i^82 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST, 
[October. 
Georgia, Texas, and Florida. The Early Beatrice 
is too small, while Early Louise and Early Rivers 
are too late to come in competition with Amsden’s 
June and Early Alexander. Reports from all sec¬ 
tions place Amsden’s June and Early Alexander as 
the best so far as tested. Among the many new 
extra early varieties on trial there may be some 
superior to these, but I think it would be well to 
wait until they are fully tested before planting 
largely of them.” 
While the matter of early peaches was under con¬ 
sideration we received, on July 21st, from Ellwanger 
& Barry, of Rochester, specimens of a peach of 
such fine appearance, good size, and, considering 
its northern locality, marked earliness, that we had 
a sketch of it made, and asked for further particu¬ 
lars. This variety seems to be of sufficient promise 
to warrant the engraving here given. The name 
“ Waterloo ” has been given to this peach, as it 
originated in a private garden in a town of that 
name in Western New York. It was first brought 
to the attention of Ellwanger & Barry last year, 
when they were so much pleased with it that they 
bought the tree and commenced propagating from 
it. The first fruit was picked on July 14th last, 
and on the 19th the fruit was over ripe, this being 
earlier than the Alexander and Amsden in neighbor¬ 
ing gardens. The following description is by the 
skilled pomologists who sent us the specimens: 
Size —Medium to large; for an early peach very 
large—specimens measuring nine inches in cir¬ 
cumference, and weighing five ounces. A peach 
picked July 14th inst., measured ten inches in cir¬ 
cumference.— Form —Round, with a deep suture on 
one side from stem to apex; stalk cavity deep; 
apex slightly depressed.— Color —Pale whitish green 
in the shade, marbled red, deepening into purplish 
crimson in the sun.— Flesh —Greenish white, with 
abundance of sweet vinous juice ; adheres to the 
stone like Hale, Amsden, Alexander, and all of 
that class.— Glands —Reniform.—Season in Water¬ 
loo, N. Y., this year, July 14th to 19th, and might 
have been picked on the 12th. 
Messrs. E. & B. have since written that the 
Waterloo proves to be an excellent keeper, speci¬ 
mens that had been picked a week showing no 
signs of decay. We had noticed this peculiarity in 
the fruit that was sent us; after making the journey 
from Waterloo to Rochester, and thence to New 
York, the specimens were placed in the artists’ 
hands, and when they returned to us after the lapse 
of two days, were still in good eating condition. Of 
course the real value of this peach will not be known 
until it has been cultivated in other and widely 
separated localities, but it at present promises to 
mark a great advance in early peaches—a promise 
which we trust its future may substantiate. 
Preparing for Winter—Repotting 
Those who cultivate house plants are apt to post¬ 
pone preparations until cool nights, if not actual 
frosts warn them to bring their plants under cover. 
It is a great mistake to thus delay this work, and 
those who have heeded our monthly “Notes” do 
not need our present reminder to attend to it with¬ 
out delay. Plants that have been turned out of 
their pots and have been in the open ground ah 
summer, often become over-grown, and too large 
to take up and pot for the window garden ; hence 
we have at various times during the season, advised 
starting new plants from cuttings, as vigorous 
young specimens are usually more satisfactory than 
old ones. Still there will be some that it may be 
worth while to take up, and these should be at¬ 
tended to at once. When a plant is changed from 
a pot to the border, the heretofore cramped roots 
soon take a new start, spreading as if they enjoyed 
their new liberty, and soon occupy severa. times 
their former space, while the upper portion of the 
plant soon grows proportionately large. When 
such a plant is taken up in the fall it will have a 
mass of roots, not only far too large for its former 
pot, but too large ror any pot that one would care 
to give it. The roots must be cut away to a con¬ 
venient size, and the top must be reduced also. 
Here is the point where novices fail; they dislike 
to part with any of the luxuriant new growth, but 
set the plant, with all of its top and only a part of 
its roots in a pot, and expect it to flourish. It may 
be taken as a general rule in all transplanting, 
whether with house plants or with trees—the top 
must be reduced in proportion as the root surface 
is diminished. Plants taken up from the open 
ground must be placed in the shade until they re¬ 
cover, and they must also be sheltered from the 
drying influence of the wind. A large share of 
window plants are properly kept in pots during the 
summer, with the care advised in our monthly 
“Notes.” Before these are taken to their winter 
quarters all the preparatory work should be done. 
If they do not need repotting, the pots will require 
washing, and it will be well to remove the surface 
soil and give a dressing of fresh earth. It is likely 
that many will be found on examination to require 
new pots. Whenever the roots have filled the ball 
of earth and have begun to form a mat on its sur¬ 
face—for when they reach the pot they can go no 
further, and begin to coil around the ball—then 
another pot is needed. The examination of the 
ball is a very simple matter, but it often astonishes 
a novice to see the ball removed, examined, and re¬ 
placed, by one accustomed to the operation. To 
show the manner of removing the ball of earth from 
the pot, we present on the preceding page two 
engravings prepared for “ Winter Greeneries at 
Home,” an excellent guide to the inexperienced in 
window culture. To remove the ball, spread the 
left hand over the top of the pot, allowing the stem 
of the plant to pass between the fingers, and with 
the other hand on the bottom, invert the pot, as 
shown in figure 1; holding it in this position, give 
the edge of the pot a downward tap against the 
edge of a bench, or similar surface, and the ball 
will usually become loose, and allow the pot to 
be lifted off, as shown in figure 2. If it does not 
drop out at the first tap, repeat, giving stronger 
blows, and on other parts of the rim of the pot. 
A plant must be very much pot-bound if it can not 
be readily removed from a pot of the proper shape, 
by this method. In case this does not succeed, 
pour a little water around the edge, and allow it to 
soak awhile ; a very bad case may require the use 
of a case-knife, which is to be run between the pot 
and the ball, though this will rarely be necessary. 
After the ball has been examined, put on the pot 
again, turn it upright, and settle the ball in its 
place, by setting the pot down with a thump. If 
the ball is well filled with roots, and they seem dis¬ 
posed to curve around the ball, as if in search of 
fresh earth, it needs repotting, changing to the 
next larger size pot. The pot, if an old one, should 
be clean, and if a new one, it should be soaked in 
water, until the pores are filled, and allowed to 
drain off, so that the surface will not be wet when 
used. Place a bit of broken crock over the hole in 
the bottom of the pot, put in soil enough to bring 
the ball up to the proper hight, and then having 
set the ball in the middle, fill in the space between 
that and the sides of the pot with soil, using a piece 
of shingle, or something slender to press down this 
new earth and make it firm, give water, and the job 
is done. It is well to remove whatever of the old 
soil will readily come away from the top of the ball. 
A New Method of Multiplying Plants. 
One Ossenkop, an Austrian, has published a 
work on, and contrived various appliances for, a 
method of propagating plants which he claims to 
be new. The inventor, it appears, has been all 
over Europe and parts of Asia and Africa to intro¬ 
duce his novelty—for which, no doubt, he. receives 
a consideration. In a receDt number of the “i?e- 
vue Horticole," its correspondent, J. B. Weber, 
gives an account of the method of Ossenkop, which 
turns out to be not so very new, and it is very like¬ 
ly that it is, after all, an American invention. In 
1866, in conversation with that well informed 
horticulturist, Doct. John A. Warder, wc mentioned 
the difficulty attending the growing of the Dela¬ 
ware and certain other grape-vines from cuttings 
in the open ground. He remarked that his friend, 
Wm. Patrick, a nurseryman at Terre Haute, Ind., 
grew such cuttings without difficulty, and would 
no doubt communicate his method. We accord¬ 
ingly wrote Mr. Patrick, and with the liberality 
that characterizes a true horticulturist, he at once 
complied with our request, and gave his plan. Mr. 
Patrick did uot run about the country selling his 
secret, nor did he put it in a little pamphlet of 
half a dozen pages and charge a dollar for it. He 
not only sent it, but added : “ If you can make any 
use of it for the benefit of horticulture, please do 
so, as anything of this kind should be open to all.” 
Mr. P.’s article was published in the “Horticultural 
Annual ” for 1867, and some time after it was given 
in substance in these columns. The method is in 
principle precisely the same as that of Ossenkop, 
though that person mystifies it by making it ap¬ 
pear that certain double-bottomed boxes and other 
“fanciful applications” are necessary. As this 
method of striking cuttings may be new to most of 
our present readers, we give it as a timely article, 
and insist that, unless the Austrian can show prior 
publication, the credit belongs to Mr. Patrick. 
Mr. P. says : 
“ Before the ground freezes, I make the cuttings, 
from four to six inches long, with one or two eyes 
on each. I prefer to have two eyes, as such cut¬ 
tings seem to be better able to withstand the drouth 
we are apt to have the last of May or the first of 
June. The cuttings are tied in bundles of about 
fifty each, and their lower ends are puddled by dip¬ 
ping them half their length in mud, made of loamy 
soil, mixed with water to about the consistency of 
cream. A cold frame has been previously pre¬ 
pared with good sandy loam, but not rich. In this 
I place the cuttings, top end down, and sprinkle in 
fine earth, so as to fill all the spaces in and between 
the bundles. The crevices all being filled, sufficient 
earth is put over the cuttings to cover them about 
four inches deep, and they are left in this condition 
until they have been rained upon, and it begins to 
freeze. 1 then cover the bed with a mulch of 
leaves or straw, and over this a shelter of boards. 
If jl wish to plant early in the spring, I remove the 
boards and mulch, and place a sash over the bed, 
taking care to leave an opening for ventilation ; 
water is to be given as needed. In about five 
weeks the cuttings mil almost all be found to have 
formed roots from one to three inches long, while 
the buds have swollen and are just ready to burst. 
The cuttings are now in a condition in which they 
require careful handling, and they should not be 
allowed to dry. 1 usually set the cuttings, as they 
are taken from the frame, in a bucket containing 
some water, and in this way carry them to the 
place where they are to be planted. In planting, I 
set the cuttings so that the upper eye is just below 
the surface, and press the soil firmly around them. 
Treated in this manner, the cuttings will nearly all 
grow, and make very strong vines. If there is 
no cold frame at hand, another plan may he fol¬ 
lowed. The cuttings being prepared as above 
directed, are buried, lower end up, and four inches 
deep, in some place sloping towards the south, 
with the ends inclining towards the south ; they 
are to be covered with a mulch, in the same man¬ 
ner as described for those in cold frames. The 
mulch is removed in the spring and the earth ex¬ 
posed to the sun. Cuttings treated in this way will 
not be quite so eany as those in frames, but I think 
they are about as good. There is some danger that 
those in frames may get too much advanced before 
the ground is ready to receive them.” 
It wil. be seen this is an ingenious and simple 
method of applying the heat of the sun as “ bot¬ 
tom heat.” The lower ends of the cuttings being 
puddled or “grouted,” are in a condition to slowly 
callus during the winter, and when they are ex¬ 
posed to the sun’s rays in spring, the roots are in¬ 
duced to push, while the upper ends of the cut¬ 
tings are further down and beyond the reach of 
the heat, and the buds kept dormant. The cut¬ 
tings are, in fact, in just the condition they would 
be in the cutting bench—the lower ends warmer 
than the upper portion. This method can no doubt 
be usefully applied to other cuttings than those of 
the vine. With many cuttings, time is essential 
to success, and this can be allowed by this method 
more economically than in a propagating house. 
