AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
37 
horticultural Department. 
To Horticultukists. — Our weekly issue of 
so large a journal, gives us ample room to devote 
to the different departments of cultivation, and 
we have commenced with this volume, to allot a 
separate space to Horticulture. We have secured 
additional efficient aid in its conduction, and we 
invite horticulturists generally, to send in their 
contributions on all subjects interesting and in¬ 
structive to those engaged in similar pursuits 
with themselves. We are receiving the leading 
foreign and domestic horticultural journals, and 
shall be abundantly able to bring promptly be¬ 
fore our readers all that transpires, which may 
be new and useful. 
THE CONCORD GRAPE. 
Puffing new fruits has got to be so common 
a business with some of our nurserymen and 
fruit-venders, that when we see a thing of the 
sort introduced with a particularly loud flourish 
of trumpets, wc are quite apt, like the rat in the 
fable, to suspect that “ there is something more 
than meal in the white heap yonder.” It will 
be recollected that we copied a flattering account 
of the Concord Grape a few weeks since, and as 
it is now advertised by the thousand in some of 
the papers, at the very moderate price of five 
dollars a plant, we have thought it not inop¬ 
portune to make some inquiry respecting this 
remarkable production. 
We may, in this place, at^oncc, as well as 
elsewhere, remark, that while no one can assist 
with more hearty pleasure, in the dissemina¬ 
tion of truly valuable productions of any kind, 
among the people, than ourselves, we feel in 
duty bound to warn our friends against all sorts 
of empjyicism in every thing that comes within 
our notice; and this we shall always do, regard¬ 
less of any interest but that of truth and fidel¬ 
ity to the public good, so far as our knowledge 
will serve us. 
Now, in relation to the Concord Grape, we 
learn from testimony which we consider quite 
reliable, that this fruit is not, in the qualities of 
size, flavor, and appearance, equal to what it is 
stated to be by propagators; but that in these 
particulars it is altogether exaggerated. We 
would not do these parties injustice ; but from 
the fact that the remarkable fine qualities of 
this grape have but just broken out before the 
public, is it not better that the newly heralded 
adventurer “tarry at Jericho” another season, 
until its merits are more fully tested by a disin¬ 
terested committee ? The New-York State Ag¬ 
ricultural Society are to hold their annual exhi¬ 
bition in this city next autumn. There will be 
a grand show of fruits on that occasion, and it 
will be easy to get a proper committee to give 
this grape a thorough examination. If it shall 
then prove all that is claimed for it, or even if 
it approach within reasonable distance of the 
Isabella and Catawba in flavor, instead of be¬ 
ing “ far superior” to either, and “ four weeks 
earlier,” it will be a decided achievement in po- 
mological production, and no paper will give it 
more hearty support than this. But, for our¬ 
selves, we are inclined to give high priced 
grapes a wide- berth for the present, or until 
their vaunted superiority to other approved 
fruits shall be more thoroughly tested. 
Winter Radishes. —In order to procure these 
we sowed radishes broad-cast where other crops 
had been taken off the last of August and fore 
part of September last. They came up and grew 
luxuriantly till cold weather, when wc pulled 
them, and selected the longest and best, and 
buried them in clean sand in the cellar. We 
have used them occasionally through the win¬ 
ter, and they are as fresh and palatable now, 
as when first put into the cellar last fall. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW-YORK. 
This Society held an adjourned business meet¬ 
ing on Monday evening, 20th inst., to hear the 
report of the committee in reference to a Spring 
Exhibition. They reported that they were un¬ 
able to make any desirable arrangements with 
the Crystal Palace for a Spring Exhibition, and 
that Mr. Barnum had made still more favorable 
proposals for holding it in the Museum, as he 
would permit the exhibitors to withdraw before 
the close of the exhibition, any plants that were 
in danger of being injured. It was due to Mr. 
Barnum that an answer should be given to his 
proposition at once. Mr. Ri:ei> favored the ac¬ 
ceptance of Mr. Barnum’s generous offer, but 
feared if there should be any opposition from 
any quarter there might not be a full exhibition. 
Mr. Hogg coincided with the statement that Mr. 
Barnum’s proposition was liberal, and hoped 
that if the Society decided to go there, no one 
would withhold any plants from exhibition. 
After further remarks from different members, 
it was nearly unanimously voted to accept Mr. 
Barnum’s proposition. The following persons 
were appointed a Committee of Arrangements 
for the Spring show of plants: Peter B. Mead, 
Mr. Carpenter, P. T. Barnum, J. B. Lenoir, and 
Thomas Hogg, Jr. 
The Premium Committee were then instruct¬ 
ed to prepare a premium list amounting to three 
hundred dollars. The business meeting of the 
Society was then closed, and the members 
engaged in the conversational exercises, this 
being the regular evening for that meeting. 
The subject of conversation for the evening, 
The Vegetable Garden , being then taken up, P. 
B. Mead remarked that perhaps nothing added 
more to the comforts of a poor man’s home, or 
the luxuries of a rich man’s palace, than a good 
vegetable or fruit garden. In order to have a 
good garden, one should know what he is to 
put in the soil before he takes his spade in 
hand. First he would trench deep, full three 
feet. Good barn-yard manures, well prepared, 
he considered better than artificial manures. 
The center of the garden should be filled with 
melons, strawberries, &c., while the borders 
could be filled with grape vines, dwarf trees, 
currants, &c. First, he plants his peas, six 
inches apart; next, between the rows of peas, 
he sows beets. After the peas are matured, he 
sows turnips or plants cabbage, thus constantly 
occupying the soil with a change of crops. In 
this manner a family can furnish themselves 
with a full supply of excellent vegetables from 
a very small spot of ground. 
Mr. IIogg suggested planting strawberries on 
the borders of a garden instead of the box. It 
combined the beautiful and useful. 
Mi'. Mead condemned the practice of hilling 
up things in (he garden. 
Mr. Bkidgeman remarked that hilling up corn, 
cabbage, and beans, ripened them prematurely 
early. 
Mr. Mead dissented, and claimed earlier ma¬ 
turity when not hilled up. 
Mr. Reed was accustomed to make hills when 
he would grow good vegetables. 
Mr. Mead thought the English gardeners were 
accustomed to hill up more than wc were, at 
least, so said their books. The object was to 
ward off' the rain, which prevailed in their cli¬ 
mate. 
Mr. Sutton differed from the opinion regard¬ 
ing the English custom. 
Mr. R. G. Pardee’s experiments led him to 
avoid hilling any thing in his garden, except 
melons and sweet potatoes. 
Mr. Orange Judd’s experience was in favor of 
hilling up the corn on damp grounds, to let in 
air and heat. If entirely free from water, the 
lands could lay flat, but most of the soils around 
New-York were so damp as to require hilling, 
and so he contended no general rule was appli¬ 
cable to all soils as they arc naturally. If gar¬ 
dens were all thoroughly drained—as all should 
be—hilling would not be desirable. 
Mr. Sutton said that if the soils were bottom- 
drained water would not stand on the land, and 
in common gardens draining was indispensa¬ 
ble. 
Mr. Mead thought we had now got at the 
secret of the whole subject of good gardening, 
viz., under-draining. 
The hour getting late, it was suggested to 
postpone the consideration of the subject to 
another evening. Adjourned for two weeks. 
-1 e ■-- 
SQUASH-ORANGE MELON. 
A friend from Aikin, S. 0., has sent us seeds 
of the above, which wc have distributed as re¬ 
quested, and reserved a few for experiment in 
our own garden. 
He says the squash measured 27 inches long, 
and 52 inches round, and matured in 92 days. 
The orange melon he describes as a new vari¬ 
ety, and as originating in the mountains of North 
Carolina. Its rind peals off like that of the 
orange, and the flavor is fine. 
The white cucumber seed sent is quite com¬ 
mon among us, and for sale at most of the seed 
stores. He informs us that a dyspeptic friend 
of his ate the white cucumber with impunity 
last summer and found it delicate and agreeable, 
while the green cucumber disagreed with him 
badly. 
We have sent the Marrow Squash seed as 
desired, both to Aikin and Forkland Post- 
offices. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
THE BAKING SQUASH AND GROUND PEA. 
Darlington, March, 16, 1854. 
Messrs. Editors: —I enclose you a few seeds 
of what we call the Baking Squash, and of the 
Ground Pea. The squash is different, I think, 
from any you have described in your late arti¬ 
cles on the subject of squashes. We find it a 
delicious vegetable, which can be easily kept 
through the winter. The common way of cook¬ 
ing is, to cut off as much as is needed, and bake 
in the rind in an oven. It may then be sea¬ 
soned with salt and pepper to suit the taste. 
It is decidedly more delica te and sweet than the 
pumpkin. 
In regard to the Ground Pea, I know nothing 
from experience. The supply I have on hand 
