I 860 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3(>;) 
on the inside of their boxes, and when the boxes 
are filled, nail on the cover and paste paper over 
the whole, to keep out all air! We will not un¬ 
dertake to pronounce upon either of these meth¬ 
ods, for we know that grapes keep well in both, 
provided they are kept where they are neither 
too hot or cold, neither too moist or too dry. 
A friend of ours keeps his grapes in a garret, 
where the mercury often falls to 20° above zero. 
But when a very cold snap approaches, he throws 
a heavy coverlet or two over his boxes, and they 
get no harm At any day, from November to 
April, he can entertain his guests with the plump¬ 
est and freshest of grapes. With him, the Isa¬ 
bella is the best keeper; the Diana next best. 
[ American Agriculturist. 
--- ■«—---- 
Reports Wanted on the Newer Grapes. 
As the present month is the great season for 
ripening and eating grapes, we wish to beg our 
fruit-growing readers to take special pains in 
making particular notes on the newer varieties 
1. Take note as to earliness. Assuming the 
well-Known Isabella for a standard, observe first, 
the comparative earliness in ripening of the new 
sorts. For instance, some tell us that the Dela¬ 
ware ripens a month betore the Isabella; others 
only a fortnight. Some nurserymen who have 
the Anna for sale, say that it ripens “quite as 
early as the Diana,” and “ about a week earlier 
than the Isabella ;” whereas, in the published 
Report of a certain Pennsylvania Horticultural 
Society last October, it was said that “ the An¬ 
nas exhibited, were not ripe enough to enable one 
to form an opinion about them, though Isabel¬ 
las were fully mature and excellent.” Where 
is the exact truth here! So again, of the Lo¬ 
gan, Maxatawny, Taylor, To Kalon and others. 
This is a very important question. For, let the 
grape be of the very finest quality, yet if it will 
not ripen at least as early as the Isabella, it is of 
no comparative value north of latitude 42° or 43°. 
2. As to quality. Here also, opinions differ, 
though not so widely as in reference to earliness. 
Nor is it so easy a matter to form a correct opin¬ 
ion. Some persons’ tastes have not been culti¬ 
vated, so as to discriminate nicely in such mat¬ 
ters ; others again are prejudiced in favor of seed¬ 
lings of their own raising, or of varieties which 
they or their friends have on sale. Some sorts 
are eaten when only half ripe, or when over-ripe, 
and of course an unsatisfactory opinion is formed. 
The first two reasons help to show how it hap¬ 
pens that some persons insist upon it, that such 
grapes as the Northern Muscadine (a seedling of 
the Shakers,) and the Massachusetts White, a 
tough, musk-scented wilding from the woods of 
the Bay State, are really first-class table grapes! 
Good judges, we believe, are now about agreed 
in placing the Delaware, Diana and Rebecca on 
nearly the same footing as to quality. The To 
Kalon, Concord, and Hartford Prolific rank next. 
These having their relative places assigned them, 
we want to know where to place several other 
competitors. Is the Logan equal to the Isabella ! 
Somewhat doubtful, but let us find out. The Tay¬ 
lor or Bullitt, Allen’s Hybrid, Cuyahoga, Wilming¬ 
ton, the several hybrids of Mr. Rogers of Salem, 
and others—where do they stand as to quality! 
Out of all these new comers, something of real 
excellence must surely appear. And the more 
closely they are scrutinized at first, by competent 
judges, the better it will be for all concerned. 
3. As to hardiness. This is important, though 
less so than the points already enumerated. For, 
if we can get a new grape, of first quality and 
early in maturing '*”3 cv> easily protect it in 
Winter, if it happens to be tender. Still, if it is 
hardy, it will be all the better for a wider region. 
Now, will some of our fruit tasting commit¬ 
tees, and others of our readers who feel interest¬ 
ed in grape culture, please to taste and to observe 
carefully for us, and send their opinions to the, 
American Agriculturist! We will use the notes 
they send, impartially and for the public good. 
-» < —--- 
The Lace Leaf Plant —(Ouvirandra fenestralisj 
The illustration below, drawn from a living 
specimen, represents a very curious and beauti¬ 
ful plant found in the island of Madagascar, from 
which place ii was taken to England by Mr. W. 
Ellis. It is an aquatic plant, growing under the 
water, except the flower stalk, which rises above 
the surface. Sir W. J. Hooker says of it : “The 
leaf shown, seems like a living, fibrous skeleton, 
rather than a perfect leaf. The longitudinal 
fibers, or nerves, surrounded by a portion of par¬ 
leaves are always beneath the surface, while, 
whatever may be the depth of the stream, the 
flower stalk always rises above the surface, and 
the bloom is developed, and the seed ripened, 
under the influence of sun and air. It would 
form a splendid addition to an aquarium, the on¬ 
ly difficulty being to keep the temperature at the 
right point, as it seems to thrive best at 80 
degrees Fahrenheit. It was introduced into 
England in 1855, and a few specimens have been 
brought to this country. It will undoubtedly be¬ 
come a favorite with amateurs, when it has been 
sufficiently propagated to be attainable. 
-«_- -- 
Splendid Show of Asters, 
AT THE NEW OFFICE OF THE AMERICAN 
AGRICULTURIST. 
enchyma (leaf-tissue), extend in curved lines 
along its entire length, and are united by thread¬ 
like nerves, or nervelets, crossing them at right 
angles from side to side, at short distances from 
each other. (This structure is shown very plain¬ 
ly at fig. 2.) The color is bright green, and the 
whole leaf looks as if composed of fine tendrils, 
wrought after a most regular pattern, so as to 
resemble a piece of bright green lace or needle¬ 
work. Eacli leaf rises from the crown on the 
root, like a short, delicate, pale green or yellow 
fiber, gradually uncovering its feathery sides, and 
increasing in size as it spreads beneath the wa¬ 
ter. It is scarcely possible to imagine any ob¬ 
ject of the kind more curious and attractive 
than a full-grown plant, with its dark green 
leaves, forming a circle two or three feet in diam¬ 
eter, exhibiting leaves in every state of devel¬ 
opment, as regards brightness, color, and size.” 
The upper part of fig. 2 represents the flower 
stem, and exhibits the curious form of the in¬ 
florescence. It resembles a plume or double 
feather, and is singularly graceful in appearance. 
The plant grows in the lowest and hottest part 
of the country, in the level parts of streams from 
the mountains. It is found at a depth of from a 
foot to three feet or more, and it is a singular 
fact, that however shallow the water may be, the 
A leading object in the selection of our new 
location was to secure spacious and appropriate 
rooms where might be conveniently exhibited, for 
all to look at, the various produc- 
tions of the field, orchard, and fruit 
and flower garden. Fortunately, at 
the very opening of our rooms, we 
w-ere able to show the finest collec¬ 
tions of beautiful Asters that have 
ever been gathered in this country — 
perhaps the finest in the world. 
Among the thousands who have 
called in to see them, was a distin¬ 
guished German florist, who says 
that even in Germany itself—the 
home of the improved Asters—he 
never saw so good a collection. 
The show consisted of 138 of tiie 
best varieties that could he collected 
in Germany, France, and England— 
including 20of Truffaut’s best French Asters; 
5 crowned, or two colored ; 5 English quilled ; 4 
new Giant Emperor; 4 chrysanthemum flowered; 
Perfection, in seventeen colors; 15 Ranunculus 
flowering; 3 Hedge-hog ; 5 Turkey ; 15Negley's 
Giant ; 8 very dwarf, or pigmy ; 20 globe pceony, 
and 5 pceony Perfection. 
A large proportion of these were as large as 
the common dahlia, and many who were unable 
to appreciate their delicate petals and fine colors, 
insisted that they were dahlias. Specimens of the 
Giant Emperor measured full three inches in di¬ 
ameter, and there were all sizes, from these to 
the half globe, an inch across. They were of many 
colors, from dark purple to deep red, rose, pink, 
lavender, and white, with all the intermediate 
shades, some flowers being of a single color, 
others having the different shades delicately 
blended. Instead of the single ray of the old 
sorts, the en¬ 
tire center it, 
filled with pet¬ 
als or quills, 
many, of them 
beautifully 
tipped. These 
were assorted 
from many 
hundred varie¬ 
ties selected 
and imported by 
Mr. John Wesley Jones, of Columbia County, 
who has grown them the past season. Such 
full-bloomed flowers yield little seed, but we are 
glad to say that we have ananged with Mr. Jones 
to save us all the seed he possibly can for our 
next Winter’s free Seed Distribution, so that 
next Summer our pleasant exhibition will be in 
part reproduced in many thousand other localities 
this country, including the British Provinces. 
