94 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
I have a good many new Southern Seedlings, mostly 
late ones, on trial, several of which look very promising. 
I am confident that many superior varieties are scat- 
tered over the country, known only to their owners. I 
would consider it a personal favor and a benefit to the 
country, if the owners of such trees would send me a few 
grafting scions at any time between November 1st and 
March 1st. I hope 1 need not to add, that I most gladly 
would reciprocate such favors with twigs of my best 
varieties. Robert Nelson. 
Macon, Ga.,Jan., 1856, 
GRAPE GROWING IN THE SOUTH. 
"A correspondent of the Charleston Courier introduces a 
number of extracts from our own and other journals, in 
the following pertinent manner : 
Having had it in contemplation to write you a few 
pages on the cultivation of the Grape in our piney woods, 
and its adaptation to the soil and climate in this immedi- 
ate neighborhood ; I have concluded to enclose you the 
following articles, as they include all, and more, than I 
could have said. I found them in looking over the back 
numbers of the Southern Cultivator, (by the way, a most 
valuable paper,) and as I wish to retain my numbers, 
have forwarded copies of the articles. 
I may possibly visit some of the vineyards in this vi- 
cinity shortly, and if I gather any facts worthy of com- 
municating, I will forward them to you. I have under- 
stood that Scuppernong grapes, raised here last year 
readily commanded fifty cents per pound in the Charles- 
ton market. The immense source of wealth that the cul- 
ture of the grape might prove to South Carolina appears 
almost fabulous. If it is profitable in Ohio, it must be 
doubly so here. Consider, merely for the table, what 
quantities of grapes might be shipped by the steamers to 
supply the Northern markets, in like manner to what we 
now send peas and potatoes. This should be an impor- 
tant consideration to those who are afraid to attempt the 
making of wine. Yet making wine is the main consider- 
tion. 
These pine barren soils, which are refused by cotton 
and corn planters, are equally well adapted to the culti- 
of peaches. Two years s\nct,part of the produce of an 
orchard of about ten acres, near this village, was sent to 
New York, and netted, after deducting all expenses, over 
$1500. Ripening so much earlier than (he Northern fruit 
the choice varieties readily commanded from $5 to $7 per 
basket. Fruit in large quantities is profitably shipped 
from Columbus, Ga., to New York. 
In the report of the Committee on Agriculture to the 
House of Representatives, in 1842, can be found the fol- 
lowing extract : 
“The exposition which your committee has given, 
showing the great competition of foreign rice with our 
own, and that South Carolina cannot compete with the 
West in the cheap production of cotton, and that she 
must ere long be driven from the market, demonstrates 
the necessity of looking abroad and around us for other 
sources of advancement and profits than those we now 
possess. 
“The Agriculture of the State is the fundamental basis 
of her prosperity, as is attested by the fact that while the 
property of the State is valued at $192,000,000, the Agri- 
cultural portion equals $174,000,000. What then are to 
be the expedients to be adopted to secure present advan- 
tages or counteract their loss I” 
If the apprehensions of the Committee, just quoted, 
should ever prove to be well founded, and the production 
of our two great staples — Cotton a'nd Rice — prove unpro- 
fitable, the cultivation of the vine may eventually become 
one of our principal Agricultural pursuits. 
The recent experiments in this State and Georgia prove 
most conclusively, the adaptation of this soil and climate 
to the production of the Grape in its greatest perfection. It 
is a subject well worthy of consideration. 
Persimmon. 
Aiken, S. C., Jan. 26, 1856. 
MCDOWELL’S RHODODENRON. 
We are indebted to S. McDowell, Esq , of Franklin^ 
N, C., for the following description of the habits of this 
fine new plant, a limited number of which he hopes to be 
able to supply to amateurs this spring. Orders may be 
addressed to the editors of this paper, [For a full descrip- 
tion of this plant, see letter of Mr. Van Buren, in our Oc- 
tober number (1855) page 319J : 
“ My orders for Rhododendrons are all accom- 
panied by a request that I should describe their habit, 
how cultivated, &c. You, of course, wish the same. I 
do not know a shorter way than to give their simple his- 
tory, and present them as they are found in their native 
locality. 
“I have never yet seen one growing in its native state, 
but what grew on the very summit of the mountains and 
upon arid rocks, and remotdfi’om water-courses or springs j 
but are rooted in a thin stratum of black soil which has 
evidently been formed by the decay and decomposition of 
mosses. Those which 1 have cultivated) only commenc- 
ing last year) do best where I placed a flat stone beneath 
their roots, planted shallow and used, as a manure, a 
mould of well decomposed leaves packed tight upon the 
roots, particularly at their lateral end. I water moder- 
ately until I see signs unmistakable of vitality, after which 
there is perhaps no plant or shrub which could stand a 
greater degree of either heat or cold, 
“But I have observed one thing that it would be well 
for the florist to know who commences their cultivation. 
The flower is not equally hardy as the shrub that bears 
it, for while on the summits of mountains they appear to 
blush in their deepest tints in the full glare of the sun’s 
rays ; nevertheless, when brought to the low grounds, 
-they deteriorate, become languid and pale, and are 
ephemeral in duration. In the South , they must be planted 
where they will be protected from the mid-day’s sun.” 
» O » 
DWARF FRUIT TREES. 
The intention of names being to designate things, the 
term dwarf, as usually understood and applied to fruit- 
trees, is unfortunate, giving, as it oUen does, a wrong im- 
pression to its use. 
The belief is very common that a dwarf pear or apple 
tree, means one that will grow only four or five feet, and 
bear, perhaps, at the most, a dozen specimens. Many 
also understand the term to apply to the fruit itself, which 
they think only grows to about the ordinary size. 
We have surprised many persons by telling them that 
we have weighed Dutchess d’Angouleme pears, from 
what are called dwarf trees, reaching nineteen and a half 
ounces, and that we could show them dwarf trees, in this 
city twelve to fifteen feet high, and bearing from five to 
six bushels of pears annually. What is usually meant by 
a dwarf pear tree, is one grafted on a quince stock, with 
branches starting out near the ground, and not trimmed 
up to the usual height for standard trees. 
The operation of making dwarf pear and apple trees is 
performed by grafting the former on quince, and the lat- 
ter on Paradise or Doucain stock. [And cherries on the 
Mahakb stock ] This has the effect with many varieties, 
of restraining a very rapid growth, and developing early 
fruiting, although this latter depends much on judicious 
pruning. Such trees are made to branch out two or three 
