1884.] 
AMERICAl^ AGEICULTURIST. 
489 
Pruit Without Flowers. 
A fruit is defined as the ripened pistil of a flower, 
and whatever remains attached to it. Perhaps no 
more exact definition than this could be given. 
There are, however, bodies occasionally produced, 
which have the sensible qualities popularly re¬ 
garded as belonging to 
fruits, such as juiciness 
sweetness, taste, and 
odor, yet are not the 
ripened pistil, or any 
other part of a flower. 
Mr. E. A. Carriere, of the 
“Jardin des Plantes,” 
has brought together in 
a recent “Eevue Hor- 
ticole ” (Paris), several 
instances of the produc¬ 
tion of fruit-like bodies, 
which were not preceded 
by flowers, and we repro¬ 
duce four of his illus¬ 
trations. These cases 
have an Interest to all 
who observe the phe¬ 
nomena of plant life, as 
they show that amass of 
vegetable tissue may de¬ 
velop qualities often be¬ 
longing to the ripened 
pistil, and the parts at¬ 
tached to it. We have 
a marked Illustration of 
this in the strawberry, 
in which the end of the flower stalk becomes 
edible, though this is really a part of the 
flower. Figure 1 represents the stem of an apple, 
• in which a bud had been inserted in the ordinary 
manner at A. An irregular growth took place from 
the wound, and a mass of eellular tissue produced. 
A skin was formed upon the surface of this, and in 
time it became of a yellow color, juicy, with the 
flavor, and even the perfume of a fruit. In another 
apple tree, figure 2, what might have been a bud, 
developed into a body somewhat like a fruit in 
form, but attached by its side. This, when it at¬ 
tained its growth, had all the sensible qualities of 
a fruit. Figure 3 shows growths that appeared 
on a Napoleon pear tree. These were adherent 
Fig. 3.— FLESHY GROWTH. 
to the wood, and each terminated by a leaf. 
They were fleshy and homogeneous, and though 
green and insipid at first, they became yellow in 
time, and aequired the peculiar flavor and odor of 
the Napoieon pear in a marked degree. The Poire 
Guillaume, or Williams, of the French, is our 
widely known Bartlett. Figure 4 represents the 
peculiar development of a leaf bud upon a tree of 
this variety. This, to some degree, is fruit-like in 
form, and adherent to a twig for part of its length. 
Some undeveloped leaves at the upper end, and 
other leaves at the sides, indicate its real nature, 
namely that of a stem. The flesh and taste of this 
growth were exactly like those of the Bartlett. 
Notes From the Pines. 
My little vineyard was planted some eighteen 
years ago. It contains about fifty varieties. I 
selected the kinds that were held in the highest 
esteem at the time, and others because I wished to 
know more about them. The soil on which they 
stand is very poor and sandy, yet with an occa¬ 
sional dressing of fine bone, the growth and crop 
are very satisfactory. The newer varieties that 
have since appeared, have been planted elsewhere. 
WHAT IS THE BEST GRAPE? 
If asked what is the best grape of the fifty odd 
varieties, I should unhesitatingly say the Alvey. 
That is the best fruit, without reference to anything 
else. It is to my taste as near perfection as I hope 
to meet with. Would I advise planting it ? Not 
at all. The crop is never large, sometimes fails al¬ 
together, and the bunches are small and irregular. 
In every other respect, save in the supreme quality 
of the fruit—when you get it, the variety is alto¬ 
gether unsatisfactory. Next in quality I class the 
Iona. What great expectations there were when 
this was introduced ! Yet who plants it now ? My 
one plant has always given a fair crop, and the 
fruit is of the very highest quality ; it would no 
doubt please the majority better than the Alvey. 
Israella, the former companion of the Iona, proved 
utterly worthless with me, and I am glad it died. 
On the other hand, Eumelan, which we seldom 
hear of now, is here one of the most reliable and 
satisfactory of all the varieties. It bears abun¬ 
dantly, has a good bunch, and is of excellent qual¬ 
ity. When it can have a long enough season to 
become perfect, it gets very black, but it is eata¬ 
ble when the berries are only reddish-purple. 
WHICH IS YOUR EARLIEST GRAPE ? 
In point of earlioess, the Creveling takes the 
lead, and the fruit is of satisfactory quality. But 
it never makes a good bunch. Those who care 
nothing for appearances, and do not mind ragged 
clusters, will be pleased with the Creveling. Fol¬ 
lowing close upon it, comes the Adirondack, an¬ 
other variety that appears to have been forgotten. 
It is, with me, a grape of much merit. Almost as 
early is Lindley, a red Kogers’ Hybrid, which is 
a very sweet grape, aud a favorite with many. 
Barry and Wilder are two of Rogers’ black grapes. 
Both have every good quality that is claimed for 
the Concord, are of vastly better quality, and un¬ 
like that variety they keep well. They do well 
generally, and it is strange they are not more 
planted. They are much better for “ the million ” 
than the Concord. The Salem, another of Rogers’ 
has been much praised. With me it has done 
Fig. 1.— GROWTH FROM 
A WOUND. 
nothing until this year, when it has a small crop. 
Lady does well here ; it is a very handsome white 
fruit of good quality. One hunch of it is worth a 
bushel of Martha, Croton is another white grape 
Fig. 4.— A STRANGE PEAR. 
which makes a long loose bunch. The quality ex¬ 
cellent, and when the mildew is not too much for 
it, a good bearer. Among the grapes the berries 
of which are too small to be popular, and the 
mildew is especially fond of, is the Flsingburgh. 
It illustrates the adage, “ the best things are in 
the smallest parcels.” Some one who described 
the berries as “little bags of wine,” made a 
happy hit. It is a most welcome fruit when it 
ripens well. The Herbemont, smaller yet, is too 
late. I keep the vine just for its beauty of foliage. 
The same with the Taylor, one of the most ram¬ 
pant of all growers. If one wishes a vine for shel¬ 
ter, or to cover a screen, let him plant the Taylor. 
I have before mentioned that the Ives, so generally 
successful elsewhere, had never borne a ripe clus¬ 
ter here. It is the same this year, not a berry of 
the whole crop that is not shrivelled, cracked, and 
utterly worthless. Among the grapes that one now 
seldom meets with is the Hine. It resembles the 
Delaware in many respects, but has a somewhat 
larger berry, and to my taste is preferable, as it 
has not the cloying sweetness of that variety. It 
is an excellent amateur grape. The Pines. 
A Universal Screen. 
The engraving represents a wire screen for rift¬ 
ing sand, coal ashes, soil and peat, for compost 
and any similar purpose. The frame is of two 
inch pine planks, six inches wide and six feet 
long, the cross piece at the top being three feet 
long, or as long as the wire cloth requires. The 
corners are stayed by corner pieces, or by an inch 
hoard nailed across the top. The w'oven wire is 
attached by staples before the bottom cross-piece 
is nailed on. The wires should not be closer than 
two to the inch—that is, half an inch apart, in¬ 
cluding the thickness of one wire, and it is well to 
use the galvanized wire-cloth. In use this screen 
A screen for many uses. 
may be set against a building, or braced up so as 
to stand by itself. It is often convenient to set it 
up in a sled or wagon body, so that the coarse 
stuff shall fall out over the tail-board, while the fine 
material, sand, loam, peat, or what-not, may fall 
inside the box. In unloading potatoes, if the 
screen is hooked or fastened to the back of the 
wagon ; the potatoes may be shoveled out quite 
rapidly, and the dirt will all sift through. The bne 
we have had a long time in use has paid for 
itself over and over again, and been employed in 
many and varied ways not now remembered by us. 
