68 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mabch, 
did much better than the old sorts— the Doyenne pear was 
good for a hundred years and then failed— so too with 
some of the forest trees, as the Lombardy Poplar and 
Bultonwood. 
Dr. Underbill thought the idea of sorts running out was 
an erroneous one, and instanced his own orchard of New- 
town Pippins, which in common with many others began 
to fail 7 or 8 years ago-were literally starving. By ap- 
plying liquid manure he entirely revived them and got as 
good fruit as ever before. 
In reply to the question of change of locality, either 
north or south, A. S. Fuller remarked that, other things 
being equal , he should prefer southern grown trees to 
north, as the wood would be well ripened and better pre- 
pared to withstand the winter, than trees which had 
grown into cold weather, whose branches were still green. 
R. H. Williams said, northern winter apples carried 
south, became fall fruit— the ripening process is checked 
by the cold weather at the north, and proceeds slowly in 
the cool cellar, while the long autumn at the south carries 
the fruit far toward the ripening period before it is gather- 
ed, hence the shorter season before its decay. 
Messrs. Fuller and Carpenter would plant pears and 
other hardy fruit trees in the Fall, as sap starts in spring 
before they can be transplanted. 
A letter was read from a Missouri grape grower, stat- 
ing that the Catawba grape is not being discarded, as 
many eastern people imagine. New vineyards of Cataw- 
bas are planted every year. 
R. G. Pardee don't find anything better than Delaware 
—kept some two months, and they then dried into perfect 
raisins— don't see what we want of Adirondac ; Delaware 
supplies all wants. 
W. S. Carpenter replied that Adirondac is much larger 
than Delaware, a stronger grower, free from pulp, and of 
delicious flavor, but can't spare Delaware— both wanted. 
Solon Robinson said, the Delaware was good from Mis- 
souri to Vermont, and asked where, except in its original 
locality, the Adirondac had been thoroughly tested. 
Dr. Underbill replied to the assertion at a former 
meeting that his grapes were sour, and that he made 
more money from the sale of vines, than from the grapes 
themselves, stating that the constantly increasing demand 
for his grapes did not allow him to put as many into wine 
as he wished to, and that he made ten times as much from 
the sale of grapes and wine as from the plants, and did 
not fail of a crop once in 20 years. He cultivates only 
the Isabella and Catawba, to any extent— is trying the 
newer sorts, and would not stick to the old varieties did 
he believe others would succeed better. He could prove, 
by statistics, that, with the exception of California, 90, if 
not 95 per cent of all the wine made in the United Slates 
was from the Isabella and Catawba grapes, though some 
persons persistently assert they are not worth cultivating. 
He attributed the failure of the Isabella in some cases to 
planting on a clay soil, or a clay subsoil, where the sur- 
face soil looked well ; and in other instances it w r as 
allowed to bear itself to death. Not more than one-fifth 
the amount of fruit a thrifty Isabella vine would set, 
should be allowed to grow. 
Dr. Ward does not question the success of Dr. Under- 
bill with the Isabella, on his peculiarly warm, light soil, 
with the ameliorating influence of the water almost 
around his vineyard; still it must be admitted there were 
hundreds of failures in less favorable situations, 
where all the requisite care had been bestowed. The 
fruit does not ripen, hence the society could not confi- 
dently recommend it for general culture. 
Dr. Underhill still contended that people did not thin 
out the Isabella as they should, and instanced a case, 
where one of his own vine dressers was driven away 
from a vineyard he had undertaken to regulate, because 
he was cutting off some of the clusters, the owner re- 
marking that what nature put on was all right. The re- 
sult was 10,000 lbs. of immature grapes, instead of 2,000 
lbs. of well ripened clusters. He had recently planted a 
vineyard of Isabellas where he was told this sort would 
not succeed, and the result was entirely satisfactory — 
recommends trying the new variety, but to hold on to 
the Isabella as a proved sort. 
T. W. Field said, Isabella was so fitful there was no 
calculating where it would succeed. He named several 
failures, on a large scale, where the soil appeared suited 
to the grape, and the requisite amount of skill was U6ed 
in its planting and after-culture, paying due attention to 
thinning the fruit. He had never been able to get a 
perfect cluster of the Isabella on his own place. 
*»*» 
Xo Workers in Wood — Packing 
Boxes "Wanted for Mailing Plants.— Some 
belter plan is wanted for mailing small parcels of plants 
to preserve them from being crashed in the mail bags. 
We have been studying upon several plans. The best 
we can think of, is a small wooden box, say like a long, 
round match box, not bored quite through, without cover, 
the ends rounded, to be slit through lengthwise, s» as to 
open for laying in the plants enveloped in moss and oil- 
cloth. The two halves can then be put together and 
fastened with a paper label pasted around, or by strings in 
grooves. We invite attention to the matter, and pro- 
posals. Perhaps some belter form can be named. An 
immense sale will accrue to the person who can get up 
the best and cheapest thing of this kind. A great busi- 
ness is now done in mailing plants, under the cheap 
postage law. We want 50,000 to 100,000 such boxes, and 
will help the inventor of the best, to a large demand. 
mm 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which we give here in small 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere. 
Unanswered JLetters.— See note on page 
36 last month, which applies quite as strongly now. 
Sack: Volumes nnfl Xunibers de- 
layed.— So many printers have gone to the army that 
it is difficult to get back numbers and volumes printed and 
bound at once. Hence the delay in forwarding some 
volumes ordered, and also in sending the first numbers of 
this year to new subscribers. We hope to soon get square. 
" Our Variety Store- " — "We direct 
particular attention to the large assortment of excellent 
advertisements in this paper and in the Supplement. The 
valuable information given will pay well for looking 
through the whole. Note that the business matters under 
the different heads of Trees, Seeds, etc., are both on 
pages 90 to 95, and on the Supplement— those in the latter 
coming in after the pages were full, had to be made up 
separately. No other distinction of place is made— the 
last, middle, first, and the Supplement pages, are equally 
valuable. As heretofore remarked, these pages are very 
like a good "Variety Store" brought to every one's 
door. We have sifted the advertisements, rejecting very 
many altogether. Our aim is to insert nothing from par- 
ties whom we do not believe will do all they offer to do. 
Instead of raising the subscription price, we give a little 
extra space to the business department this month.— 
N. B. — Advertisers express themselves so well pleased 
with the plan, that we again request our readers in order- 
ing goods or sending for circulars, catalogues, etc., to 
state where the advertisements were seen. 
A Present of IFIne Hogs to tlie @au° 
itary Fair.— The Metropolitan Fair Committee have 
received notice from N. O. Burger & Co., Coatesville, 
Pa., that they expect to send on a lot of hogs, to be sold 
at the Great Fair at New- York. This firm proposes that 
breeders of stock-pigs each send on a dozen pigs, less 
than one year old, to be given to the Fair, and at the 
same time deposit a specified sum of money, the whole 
to make a sweepstakes premium, to be given to the 
breeder of the best dozen. Perhaps something of the 
kind will be carried out. 
Tobacco Culture — Oaaioa Culture. 
—Large sudden calls, on Feb. 20, run out the second 
edition of the valuable work on Tobacco Culture, which 
accounts for the delay in supplying it. The third edition 
is now ready. See page 95 for advertisements of both 
Tobacco and Onion Culture. 
Tlie CJrape Culturist, by A. S. Fuller. We 
have seen this work in sheets, just as we are going to 
press, and it will probably be issued by the time this no- 
tice reaches the reader. It appears to be a very complete 
treatise upon all the different branches of grape culture, 
set forth in a plain and practical manner and fully illus- 
trated with excellent engravings. It is no doubt the best 
treatise on the native grape yet published. Sent by mail 
for $1.25. 
Tick's Illustrated Catalogue of 
flower seeds with brief descriptions of the flowers and di- 
rections for their culture. The work is abundantly illus- 
trated and will prove a useful hand-book for the flower 
garden. See advertisement. 
Tlie "Five-Twenties" a Good In- 
vestments — The American Agriculturist seldom offers 
special advice in regard to financial investments, unless it 
has well grounded reasons for doing so. During the past 
year we several times urged our readers to use all their 
spare money in buying the 5-20 U. S. Bonds, both as a 
patriotic investment, and as one, that would pay well. 
We did so for good reasons and acted upon the advice 
given to others, so far as we had any investment to make 
of our own, or of money entrusted to us as Trustee for 
minors on account of an estate to be settled. .Messrs. 
Fisk & Hatch and others tell us that they received many 
subscriptions to the 5-20 Bonds from persons who stated 
that they did so wholly upon their confidence in the re- 
commendation of the Agriculturist The loan having 
all been taken at par, the bonds are to-day, Feb. 16, sell- 
ing at a premium of 7 to 8 per cent., or $70 to $80 advance 
on each $1,000 bond dated prior to Nov. 2d, and those of 
later date are proportionately high. 
TBie German Ag-riculturist valsi» 
able for Students of German,- One of 
our German subscribers writes for both German and 
English editions and adds " I suggest to those of your 
German readers who are not well acquainted with the 
English tongue, that your two editions offer a rare op- 
portunity to compare the languages, even though the 
translation may not be exactly literal. Also, to those, 
who are studying German, the same facility. "—A large 
number of families already take both editions— the Ger- 
man for the old people, and the English for their children, 
who are learning this language. 
Tea, TJaen ana ^Sow.— In 1661 the im- 
portation of tea into England was 2 lbs. 2 oz., for the 
use of the king. Two hundred years later (1802) the im- 
ports into that country were 109,000,000 pounds. 
Knitting- Machines. — A. "W. Fuller, 
Wyoming Co., ill. We know of no"more successful knit- 
ting machine than Aiken's, which is well recommended 
by those who have used it. 
TransuortisiK' Bees. — "A. J." Plainfield, 
Ind. The plan you suggest, would not work. The proper 
way is to furnish the bees transported with a piece of 
honey comb, worked fast in a frame. 
To l»estroy Pea Wee-vil.— David Gor- 
ham, Tipton Co., Ind. The pea weevil may be destroyed 
by soaking the peas in scalding water just before planting. 
"EoIjsobi's Claoice." — This is a very 
common expression, implying, " that one has no choice, 
or that he must 'take this or none.' — The origin of the 
expression will interest the readers of the American Ag- 
riculturist. Tobias Hobson kept the first livery stable 
in England, near Cambridge University. He had forty 
horses for hire, some of them very fine, but he made it an 
invariable rule that every successive customer should 
take the horse standing nearest the door or none. He so 
arranged the animals that each horse should come in 
order for a share of the work. 
A Portrait Wanted.- Every year nu- 
merous requests have been made for the publication of 
the portrait of the Proprietor of ihe Agriculturist. He is 
not sure enough of his good looks to place himself 
thus on exhibition. Besides, thousands have already in 
their own minds made a picture of his personal appear- 
ance, and as probably very few if any of these are cor- 
rect, an exact likeness presented would only bring them 
disappointment, and it is a rule of this establishment not 
to disappoint its patrons, if possible to avoid it. F. 
Netr Millc Stool. — "A Subscriber" gives 
an account of a milk stool he has long used, which holds 
the pail on one end while the milker sits on the other. 
He says it not only keeps the pail clean, but gives him 
much better control of it, in case the cow is restless. A 
similar arrangement was figured in the American Ag- 
riculturist, Vol. XXI, page 300, (Oct. 1862.) 
Siimlry ffnnibiigs. — Hundreds of cir- 
culars, pamphlets, etc. net to mention the Inevitable 
ticket "1649", have been poured in upon us. We have no 
room to show them up seriatim. Here is the villainous 
"Franklin Benefit Association"; "Cosmopolitan Art 
Union" ; another Maine " $10 Sewing Machine" ; " Doc- 
tors" hailing from New-York, from Jersey City, iilb^ny, 
Troy, Lansingburg, and elsewhere; " Shelbyville Lot- 
tery"; "Covington do.", and a dozen others in obscure 
towns from Maine to New-Jersey, and westward ; " Fac 
similes" of gold coins ; some 99 kinds, more or less, of 
" Bitters" (that is cheap whiskey drugged a little to dis- 
guise it) ; and so on to the end of the chapter. Look 
out for humbug seeds, plants, etc, and irresponsible "tree 
pedeilers" about these days. 
fguinbug- I>octors. — Answer to at least 
a hundred letters : Every Doctor inthis city or any other 
city, or village, who advertises by circular or newspaper 
to send medicines or medical advice, or medical books, or 
medical pamphlets, by mail or by express is a h-u-m- 
b-u-g. Every advertising doctor is to be avoided. 
