222 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
£ J UNE ( 
sionally obliged to inform our readers that we liave 
no plants for sale. New subscribers, not knowing 
this, often write for plants which we illustrate and 
describe; we do this, as a matter of horticultural 
news. In this case, we have one of the very few 
bulbs of the country. We may say, as to the plants 
illustrated and described in our pages, if the plant 
is not in general cultivation, we mention the par¬ 
ticular dealer who furnished us with the specimen ; 
if this is not given, it may be assumed that it is 
to be had generally of the dealers in such articles. 
- —a m . p . am - 
One Grape Vine. 
THIRD ARTICLE. 
In the previous two articles we have endeavored 
to show the manner in which a vine grows, and 
illustrated it by the growth of a newly planted vine, 
which should always, the first year, be restricted to 
a single shoot. We here briefly recapitulate these 
points, as it is important to impress them thorough¬ 
ly upon the mind of the grower. We have shown 
that this shoot is but a repetition of the same parts 
—a length of stem, a swollen place, or node, at 
which is produced on one side a leaf, and on the 
other side a tendril—or a cluster of blossoms, fol¬ 
lowed by fruit. Stem, leat, tendril (or cluster), in 
succession. These are all the parts on the little 
vine of the present season’s growth, and all that 
there is on any vine of the growth of many years. 
At the axils of the leaves on the main shoot, are 
produced laterals, or side shoots, but these are but 
repetitions of the main shoot, a section of stem, a 
leaf and tendril, and these repeated as long as the 
vine continues to grow. If the vine is an old one, 
no matter how old, eacu shoot that has started this 
spring, will be found to be exactly like that from 
the newly planted vine, except at its few (3 or 4) 
lower nodes, instead of teudrils there will be clus¬ 
ters. An old vine, especially if it has been neglect¬ 
ed, appears confusing, but examine it carefully; all 
that will be found is the wood of former years, 
which has ripened and become hard, and from 
this spring new shoots, precisely like those we 
have described. It is necessary to say a word more 
About tli© laterals. 
When the leat upon the shoot is well developed, 
there will be found at the base of its petiole (or 
leaf-stalk) two buds, as shown in figure 3, last 
month. Only one of these will start and push out 
a shoot, the lateral. This will be, as already stated, 
a repetition of the shoot from which it springs ; if 
allowed to grow, it will take away from the nour¬ 
ishment of that shoot, and besides, make a profu¬ 
sion of needless stems and leaves. Many years ago, 
before the mutter was well understood, it was ad- 
PINOHING THE LATERALS. 
vised to pull out this lateral altogether—a great 
mistake. If this lateral were allowed to grow, the 
other bud would remain dormant, and be ready for 
next year’s growth and fruit, but if it were pulled 
out altogether, then the other hud would start, to 
the great injury of next year’s fruiting of the vine. 
Here was a necessity for a coinpi'omise, the growing 
lateral must be kept within bounds, and yet not so 
much checked as to cause the other bud to start. 
This, as briefly stated last month, is accomplished 
by pinching. As soon as the lateral has made two 
or three leaves, pinch out all but the loioer one; 
a bud from the axil of this lower leaf will soon 
start, and when this has two or three leaves, again 
pinch out all but the lower one ; if there is another 
start—there will be rarely more than three—pinch 
again. The engraving, from Fuller’s excellent 
“Grape Culturist” (which every grape grower 
should have), shows this clearly. At /is the lateral, 
which has been pinched once at a ; this has made a 
second start, and now needs to be pinched at b, and 
so on. We say “pinched,” because at the proper 
time for the work, the shoots are all succulent, and 
the work can be done with the thumb and finger, 
and much more rapidly than would be supposed 
from the description. This is to be done on the 
newly planted vine in order to get as strong a main 
shoot as possible ; it is done on the old vine to 
control the growth, and secure strong buds for 
next year’s fruiting. In directing the setting of the 
vine in April, a stake about 6 feet high was advised ; 
the vine, as it grows, is to be kept tied to this, but 
not too tightly, and when it reaches the top, let it 
sway about at will. A vine thus supported has 
no need of tendrils, and they may be pinched off 
when quite young and tender ; in a short time they 
become tough and .viry; this is not important, but 
it saves the trouble of cutting them away at the 
fall pruning. The insects, that will attack the 
young vine now, are usually large beetles and 
caterpillars, which should be sought for and hand¬ 
picked, as it is desirable to have every leaf whole 
and healthy. Examine the underside of the leaves 
frequently, and if, especially in a hot, moist time, 
slight grayish patches are found here, or on the 
young shoot, it is mildew, and must be checked by 
a free dusting of sulphur, blown from a bellows. 
Notes from the Pines. 
A friend kindly reminds me that “The Pines” 
have not been heard from thus far this year. Had 
I undertaken a monthly series, I should apologize, 
but 1 may as well say, for his benefit and that of our 
many new readers, that these notes are given when 
it is more convenient, and more economical of 
space, to condense a number of matters by writing 
in the first person than it is to make separate arti¬ 
cles under the editorial “ we.” After the unusual 
winter—really for once, at the East, at least, the 
winter has been unusual—I expected to find more 
or less damage had been done. When a winter is 
so very mild as the last was, plants are not fairly 
dormant; they are in an excitable state, and when 
a cold snap does come (and we had several last win¬ 
ter comparatively cold), injury is likely to result. 
This spring has shown but little damage of this 
sort, but that was where I should least expect it, 
Among the Klaekfoet-rles. 
The “Dorchester” badly killed ; “Wilson’s Early” 
less so, while “Kittatinny,” always the hardiest, is 
here and there killed back for some distance. On the 
first, scarcely a cane is alive. The Raspberries, 
too, seem to be somewhat injured. Bui as I have 
made a new raspberry plantation to replace the old 
one, the loss is of little consequence. I have a 
number of peach-trees that are of southern origin, 
and these varieties are rarely, on this account, even 
tried so far north as this, yet every one of them 
escaped harm, and came out iu full bloom....! 
think that I mentioned last spring, that, after many 
vain trials with seeds that would not grow, I started 
A Bed of Sea Kale, 
by importing the roots, and was at last able to en¬ 
joy a vegetable so popular in England. When look¬ 
ing after it early this spring, I found that, in the 
hurry of fall work, the covering of manure to the 
bed had been omitted, and worse than that, the 
plants had been originally set so near the surface 
that the crowns had been injured and were decay¬ 
ing. This was a sad disappointment, but 1 had the 
roots dug up—enormous roots they were ; the de¬ 
cay was confined to the crowns, and all sound be¬ 
low. These roots were cut into four-inch pieces* 
and put into the sand of a propagating bench. It 
was surprising to see how freely they formed buds 
and roots, and there was soon Sea Kale enough to 
make a large plantation. On the whole, I do not 
regret the mishap, as no doubt I should have been 
unwilling to sacrifice this spring’s crop from a few 
stools, in order to propagate a larger quantity of a 
plant that is very acceptable in early spring, before 
asparagus comes, and which may be had very early 
by a little forcing, by covering the beds with hot 
manure. There are many who regal'd 
The Wild Dandelion, 
as gathered from the meadows and road-sides, as 
the most acceptable of spring “greens.” It has a 
rather pronounced bitterness, which, to some, sug¬ 
gests medicinal qualities, and it is eaten by them 
with a notion that it is “healthy,” which I have no 
doubt the Dandelion generally is, but whether it is 
healthful or not, I never cared to inquire. Having, 
like Japhet (or was it Jacob?), studied the “ rudi- 
mans ” over a mortar and pestle, I have always pre¬ 
ferred my food and medicine on different dishes, 
and have sternly insisted that tomatoes were not, 
as alleged, medicinal, for if they were, I would not 
eat them. —But this is a digression.—To all who like 
dandelions, let me advise them to cultivate them. 
Sow “ Vilmorin’s Improved” at once, and give 
them about 18 inches apart each way, or in two-foot 
rows, a foot apart in the row. Next spring there 
will be dandelions, each one of which will be as 
large as half a dozen wild ones, and a “ mess ” can 
be cut in five minutes that it would take a boy—al¬ 
lowing for a boy’s digressions—half a day to hunt 
up here and there. Then as to quality there is no 
comparison; grown in a manured soil, and not hav¬ 
ing to struggle with the grass, they are vastly more 
tender, while the often too distinct bitterness of 
the wild plant is subdued to a remarkable degree, 
and is really acceptable — though I trust not 
“ healthy.” Several years ago you illustrated the 
11 Common Moss Pink,” 
Phlox subulata, which, in its ordinary pink form, is 
one of the plants met w*'th in old gardens, but like 
many other good old things, is now less frequently 
planted than its merits warrant. The white variety 
(in European catalogues, under the incorrect name 
Phlox nivea, and also P. Nelsoni ) is more rare, and 
more striking. Getting a bit of it some years ago, 
we went on dividing it from year to year, thinking 
so good a thing would be wanted for exchanges, 
and found last year that we had a large lot on 
hand. Not wishing to throw so good a thing away, 
it was put—of all places—in the vegetable garden, 
a row 200 feet long. This spring it had formed a 
bed some three feet wide, and of the above named 
length, and it was “ a sight to behold.” Seen from 
a little distance in the sun, it out-dazzled a snow¬ 
bank for brilliant whiteness, while by one standing 
close to it, could not see a leaf for the continuous 
sheet of flowers. Let those interested in cemetery 
planting make a note of the White Moss Pink_ 
Several years ago I had one of the first plants of 
Iberian Sris, Iris lberica, 
that were brought to this country ; when it bloomed 
I had a drawing of it made for “Hearth and Home,” 
judging from my single plant, I thought that the 
European illustrations of the same were needlessly 
exaggerated. The flower, as it was, seemed to me 
fine enough ar.d largje enough, without going be¬ 
yond nature. The original plant has now grown into 
a large, well-established clump, and its flowers this 
spring out-do iu size any of the European cuts that 
I thought so much beyond the truth. If you still 
have that engraving, I wish you would publish it 
[see page 220.—En.], that it may make this strangely 
beautiful, and perfectly hardy, plant better known. 
It is no exaggeration to say that some of the flow¬ 
ers are twice as large as that from which the engrav¬ 
ing was taken, which shows that hardy plants are 
only seen at their best when thoroughly established. 
The upper, erect, divisions of the flower are nearly 
pure white, with occasional veins, while the lower 
ones are thickly lined with a peculiar purplish- 
brown, and each with a large purple spot, so dark 
that it is well-nigh black. Then the whole flower 
