1861 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
49 
plume for several weeks. Not wishing to tax 
it any longer, we then removed it into the cellar 
for a winter’s rest, where it now remains. 
Before the Tritoma had been tried, it was 
feared that it would not bloom at the North un¬ 
til just at the coming on of frost, and then would 
be cut down. But experience shows that some 
varieties of it flower early in September, and 
thence on through October, not in the least injured 
by frequent and hard freezings ! And, if this is not 
enough, it may be potted and made- to flower in 
the window for another month or two. We 
confess that we think highly of this plant, and 
would recommend it to all who do not possess 
it. Whether it will prove hardy enough to en¬ 
dure exposure in our northern winters, is yet to 
be ascertained. A friend of ours is trying the 
experiment this year, and we shall watch it and 
report progress. 
Ripening the Isabella Grape. 
A subscriber, J. P., has a row of Isabellas on 
the south side of his barn, which “ ripen only 
once in two or three years, and then the ripe¬ 
ness is more in name than in flavor.” He wish¬ 
es to know how to provide a glass covering for 
them, to expedite their maturity. 
Reply :—Build a rough frame of scantling, say 
ten feet high, leaving a space of two feet in front 
of the vines, for good ventilation, and a roof 
sloping at almost any angle, up against the side 
of the barn. Divide this frame into convenient 
sections for receiving the sashes, which may be 
fastened in place by screws. A portion of each 
sash, or every other sash, may be hung on hinges, 
to be opened at mid-day, and closed at night. 
If these frames are handled with care, and re¬ 
moved to some dry loft during the Winter, they 
will last many years. 
But we should hardly think our friend, living 
in southern N. Y., or northern Penn., would need 
such frames at all. And, after reading his 
whole letter carefully, we advise him to try 
some other remedies first. He says his vines 
“ have not yet been fruitful enough to pay fer¬ 
tile trouble of fall-pruning and laying down.” 
If by this, is meant that they have not been 
pruned or laid down, the fault may lie there. 
Or, the work may have been imperfectly 
done. We do not see how he could go amiss, 
if he has read our instructions respecting it. 
Prune back to two buds (in the spur-method,) 
lay down the canes carefully, and cover them 
with litter or soil just enough to conceal them: 
no more. 
His vines “ have had no Summer pruning.” 
Of course, they should have received it, and es¬ 
pecially as the border has been made so rich 
with “ stable manure, poudrette, and ground 
bones,” thus forcing the vines into an excess of 
wood-making, and decreasing the yield of fruit. 
He says again; “ The barn having no eaves- 
troughs, may have kept the ground too damp; 
and in addition to this, there may have been too 
much extra vegetation allowed upon the border, 
such as lettuce, cabbages, blackberry-vines,” etc. 
all of which would abstract a portion of the 
nourishment, thus robbing the vine. 
Then don’t order any glass frames, yet 
awhile; but first, order a good eaves-trough for 
the barn, and perhaps a drain for the garden. 
Least of all, can grape vines stand with wet feet. 
The lettuce may do no great harm on the bor¬ 
der, but the blackberry vines and things of that 
sort should be rooted up at once. If he heeds 
our suggestions, we shall be glad to hear from 
him as to the result. 
Which, are the Best Apples? 
AN IMPORTANT BEQUEST. 
We have a proposition to make, which, if gen¬ 
erally responded to by individuals, and by agri¬ 
cultural and horticultural, or pomological soci¬ 
eties, will, we think, result in a positive good to 
the country, as well as to our individual read¬ 
ers. It is well known that there is a great di¬ 
versity pf opinion as to what varieties of apples 
are best adapted to general cultivation. This 
diversity results in part from the fact that a va¬ 
riety which succeeds well in one part of the 
country, does poorly in many other places. We 
propose that one or more apple growers in every 
locality where the Agriculturist circulates (and 
that will include nearly every county in the 
United States, and Territories, and in the British 
Provinces) should consult with his neighbors, 
and decide the following questions and send us 
the result of their deliberations: 
A. What three varieties of early or Summer 
apples do you consider the best in your locality ? 
B. What four varieties of Autumn apples So 
you consider the best in your locality ? 
C. What five varieties of Winter apples do 
you consider the best in your locality ? 
In deciding these questions, the general value 
of the apples for home use and for market, should 
be taken into account; also the vigor, har¬ 
diness, and rapid growth of the tree, the length 
of time it has been tried, etc. Let the reports, 
so far as possible, be free from individual caprice, 
taste, or personal interest. The united voice or 
maj ority report of county or town societies would 
be desirable, but where no such society exists let 
us have the reports from individuals. We pro¬ 
pose to make up a table occupying a page or 
two of the Agriculturist in small type, which 
shall show, at a glance, what apples are held in 
the highest esthnation in various parts of the 
country. We would like reports from remote 
points—from Maine to the furthest Western 
Territories (including the Pacific Coast) where 
the apple has been cultivated long enough to 
render an opinion practicable. It will be readily 
seen that such a table will be of great value to 
those who are inquiring ‘what trees shall I plant’? 
If we can get in reports enough to make a be¬ 
ginning, we will publish partial tables, at first, in 
the March, or at latest in the April Agriculturist , 
to aid in the Spring selection of trees. In all 
cases, please adhere to the following order, put¬ 
ting on separate slips the report for each 
season, so that we can classify them. So far 
as possible, give the leading name of the apple 
as adopted in Downing’s, or other standard fruit 
books. Put the best apple in each class against 
1—the second best against 2, and the third best 
against 3, etc., and name the best sweet variety. 
A. Summer Apples. 
Name of Reporter, County, State. Names of Apples. 
.WEEE 
l Sweet .. 
B. Autumn Apples. 
Name of Reporter, County, State. Names of Apples. 
L Sweet .... 
C. Winter Apples. 
Name of Reporter, County, State. Names of Apples. 
I. Sweet ... 
-•-«-—HH—- 
Young Orchards need an occasional visit at 
j this season. Any trees swayed down by the 
winds, should be straightened up, and tied t« 
stakes with wisps of straw. Notice if the mica 
have attacked the bark around the trunks. If 
so, raise a mound of earth a foot high around 
each one; it will also protect against excessive 
frost. Level these mounds in the Spring. 
Notes on the Newer Grapes. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist « 
In answer to your inquiry on page 809 in 
Oct. No., of Vol. XIX, in reference to grapes, I 
give my experience in this region. 
Delaware will not ripen four weeks earlier 
than Isabella, nor more than two, sometimes per¬ 
haps three. Anna does not ripen with me at all, 
although I have had it in bearing three years. 
Logan is not quite equal to Isabella, but is ten 
days earlier, a hardier vine, and a good grower. 
Taylor , or Taylor's Bullet , is perfectly hardy, and 
free from disease. I deem it equal to Delaware in 
quality, while it will outgrow it, two to one. 
To Kalon is a splendid and excellent grape, hut 
it rots with me too much to warrant extensive 
planting. Wilmington is a good white grape, but 
it seems almost an impossibility to grow it from 
eyes or cuttings. I have one vine of it, which 
has a real native foliage. I have seen and tasted 
some 30 varieties of Rogers' Hybrids , and I think 
the size and excellent quality of some of them 
will place them among the best in the country. 
Another grape, the Alvey, will prove one of the 
best. But such has been the deception prac¬ 
tised of late years in this branch of business, 
that we must show the fruit several years be¬ 
fore the public will trust it. I have spent hun¬ 
dreds of dollars on trash, and now can go to 
work and graft the vines over. This hunting 
up every new grape that I could hear of, had 
became a mania with me, but the fever has left 
me entirely. 
In conclusion I would state that in my opin¬ 
ion there are two grapes now under cultivation 
quite equal to the Delaware, and one superior. 
The former two are the Raabe and Taylor, the 
latter, the Alvey. S. M. 
Calmdale, Pa. 
Harvard Grape. 
A friend living in Brooklyn, N. Y., some time 
since sent us a small box of white grapes under 
the above name. The vines have been sold 
about here, with the following description: 
“ Originated in Connecticut; is perfectly hardy; 
bunches of medium size, compact, often shoul¬ 
dered ; berry medium to large, very sweet, not 
musky, very aromatic, color light green, reddish 
where exposed to sun: ripens last of August.” 
A truthful description of the hunches sent 
here, is as follows: “ Clusters small; berry me¬ 
dium to small, of a light green color, very foxy , 
with a close pulp, skin thick and tough; the 
whole no better than one half the wild grapes of 
Connecticut, of which it is doubtless a variety; 
or it may be the ‘ Massachusetts White Grape.’ 
It is unworthy of culture.” 
-- . - w* < — --— 
Vegetable Curiosities. A. Benton, Rich¬ 
land Co., O,, writes to the American Agriculturist , 
that a vine sprung from a self-sown summer 
squash seed, grew flat instead of round, spread¬ 
ing out nearly a foot wide in the thickest park 
On this the squashes grew in clusters as thick 
as they could stand. There was also a curious 
freak among the cabbage stumps set out for 
seed. Five or six of them produced from two 
to four heads each, instead of seed. 
