65 
SOUTHEBN 
bread. There is no fruit cocked in as many different 
■ways in our country as t!ie apr>le, nor is there any fruit 
whose value, as an article of nutriment, is as great, and so 
little appreciated. 
Remarks. — Vv^’e fully endorse everything said above 
respec ting the value of the Apple, and would remark, in 
addition, that it is one of the surest fruits grown in the 
South, suiting itself readily to nearly all localities, from the 
seaboard to the mountains. Tlie opinion has heretofore 
prevailed that good Apples could not be raised in the 
South, and that we must of necessity look to the North 
for our winter supply. The introduction of the many 
new Southern Seedlings, however, and the splendid ex- 
hibitions of Southern Winter Apples, at the Atlanta and 
Montgomery Fairs, furnish sufficient proof of the fallacy 
of this idea, and should induce all Southern Fruit Grow- 
ers to cultivate mainly those varieties which have originat- 
ed in their own climate. 
All late Northern Apples (with very few exceptions) 
ripen prematurely in the South, often rotting on the tree, 
nnd, therefore, cannot be depended upon, as keepers ; while, 
on the contrary, many of our Southern Seedlings hang on 
the tree, uninjured, until the last of November, and if 
packed away carefully in a cool temperature, will keep 
perfectly sound until the new crop ripens again, in May 
and June. 
We have, in previous volumes of the Cultivator, pic- 
tured and described many of our best Seedling Apples, 
and intend giving increased attention to Southern Pomolo- 
gy hereafter. It is the most delightful branch of our Ag- 
riculture, and m.ay, if properly managed, be made amply 
remunerative. — Eds. So. Cult. 
ROOT GRAFTING. 
Mr. BARRY,inhis excellent work, “TheFruit Garden,” 
gives the following description of Root Grafting : 
“For this purpose, seedlings stocks are generally used, 
one or two years old, varying from one-fourth to three- 
eighths of an inch in diameter. The graft is always made 
at the collar, and, therefore, the stems are cut off at that 
point ; the small tap roots and any cumbrous fibres are re- 
moved, leaving them about 4 inches in length; they are 
then washed clean, and are ready for the operation. The 
grafter then makes a smooth, even, sloping cut, an inch 
long, upwards. on the collar of the root ; and in the centre 
of this cut he makes a slit or tongue, downwards. The 
scion, which should be three or four inches long, is cut on 
the lower end with a sloping cut downwards, and similar 
in all respects to that made on the stock ; a slit, or tongue 
is made in it upwards, corresponding, also, with that on 
the stock ; and they are then neatly fitted together, the 
tongue of the one within the other, and the inner barks 
of both placed in close and perfect contact at least on one 
side. The fit should be so complete, as to sit close and 
firm in all points. The person who applies the wax takes 
a narrow strip of the cloth, which will be described after- 
wards, and wraps it firmly around, covering the parts 
united. For grafting cloth we use old or very thin calico. 
This we tear into narrow stips, roll into balls, and then 
soak in the liquid composition of grafting wax, until 
every pore of the cloth is filled with it. The grafting wax 
is composed of 2 pounds of rosin, one and a quarter 
pounds of bees- wax, and three-fourths of a pound of tallow 
melted together. Early spring is the best season for the 
operation.” 
CULTIVATOR. 
ROW TO MAKE A HOT BED. 
To write on this may seem to write of what it is sup- 
posed every one knows, but the past week's inquiries 
have convinced us that everybody does not know, or if 
they knew once, have forgotten how to make a hot-bed, 
for growing early vegetables. Vfe presume, therefore, to 
give the following, as simple, plain directions for forming 
a small forcing-frame for the purpose above named : 
Select a dry place, i. e., where the water drains off 
readily after, or during rain — dig out one foot deep of soil 
from a space five by seven feet ; have ready some fresh, 
horse stable manure, which has been kept from the rains 
and turned over twice during, say, ten days — take this 
manure, and, with a fork, shake it carefully and evenly 
into the five-by-seven space, being cautious not to tread, 
or in any way to press upon it more than merely a light 
tap with the fork, very evenly over the whole, while put- 
ting in say a depth of two feet ofit; then have a box made 
of inch boards, four by six feet, fourteen inches high on one 
side, and ten on the other; or in other word§ have that 
which is to be the back of the same, 4 inches higher than the 
front. Set this box upon the bed of the manure, leaving 
six inches all around uncovered. Now carefully shake 
into the bed, four inches deep, more of the manure, and 
outside bank up the manure to a level with the edge ofthe 
box and about an average of, say, one foot wide. Now 
place your sash of glass, 4 by 6, upon tlje bed frame 
and leave it 12 hours; then give a little air ; close again. 
After about 40 to 48 hoursyou may venture to put on the 
soil, which should be of a light, loamy nature, entirely 
free from stones, &c. This should stand about 24 hours, 
when you may give air, and if clear and sunshiny, it is 
perhaps best to sprinkle lightly with water,.and after, say 
12 hours more, you may venture to sow seeds. 
If seeds are sown at once, when the earth is first put 
on, the soil is sometimes apt to burn from the heat and 
the germ of the seed is thus destroyed. 
After about ten days it is generally found necessary to 
renew the outside banking with fresh manure. The ob- 
ject of having the manure turned over before using, is to 
assist fermentation, in destroying the rank and noxious 
vapors, injurious to the plant — gardeners call it svsectening 
the manure. 
All light seeds should be shaded a few days after being 
sown, and it is always best to avoid too strong a sun upon 
the frames while the plants are quite young. — Exchange, 
-O- • 
Agricultural Enterprise. — It is not common for us 
at the South to boast of our enterprise or progress in ag- 
riculture. The charge is not unfrequenily laid at our 
door, that we are a wasteful, extravagant people - exhaust- 
ing the richness and fertility of the soil, then forsaking 
one locality for another, to repeat the process of depletion. 
To disprove such charges, founded partly upon sectional 
prejudices, we occasionally find it convenient to cite 
special cases upon the soil of Georgia, challenging the 
enterprise and skill of the most favored section of the 
Union. It may justly be claimed that many of our plan- 
ters are making as rapid progress in all their varied pur- 
suits as those of any State or section. Their lands are as 
well tilled, their crops as bountiful and excellent, and 
their operative force as well cared for as in oiher plant- 
ing States. We have just heard of a case which chal- 
lenges comparison anywhere. Air. G. S. D. Rice, of Ver- 
dant Grove, Houston county, on 295 acres of land, has 
this year raised 218 bales of cotton and provisions for the 
consumption of his entire force for eighteen months. He 
works 18 hands. He commenced picking his cotton 
August 15th and finished December 15th. The entire 
crop has already been sent to market. Fifty aci^ only 
of the land had been manured.— (SauaTiwaA Jour ^ Cour, 
