1860.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
83 
termed, “ a primary bud it is essentially the 
same thing, the difference is one only of condi¬ 
tion : “ it is the same embryo in different garments .” 
A tree may inherit disease or health through the 
seed as well as through the hud. 
But, say Mr Knight and his followers, a tree 
propagated front a bud bears fruit precisely like 
its parent, while that from a seed is often differ¬ 
ent. Yes, indeed, but this is so only with seeds 
of varieties which have been brought into an 
artificial state of cultivation. In their natural 
state, seeds reproduce their parents as faithfully 
as buds or grafts do. It still holds true, therefore, 
that trees raised from buds, are not essentially 
shorter lived than those from seed. They are, in 
effect, new trees, and have in their nature as 
good a chance for long life as any other trees. 
Now, is it a fact that any of our varieties of 
fruit are running out! Two of the “ abandoned, 
nearly extinct” apples of which Mr. Knight 
spoke, were the ‘‘Nonpareil’’and “ Golden Pip¬ 
pin.” Instead of dying out, as they ought to 
have done, according to his theory, thirty or more 
years ago, they are still thriving in perfect health, 
and are among the most popular apples in E^§- 
land. So too in our country.' Many causes have 
conspired to bring barrenness, disease and death 
into our orchards; but, after all, none of our 
fruits are becoming extinct or worthless. Take 
the old Autumn Bergamot pear, supposed to have 
originated full two thousand years ago : it ought 
to he dead and forgotten, according to Mr. Knight, 
whereas, it is as hale, hearty, and productive as 
ever, in all our gardens to this day. The old 
Virgalieu, or White Doyenne, has certainly got 
into a bad way of late, in many quarters, cracking 
and becoming spotted and nearly worthless. By 
some sanguine cultivators—and Mr. Downing 
among the rest—it was thought that this was 
owing chiefly to exhaustion from the soil of the 
elements required by the pear. But the sickly 
Virgalieu has since been treated with virgin soil, 
and with “ lime, wood-ashes, bone-dust, and 
blacksmith’s cinders, along with barn-manure,” 
according to the prescribed formula, but the pa¬ 
tient has not generally got well. Yet, as if to 
show contempt of all sorts of theories and pre¬ 
scriptions, it has been sick and well for many 
years just as it pleased. We have seen it robust 
and fruitful for a period, then pining for a few 
years, and then, without any change of place, or 
soil, or treatment, it has become productive and 
vigorous again. During last Rummer, it bore very 
fine fruit abundantly in some parts of New-York. 
Still, undoubtedly, as a general rule, the de¬ 
cline of some of the older varieties of fruit is 
owing to exhaustion of the soil, and to other 
kinds of wrong treatment to which we have al¬ 
luded. Give us good, strong soils, keep the 
ground in fine tillage as far as the roots extend, 
wash the trunk and limbs with a solution of pot¬ 
ash and water, to keep down vermin, and healthy 
trees aTul good crops of fruit may be expected 
with an ordinary degree of certainty. 
American Grapes two Centuries Ago. 
It appears that several of our native grapes 
were taken to England, about 1620, the date of 
the landing of the Pilgrims. In the year 1640, a 
Mr. Parkinson wrote a book on fruits, in which 
he described some of the grapes brought over 
from America. His account of one or two is so 
odd, we beg to cite it for the amusement of our 
readers. Will Dr. Grant, or Messrs. Bissell & 
Salter, recognize the descriptions as belonging to 
any of their new and costly varieties'! Read : 
“ 4th .—Yitis Syhcstris Viryinmna . Tins one 
sort of vines, like all other wild sorts, runneth on 
the ground, and taketh hold of whatsoever it 
moeteth with, but the grapes are small and white, 
with little sappe or juyee in them, and the ker- 
nell twice as bigge as others. There is another 
sort that hath bigger blew grapes, and sourer in 
taste A third they call the Fox grape, and hath 
a regged bark, and very broad leafe, without any 
division almost, but dented, and the grape is 
white, but smelleth, and tasteth like unto a foxe I” 
Parkinson speaks of another “ which hath slen¬ 
der, reddish branches, with leaves of a dark, 
greene color, and somewhat thicke also ; the 
fruite is like the other native sorts, having more 
skinne and kernell than substance or juyee.” 
The Grape Mania. 
Heartily as we sympathize in the interest now 
felt, and increasing through the country in refer¬ 
ence to the introduction of fine grapes, we yet 
think there is danger that the matter will be over¬ 
done. The grape is a delicious fruit, but by no 
means a fair substitute for the apple and pear. It 
does not furnish the variety of flavors, nor cover 
as wide a season in its periods of ripening. It 
can not be used for as many purposes, nor be. 
kept as long in a fresh state. Fruit trees of all 
kinds, we know, are subject to manifold diseases, 
but somehow, a goodly number manage to live 
and bear abundantly. Let us not underrate the 
good old-fashioned things in our zeal for the new. 
One result of the fever for new grapes, will be 
the palming off of many worthless varieties upon 
over-zealotis purchasers. To avoid such imposi¬ 
tion, the only way for the majority of people will 
be, to wait until some or all of our pomological 
societies have examined and pronounced on the 
merits of a variety. For, of course, every man 
who has a new seedling to sell, will try to persuade 
himself and others that his plant is the best 
grape in market, hardy, perfectly hardy, sweet as 
honey, without pulp, melting, never cloys, a most 
abundant bearer, etc., etc. Give a wide berth to 
these new, superlatively excellent seedlings of 
which nobody knows save those who have a pecuni¬ 
ary interest in their dissemmation. 
Another result will be the sending out of old 
grapes under new names. The Horticulturist for 
January mentions that a Kentucky grape, known 
for fourteen years as the “ Bullitt grape,” has 
lately been brought out with flying colors as a 
new seedling, under the name of the “Taylor 
grape.” Let us be a little cautious. And if we 
must allow the mania to possess us a little, let 
us keep some sober friends by our side to guard 
us from too great indiscretions. 
The Gooseberry. 
In spite of the mildew which often attacks this 
fruit, it may yet be grown with success, if proper¬ 
ly managed. The points demanding attention 
are simply these ; a selection of the right sorts, 
proper soil and exposure, and proper pruning. 
Such varieties as the Houghton Seedling, 
Downing's Seedling, and some foreign sorts are, 
to a good degree, free from blight. To a planter 
we would say : inquire of the nearest nursery¬ 
man antj^of your neighbors, what sorts succeed 
best in your locality, and select from them. 
As to soil, it is a mistake to suppose that this 
fruit needs a very dry situation to prevent mil¬ 
dew. It is impatient of drouth, and must have a 
deep mellow soil where its roots can always find 
enough to drink. Therefore, let the soil be 
broken up to a good depth, if it is not naturally 
deep; and as the plant is a high liver, work in a 
lot of manure. Some persons plant their bushes 
under the drip of trees, for the benefit of their 
shade; but this is is a mistaken practice: it 
renders the fruit small and more liable to mold. 
Rather, set them in an open border, well prepared 
as above, and if tbe season proves very dry, spread 
under the bushes some old hay, tan-bark, coal- 
ashes or the like, for mulching. Every Spring, 
take off this mulch, spade in old manure, and re¬ 
turn the mulch. Prune with a firm hand. This 
work should he performed in the Fail or early in 
the SpVing, before the sap begins to flow. Let it 
be the primer’s aim to keep down all suckers, to 
thin out a large part of the old and crooked wood, 
and enough of the new to prevent the branches 
from becoming matted, and to let in plenty of 
light and air. No fruit-tree or hush requires so 
severe pruning as this. The berries, too, should 
be thinned out when a quarter grown. 
The gooseberry requires a renewal of the plants 
about once in six or seven years. For this pur¬ 
pose, select, say in this month of March, the 
strongest and healthiest, shoots of the preceding 
year's growth, prune out all the buds on the part, 
of the cutting to go below ground in planting, (lo 
prevent future suckers) and bury the cuttings in 
sand in the cellar, till the Spring fully opens. 
Then prepare a good soil, and set them in six 
inches deep, leaving four or five inches above 
ground. If they are laid a little sloping, it will 
be better. They will nearly all take root and in 
the following Spring may be transplanted. 
Early Asparagus and Rhubarb easily 
Obtained- 
The long cold Winter is over, and the sight of 
something fresh and green from the bosom of 
mother earth would be refreshing. The dish of 
Aspargus, by all who know the article, is highly 
appreciated. It is among the earliest luxuries 
that come to the table, and one of the most health¬ 
ful. At a dollar a bunch, it tastes of the silver, 
and the citizen, unless he own amine, must in¬ 
dulge sparingly. But the villager or farmer o lio 
owns a rod square of well .stocked Asparagus 
has a mine out of which to dig luscious shoots 
early in Spring, without a taste of copper, even. 
The professional gardener, of course, knows how 
to get them with his hot-bed and forcing manures. 
Take good strong roots, three years old, and put 
them upon a bed of fermenting manure, and there 
is no difficulty. But for several years past, we 
have found coaxing quite powerful enough to in¬ 
duce our favorite vegetable to anticipate the sea¬ 
son three weeks. We put upon the bed a simple 
board frame, twelve feet by six, and cover it with 
sashes. The frame inclines to the sun, about one 
foot in the six. The outside of the frame is bank¬ 
ed up with horse manure, or any coarse litter, to 
keep out the cold. Between the rows of Aspai' 
agus, which are about eighteen inches apart, we 
sow lettuce, radishes, peppergrass, or any thing 
else of a hardy nature that we wish to get early. 
The glass retains the heat of the sun by day, and 
keeps off the cold by night. The surface heat 
brings up the seeds in a few days, and a little 
later, the purple shoots of Asparagus make their 
appearance. They grow almost as rapidly as in 
June, and are quite as tender and good flavored. 
We secure early Rhubarb by the same method, 
without disturbing the roots, and put in about a 
bushel of stable manure, or rich compost around 
each crown. The sashes are then put over, and 
no air is given until the crowns begin to make 
their appearance aboveground. Indeed the leaves 
are not liable to burning, and the sashes require 
very little attention until the stalks are tit to cut. 
The Myatt’s Linnajus is admirable for this kind 
of forcing, and, all things considered, is the best 
variety we have ever cultivated. The sashes 
