike root and make a good growth. In setting 
out cuttings prepared in this way, or any other, 
much of the success will depend upon bringing 
the finely pulverized soil in close contact with 
them. The soil should be pressed down firmly 
against the cuttings by the use of a wooden 
pounder or blunt shovel made of a piece of 
plank. Both cuttings and layers should be well 
cultivated, and when budded it should be done 
as low down as possible. Many trees are ruined 
by being budded too high on the quince stock. 
They should always be set so that the junction 
of the pear and quince comes below the surface ; 
when budded high it is necessary, in order to 
bring the junction below the surface, to put the 
quince roots so far in the soil that they decay 
and affect the health of the tree. The best nur- 
serymen remove the earth around the stock be- 
fore budding, in order to get near the root. 
Wine Grapes in Mo-— Norton's Virginia. 
An intelligent correspondent of the New- 
York Tribune, in a description of the vineyards 
at Hermann, Mo., gives the following account 
ofVthis grape : " The Norton's Virginia vine is 
vigorous, hardy, and productive ; starts two 
weeks later than the Catawba ; ripens two 
weeks earlier, hence valuable for low grounds ; 
bunches medium, compact, sweet and rich; 
moderately juicy; makes an excellent dark red 
wine; subject neither to mildew, leaf blight, 
nor rot. Its small size does not fit it for a table 
grape so well as some other kinds, though for 
one's own use it is good enough. When it was 
first planted here, they inquired of Mr. Long- 
worth, who was authority in all such matters, as 
to its value; he replied that it was worthless. 
This discouraged many, but not all. Before 
Mr. Longworth died, he changed his opinion, 
and sent hither for a stock of vines of this 
same variety. The vineyard I was speaking 
of contains about four acres, set 6 by 8 ft., and 
trained on trellis ; that is, posts 7 feet long and 5 
feet above ground are set 10 feet apart, and three 
tiers of bail wire stretched from post to post, by 
turns around strong nails. Wire is considered 
cheaper than slats. The vines are tied with 
twigs of golden willow. This is quite different 
from the Cincinnati method, which, briefly, is 
to plant thicker, to tie to single stakes, and to 
dwarf the vine. I saw very few grapes at Her- 
mann, tied or trained in this way. In fact, I 
do not find a similarity of treatment in any two 
places I have visited." The land is prepared 
by trenching two feet at a cost of $75 or $100 
the acre. "To expend so much in preparing 
the ground for grapes, will discourage some. It 
is more than a farmer ever expects to get in any 
one year, or sometimes many years, from an 
acre of land. The trenching, however, is only 
a commencement of the expense. At Hermann, 
the following is their account with an acre of 
Norton's Virginia; with the Catawba it would be 
a few dollars less, but only with the first item : 
1,000 layer roots $12013,000 lath and nails, or 
Trenching 75 wire $18 
Planting 25|Labor first year 25 
1,000 small stakes for Labor second year 60 
first year, 18 In. long. 4 — 
1,060 poetB S*| Total $401 
"It is expected that this $400 will be re- 
turned on the third year, or, at least, that the 
profits will pay expenses. On the fourth year 
there will be a full crop, as well as all following 
years. With the grape mentioned, they get 500 
gallons to the acre, which was selling, new, when 
I was there, at $2 per gallon. In the spring it 
will sell for $3 a gallon ; but thus far they have 
had none on hand at this season, so great is the 
demand." These facts will be mainly interest- 
ing to our Southern readers, as the Norton's 
Virginia is only half hardy, and will not suc- 
ceed in the colder portions of the country. 
Illinois State Horticultural Society- 
LISTS OF APPLES ADOPTED. 
The eighth annual meeting of this Society, 
was held at Alton, on the 15th of December, and 
was largely attended by members and delegates 
from other States. Some unknown friend has 
kindly sent us a report of the proceedings, from 
which we extract the following lists of apples. 
The State was divided into three fruit districts : 
Nortliern Illinois. — All that portion north of the 
Logansport, Peoria, and Burlington railroad. 
Central Illinois.— All lying between the above 
road, and the Alton and Terre Haute railroad. 
Southern Illinois. — All south of the last road. 
FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 
Summer. 
Red Astrachan, 
Car. Red June, 
Keswick Codlin, 
Early Pennock, 
Sweet June, 
Autumn. 
Pomme de Neige, 
Bailey Sweet, 
Maiden's Blush, 
Fall Swaar, 
Lowell, 
Striped Gilliflower 
Ramstlell Sweet, 
Yellow Sib. Crab, 
Winter. 
Wine Sap. 
Rawles Janet, 
Domine, 
Jonathan. 
Willow Twig, 
Gilpin, 
Minkler, 
Tallman Sweet, 
Yellow Bellflower 
FAMILY USE. 
Summer. 
Early Harvest, 
Car. Red June 
Keswick Codlin, 
Benoni, 
Hocking, 
Sweet June, 
Autumn. 
Pomme de Neige, 
Bailey Sweet, 
Maiden's Blush, 
Fall Swaar, 
Aut. Strawberry, 
Holland Pippin, 
Lowell, 
Rambo, 
Striped Gilliflower 
Dyer, 
Mother, 
Haskell Sweet, 
Yellow Sib. Crab, 
Fulton. 
Winter. 
Domine, 
Jonathan, 
Wine Sar 
Rawles' Janet, 
Willow Twig, 
Yellow Beltnower 
Tallman Sweet, 
White Winter 
Pearmain, 
Westfield Seek-no- 
further, 
Roman Stem, 
Northern Spy, 
Ramsdell Sweet, 
Swaar, 
FOR TRIAL. 
Kirkbridge White, 
Dutchess of Old- 
enburg, 
Fall Orange, 
Northern Sweet, 
Fall Wine, 
Montreal Beauty, 
Transeend't Crab, 
White Pippin, 
Tompkins Co. 
King, 
Hubbardston 
Nonsuch, 
Broadwell, 
Newtown Pippin, 
R. I. Greening. 
FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 
MARKET. 
Summer. 
Early Harvest, 
Golden Sweet, 
Bailey Sweet, 
Maiden's Blush, 
Winter. 
White Winter 
Pearmain, 
Domine, 
Wine Sap, 
Ben Davis, 
Willow Twig, 
Rawles' Janet, 
Sops of Wine, 
(upon rich lime- 
stone soils, and 
with high cultiva- 
tion.) 
Newtown Pippin, 
FAMILY USE. 
Summer. 
Yellow June, 
Early Harvest, 
Sweet June, 
Red Astrachan, 
Keswick Codlin, 
Golden Sweet, 
Ramsdell Sweet, 
Am. S. Pearmain. 
Benoni, 
Car. Red June, 
Autumn. 
Maiden's Blush, 
Fall Wine, 
Buckingham, 
Bailey Sweet, 
Fulton. 
Hub. Nonsuch, 
Aut. Swaar, 
(of the West,) 
Pomme de Neige. 
Winter. 
Domine, 
Jonathan, 
Pryor's Red, 
Swaar, 
White Winter 
Pearmain, 
Roman Stem, 
Peck's Pleasant, 
Esopus Spilzen- 
berg, 
Wine Sap, 
N. Y. Pippin, 
Rawles' Janet, 
Newtown Pippin, 
Ortley, 
Lady Apple, 
FOR TRIAL. 
Early Joe, 
Downing's Para- 
gon, 
Rome Beauty, 
Ladies Sweeting, 
Sweet Romanite, 
White Pippin, 
Nickajack. 
FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. 
MARKET. 
Summer. 
Early Harvest, 
Red "Astraohan, 
Car. Red June, 
Autumn and 
Winter. 
Y'ellow Bellflowei 
Wine Sap, 
Rawles' Janet, 
Newtown Pippin, 
Pryor's Red. 
FAMILY USE. 
Summer. 
Early Harvest, 
Large Y'ellow 
Bough, 
Am. Summer 
Pearmain, 
Autumn and 
Winter. 
Rambo, 
Yellow Bellflower 
White Winter 
Pearmain, 
Pryor's Red, 
Newtown Pippin, 
Rawles' Janet, 
FOR TRIAL. 
Yellow June, 
Sine-qua-non, 
Porter, 
Rome Beauty, 
N. Y. Pippin, 
Wiliow Twig, 
Nickajack, 
nois, though it seems to us that the number 
of varieties selected is unnecessarily large. 
These lists were made up by practical cultiva- 
tors and will be valuable to our readers in Illi- 
About Seed and Nursery Catalogues. 
. — • — 
These publications, though they have a re- 
stricted class of readers, are useful both to the 
publisher and the reader. Nurserymen are apt 
to think that a large catalogue, containing lists 
of every known variety of fruit, is necessary, 
and likely to bring customers by conveying an 
idea of the extent of their establishments. The 
fact is, that these large catalogues are confusing 
to all except experienced promologists ; and a 
choice list of fruits, with brief and correct 
descriptions of their qualities, will best suit the 
wants of a large majority of purchasers. It is 
safe to say that more than half of the varieties 
which encumber the catalogues, may be stricken 
out of cultivation without injury Jo the cause of 
fruit culture. A few plain and practical direc- 
tions for the planting of each kind, distance at 
which to set, and the after-treatment required, 
may appropriately accompany the list of varie- 
ties. Many of the catalogues now before the 
public, are very creditable to the establishments 
from which they are issued, being not only good 
as advertising mediums, but valuable as concise 
little treatises on fruit culture. We regret to 
say that there are some, — very few however, — 
who have made use of their catalogues to ele- 
vate themselves by maligning their brethren, 
and thus perverted their publications from their 
legitimate uses. Horticulture is benefited by a 
generous rivalry, and but few who follow it from 
a love for it, are capable of entertaining ungen- 
erous sentiments toward their associates. If 
there be any who are bitter and ungentlernanly, 
we advise them not to publish the fact in their 
catalogues. Whoever does so should recollect 
that he brings disgrace upon his fraternity, 
impairs his own influence, and shuts himself 
out from the sympathy of all true lovers of 
horticulture. 
Grapes in Northumberland Co. Perm. 
The following from the Sunbury American 
will interest many of our readers, especially 
that portion which relates to the little known 
Creveling. This testimony has none the less 
value from the fact that the Editor, Mr. Masser, 
is an amateur cultivator, and is not concerned 
in the sale of any particular variety : 
" The Creveling is a native of this section of 
Pennsylvania, and was taken from the forest 
some 20 years since, by Mr. Creveling, who 
resided near Bloomsburg. It has also been 
called the Catawissa, from the place where it 
was cultivated by Col. Paxton aud others. This 
grape is not only a ' fair grape,' but is decided- 
ly one of the best of our native varieties. It re- 
sembles the Isabella in size and appearance, 
though perhaps larger and more nearly round. 
It is, however, a much sweeter and more highly 
flavored grape. In separating the stem from 
the fruit, the flesh that follows is red, which in 
the Isabella and Concord is white— but it is not 
as early as the Hartford Prolific by eight or ten 
days, though, perhaps, a week earlier than the 
Concord. This, at least, has been our experi- 
ence, but different latitudes no doubt produce 
different results. The Hartford Prolific is the 
earliest grape we have, and with us was fully 
ripe the last of August. It is sweet, but rather 
thick-skinned, and has a tendency to drop its 
fruit when ripe. It is, however, a prolific grow- 
er and a good bearer, and being the earliest ya- 
