AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
108 
(drupes in Spring-.— A box of fine, plump 
Catavvba grapes in prime condition received from Josiah 
Carpenter, commission merchant of this city, March 1st, 
proves conclusively what has rflen been asserted, viz.: 
that grapes can be kept in good condition until spring. 
Mr. Carpenter receives and sells about SCO lbs. of similar 
grapes per week, for J. W. Prentiss, of Steuben Co.. N. 
Y. They bring 30 cents per lb. wholesale, and often 
50 to 60 cents at the fruit stands on Broadway. Mr. 
P. keeps them in an even, cool temperature, and sends 
them to market in mild weather packed in thin wooden 
boxes 1 foot long, 10 inches wide, and 6 inches deep, (10 
lbs. per box) with coarse oaner for alining. 
Injury to Grape Vines l»y Cold.— 
I)r. H. Shroder, of Bloomington, 111., sends the result of 
his examination of his vineyard. All his vines which 
were protected by a covering of litter escaped injury. 
The Catawbas—except some on sandy land, with a south¬ 
ern exposure—were killed to the ground; some of the 
vines on trellises, which were thrown down by a storm, 
Uninjured. Dr. S. thinks that the Catawba cannot 
stand over 22° below zero in quiet weather, and with 
such a storm as that of last January, 18° below is all they 
will endure. His last year’s plantings of single-eye 
Delawares were entirely killed, as well as the Isabellas. 
With the thermometer ranging from 23° to 29° below 
zero, the following varieties proved hardy: Hyde’s Eliza, 
Taylor, Mary Ann, Naumkeag, American Hamburgh, 
Raisin, Empire, Marion, Sage, Urbana, Michigan Mam. 
moth, Hughe’s Wine Grape, Garrigues, Mottled, and the 
Concord. Like all western cultivators, Dr. S. speaks in 
the highest terms of the Concord. The grapes enumer¬ 
ated by Dr. Shroder as being hardy, are, except the Con¬ 
cord, not considered worth cultivating in this region. 
Grape Queries.— C. H. G., Philadelphia, 
and H. Z. Bolivar, Md. Vines 6 or 8 years old are seldom 
worth moving, especially if they have been neglected. 
Make layers of last year’s wood and remove them when 
rooted, or get new vines at once_T. P., Alleghany 
City. A layered vine well rooted is just as good as one 
obtained in any other way. Most of the layers sold are 
carelessly made, and unless sure of the quality, it is safer 
to buy vines started from cuttings — II. Eaton, South 
Reading, Mass., Directions for grafting the grape were 
given in the September Agriculturist. It is best done in 
autumn, but may be done very early in spring... George J. 
Yost, Columbia Co., Pa. The circular trellis made ac¬ 
cording to plan sent, may answer as an ornament, but 
as it does not allow the vine to be trained upon any reg¬ 
ular system, is not to be recommended.... W. N. Cooley, 
Hampden Co., Mass. A strong vine four years old and 
properly trained ought to bear 72 bunches, the weight 
will of course depend upon the variety — H. Trimeyer, 
Cass Co., Ill. The varieties of grapes inquired about are 
many of them so new, and their cultivation restricted to 
so few localities that it is impossible to say how they 
would do with you. An account of the others is given in 
a letter from Mr. Husmann, on page 114. The Iona, as 
far as is known, is a first class fruit. The Anna has some 
good qualities, but it has so many bad ones, among others 
its late ripening, that many cultivators have discarded it. 
Testing Seeds.— By trying field and garden 
seeds before sowing, much disappointment may often be 
prevented. All doubtful seeds, whether left over from 
former years or recently purchased, should be proved. 
This may be done in several ways : Count a portion of 
seed and plant it in a box or pot of fine soil kept damp in 
a warm room. The number of plants which appear will 
show the proportion of good seed. The same result may 
be obtained by placing the seeds between the folds of a 
damp cloth and putting this between two plates to pre¬ 
vent evaporation ; or by tying them in a cloth and burying 
them in the soil of a hot-bed. The seeds will sprout in 
a few days, and thus show the proportion of good ones. 
Cold. Frames, etc.— To “ Subscribers.” A 
cold frame is like a het-bed without the manure to create 
heat. It is set directly on fine mellow soil. The heat is 
derived from the sun, and the heat as well as moisture 
are kept in by the glass. It is of great help in forward¬ 
ing seeds, but they should not be planted until April. A 
Hand-Glass is a small contrivance for a similar purpose, 
made with glass top and sides, or of a wooden box with 
a pane of glass at the tap. A Cold Pit is a sunken frame 
covered with sash in which half hardy plants are kept 
during the winter. 
Transplanting Boxes.— A note in the 
Feb. A griculturist has called out a number of suggestions. 
II., of Quincy, II:-, uses cylinders of sheet zinc, 4 inches 
high and 3 % inches in diameter. These are without bot¬ 
toms, and are set closely in a shallow box.of convenient 
size, filled with soil, and a few seeds put in each.A. 
Ricker, Hancock Co., Me., makes boxes of % stuff, 6 in. 
long and 3 inches wide and deep. These are made with¬ 
out bottoms and are set oil pieces of board large enough 
to hold six boxes. The boxes are filled with earth, the 
seeds planted and the whole set under glass to start. In 
transplanting, the board with the boxes is taken to the 
place, a hole is made large enough to receive a box, 
one is slipped off into the hole and the earth drawn around 
it. The box is loosened with a few slight raps and lifted 
out, leaving the roots undisturbed. Mr. R. starts peas, 
corn, squashes and cucumbers in succession in the same 
boxes — H. G. A. A., of Mystic Bridge, Conn., uses a 
box 18x26 and 20 inches high, sloping like a hot-bed frame. 
This is covered with sash and has a movable bottom. 
Any of these contrivances may answer the purpose 
where flower pots can not be obtained, but we do not see 
that they possess any advantage over the latter. 
Horse-Radish Boots. —E. llaynes, Cuy¬ 
ahoga Co., O., dug a horse-radish root striking down 4 
feet perpendicularly and farther, for when breaking off 
at that point it was as large round as his little finger. 
Tomatoes and Beach Borers.— J. G. 
Robinson, Cambridge, Md„ says that he finds that peach 
trees near which tomatoes grew, were entirely free from 
borers, while other trees in the same garden were much 
injured, two of them being killed by the borers. 
Fine Mushrooms.— Simpson Gordon, of 
Vanderbilt Avenue, Staten Island, is very successful in 
cultivating this luxury. Magnificent specimens grown by 
him have been placed upon our Exhibition Table, during 
the past month, as well as samples of very vigorous look¬ 
ing spawn. Some mushrooms grown in flower pots at¬ 
tracted much attention. He has left some spawn cakes 
for sale at Lane’s Purchasing Agency. 
Strawberry Ufotes. — H. L. Frontenac, 
wishes to know- if it will do to plant strawberries in sandy 
loam where a quantity of stable manure has stood. Yes, 
if the ground is well worked ...Win. Cottew, La Salle 
Co., Ill. The “ Tribune Strawberries” are not a hum¬ 
bug. They are all of good quality, here at least-... J. A. 
Ruggles, Bristol Co., Mass. You will probably find the 
runners between the old and new plants already discon¬ 
nected, or at least dead. Take up the new plants and put 
them elsewhere and keep the runners from both new and 
old, if you wish to get the best crops. ... Geo. W. Sears, 
of Tioga Co., Pa., states that after trying some thirty va¬ 
rieties, he can get all desired results from two sorts. He 
recommends the Jenny Lind for early, and Triomphe de 
Gand for the main crop ; or instead of these, the Bartlett 
and Austin ; or Early Scarlet, and La Constante. The 
Wilson he discards as being too sour and uneven in size. 
The Hovey is with him as productive as the Wilson, 
and a better berry. 
The Jonquils do not Flower.— H. N. 
Adams, Cheshire Co., N. H., is troubled by the blasting 
of buds. This is generally a free blooming plant. The 
trouble may arise from a late frost, a weakness of the 
plant, or from the crowding of the roots. Try covering 
with litter, and keep it on until the weather becomes set¬ 
tled. If they have been a long time in the earth, take 
them up when the leaves have withered, and keep them 
out of the ground until October, and then set them singly. 
Some make the mistake of cutting off the leaves as soon 
as the flowers fade; this is wrong, as it weakens the bulbs. 
Sowing- Auriculas. —L. Bischoff, Fond du 
Lac, Wis. These are to be sown in pots or boxes of fine 
rich earth, and covered very shallow ; place in a gentle 
hot bed. When up, the plants need to be shaded from the 
hot mid-day sun, and to have plenty of air. 
Hybrid Perpetual Roses. — Several 
who have asked for a list of roses, will find in the follow¬ 
ing a selection of the best growers, and those which can 
be obtained at most nurseries: Alexander Bachmentoff; 
Auguste Mie ; Barronne Prevost; Cardinal Patrizzi; 
^ifMjesse de Cambaceres; Enfant du Mont Carmel; 
’General Jacqueminot; Glory of France; Jules Margot- 
tin ; Lady Stewart; Lord Raglan; Madame Rivers; 
Pius IX; Triumph of the Exhibition. 
“ The Seed IBurnl op-.”—A Subscriber 
in Pittsburgh, Pa., wishes the Agricuituii*‘ to nitch into 
gardeners and seedsmen in general, because they aJ" a r. 
tise floral novelties with attractive descriptions, whicn 
upon trial disappoint those who have been at the expense 
and trouble of procuring and growing them. If any read¬ 
er of this paper has gone rashly into untried new things, 
he has done so against often repeated advice, and can not 
blame us. Nor do we consider the seedsman at fault 
for selling an unsatisfactory new plant, any more than the 
bookseller is for selling an uninteresting new book. Both 
dealers send orders to Europe for a supply o-f every new 
thing in the line of their trade, and new seeds as well aa 
new books are sold by their titles. Many of the seeds¬ 
men are careful to state in their catalogues that the de¬ 
scriptions of new varieties are taken from their foreign 
growers. Among the new things introduced each year 
there are some really valuable, while others, and it may 
be a majority, are worthless. Every one who tries new 
flowers, vegetables or fruits, runs a aertain risk, and he 
has his choice to do this, or wait until some one else has 
proved the things for him. The regular seedsmen as a 
class are honorable dealers, and have no desire to de¬ 
ceive ; they give the best information they can get about 
their wares, and if they do not equal the expectation 
of the purchasers, the seller is not always censurable 
Carrot Seed.—How to Clean.—H. 4, 
Cook, Columbia Co., N. Y., wants to know how to re¬ 
move the burr from carrot seed. Most of the seed (all 
the American seed we believe) comes to market with the 
burrs on. It is said that the seed may be cleaned by 
subjecting it to hard rubbing in a bag with sharp sand. 
Black Currant Beverage.— Messrs. 
Shimer & Gregory, Carroll Co., Ilk, write to the Amer 
icon Agriculturist that an excellent fermented drink 
(sometimes mis-called wine) may be made from black 
Naples, and black English currants, superior to the fer¬ 
mented juice of most other fruits, except grapes. The 
bushes are easily cultivated and yield abundantly, and the 
fruit gives a very rich juice.... Mrs. C. H. Freeman, Bay 
Co., Mich., uses Igal. Black Currant juice, 3 gallons wa¬ 
ter, and 16 lbs. good sugar.—Says that this currant will 
pay to cultivate, if well manured and cared for. She get* 
50 per cent more juice than from any other currant_C. 
W. Kellog, of Munroe Co., Wis., takes equal parts of 
black and red currants, and uses the compound juice as 
above; considers the result better than from the red. 
Poisoning hy “ Bye Coflee.”—W. B. 
Waldo, Dutchess Co., N. Y„ sends an acconnt of the se¬ 
vere illness of a German, his wife and four children with 
all the symptoms of poisoning by ergot. It was found 
that the family had been in the habit of drinking copious¬ 
ly of “rye coffee” three times a day, and the ill effects 
were, with strong probability, attributed to the presence 
of ergot in the rye used to make the drink. Ergot was 
figured and described on page 105, April Agriculturist of 
of last year. People drinking rye coffee, should pie- 
pare it themselves and be sure that it is free from ergot, 
“Australian Coffee.”— Several inquirer*. 
This is nothing but a kind of chick pea, raised in larg* 
quantities in some sections of the West, and extensively 
advertised under various names. $1 per hundred seeds 
as asked for it, if obtained , would make it a profitable 
crop. We once paid 2 cents each for 50 kernels to find 
out its nature. It is one of the humbugs. 
galerntus Cor Insects.— Wm. Cottew, 
La Salle Co., Ill., writes to the American Agriculturist 
that if smoked hams be washed clean and rubbed well 
with saleratus, a coating will be formed which insects 
will not penetrate. We have not tried It. 
MicI*. State'Agricultural College. 
—This institution has opened its yearly session under bet¬ 
ter auspices than ever before. Its corps of professors are 
earnest working men, and the facilities for imparting a 
good English and scientific education are ample. It will 
be seen by reference to the advertisement published last 
month, that students from other States are admitted at a 
moderate charge. Circulars may be had by addressing 
the President, Prof. T. C. Abbot, Lansing, Michigan. 
The Farmer’s Oracle.— This is the title 
of a weekly agricultural paper, published at Spring Lak* 
Villa, Utah Co., Utah. Though of moderate size, and aa 
yet printed on indifferent material, it is evidently wide 
awake. It makes good selections from other papers and 
keeps up with local matters. Success to it. 
Western Colony.— The Ottawa Indians of 
Kansas, among whom are several readers of the Agri¬ 
culturist, want to sell 30,000 acres of their reserve to actu¬ 
al settlers, and have delegated their U. S. Agent to collect 
colonies of moral people to go out in April. His addres* 
is Box 3949, New-York. 
Botany for Children.—C. Phillips, Wa¬ 
pello Co., Iowa. The best child’s book on botany is 
Gray’s •• How Plants Grow.” It is as simple as a story¬ 
book, and is a most »xcellent elementary work. Price 
by mail, $1. Dana’s Elem»ntary Mineralogy, is a stan¬ 
dard work, but not suited to very voung children, nor de 
we know of any one on the subject that is thus adapted. 
