AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
367 
the shoulder three inches long. Diameter with¬ 
out the shoulder, two and a half inches. We 
annex Mr. Downing’s description : “ Bunch 
small, very compact, and generally shouldered. 
Berries smallish, round when not compressed. 
Skin thin, of a beautiful light-red or flesh-color, 
very translucent, passing to wine-color by long 
keeping. It is without hardness or acidity in its 
pulp, exceedingly sweet, but sprightly, vinous and 
aromatic. It ripens nearly or quite three weeks 
before the Isabella. Its bunches arid berries are 
greatly increased in size by high culture.” 
--qP-< ■ ■ i H!5-Q-tSae=—-VHS--- 
Dr. R. T. Underhii.iJs Grapes are still fine, 
though we think the Isabella hardly up to what 
they have been in this market for several years 
past. The Catawba this year appears better than 
usual. We judge wholly from what we see of 
them in our market, and from a fine basket full 
sent us by Dr. U.Since the above was put 
in type, we have received a note from Dr. Under¬ 
hill, in which he accounts for the short crop of 
Isabellas this year from the fact, that they blos¬ 
somed during the long cold easterly storm in 
June. The Catawba blossomed a week later, in 
dry weather, and gave a fine crop. He protests 
against the reports started at the (so-called) 
Farmers’ Club of N. Y., that the Isabella has be¬ 
come unhealthy, and must be abandoned, and 
says, he shall plant this year more than ever. 
The Rebecca Grape. —We received, Oct. 21st, 
a box of very fine clusters of Rebecca grapes 
from Wm. Brocksbank, Hudson, N. Y. Could 
we secure a fair growth of such delicious sweet 
grapes, we should scarcely wish to cultivate any 
other for our own use. But the Rebecca vine 
grows very slowly and fruits but little with us. 
Some others have had better success, though 
there seems to be considerable doubt as to the 
vigor and hardiness of the vine. We should ad¬ 
vise every lover of grapes to try a few plants, 
and increase the number wherever they are found 
to thrive. 
Grapes in Western New-York. 
At the recent Annual meeting of the Western 
New-York Fruit Growers’ Society, the Diana 
Grape was highly praised, and unanimously re¬ 
commended for genereal cultivation.—The Hart¬ 
ford Prolific was well spoken of as an early grape, 
but objected to by several for marketing, because 
of a tendency of the fruit to drop from the bunch¬ 
es. The Concord had several advocates as an 
early and very hardy variety, but its quality not 
considered good enough to place it in very high 
estimation.—The Rebecca was generally declared 
too tender, and also liable to bad “burning” in 
Summer.—The Delaware was highly prized so far 
as known, but decided not to have been sufficient¬ 
ly tested in that region, to be yet recommended 
for general cultivation. 
There was a diversity of opinion, yet a general 
concurrence in the utility of shortening-in bear¬ 
ing shoots, and thinning out the fruit. Some of 
the leading cultivators advocated removing all 
small shoots not bearing, and pinching the bear¬ 
ing stems to within five leaves of the bunches. 
Material for Grape Trellises. 
This is a matter of greater importance than it 
may at first seem. The posts are often made of 
hemlock scantling, whereas they should be of ce¬ 
dar or other stuff equally durable. The writer of 
this hastily put up a grape trellis, several years 
ago, using hemlock for posts, intending to replace 
them with something better, before they should 
decay. This intention was a good one, but un¬ 
fortunately, it was not carried out. Last Sep¬ 
tember, the trellis, being covered with vines, and 
loaded with grapes just ready for gathering, was 
blown down, many of the clusters were mashed, 
and, worse than all, the largest and best vine was 
broken clean off at the surface of the ground 
and killed! That insecure trellis might have 
been replaced by one day’s work; but it will 
take six years to replace that vine. 
We therefore urge the use of the best materials 
for the posts of grape frames. Wire may be used 
from post to post, instead of wooden slats ; but 
when used, it is well to connect the posts at the 
top by a single slat, to keep the frame in a good 
shape. 
- t . «cn O Pe n —fr—es*- 
Effect of Ringing the Grape Vine. 
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE EXPERIMENTS. 
One year ago, we spoke of the effect upon grape 
vines and fruit trees, of ringing the branches (re¬ 
moving a ring of bark). It was then shown that 
this process hastens the maturity Of the fruit, and 
enlarges it considerably beyond ifs natural size. 
Of its effect on the quality of the fruit, we were 
not able then to speak with certainty. During the 
last Summer, we made several experiments, 
which confirmed our previous observations, and 
led us to believe that the effect upon the quality 
of the fruit is not beneficial. Let our garden 
journal speak: 
“June 15th, 1859. To day, girdled several 
grape vines, by taking out circular sections of 
bark, an inch wide. 
“August 10th. The effect of ringing is now ap¬ 
parent in the increased size of the berries over 
those on canes not girdled. 
“Aug. 20th. Delaware grapes girdled are col¬ 
oring, while the others are still green. Dianas 
girdled have a mellow golden hue, while others 
are green. Isabellas under treatment have a 
slight blue haze ; others not. All sorts operated 
on, are much above the usual size. 
“Aug. 28th. Several bunches of the Delaware 
on the girdled canes, arc ripe; others not. Dianas 
a week behind, but coloring finely ; Isabellas fast 
behind the Diana. 
“ Sept. 10th. Delawares girdled are fully ripe, 
Dianas nearly s.o. 
“ Sept. 25th. All the clusters on the Dela¬ 
ware vine are ripe, and have been gathered. The 
Dianas need ten days or a fortnight longer to 
complete the ripening of all the clusters: the 
girdled portions are fully colored. The Isabellas 
lag a week behind.” 
From this experiment and others which have 
been tried before, it would seem that ringing 
causes the fruit to mature ten or more days ear¬ 
lier than it would otherwise have done ; and that 
it enlarges the fruit considerably beyond its nat¬ 
ural size. 
But not the least important part of our experi¬ 
ment remains to be recounted. On tasting the 
several varieties as they successively matured, 
we were struck with the difference in flavor be¬ 
tween those operated on and those not. Those 
ringed were sourer than those not touched. In 
some cases, the clusters on the ringed canes, 
though colored finely and very large, were sourer 
than those near by, not ringed, and less ripe. 
Being determined not to be mistaken in this mat¬ 
ter, we repeated the tasting and the compari¬ 
sons for several days, and called in three other 
mouths to taste likewise, but did not mention to 
them our suspicions. The three other mouths 
gave the same verdict as our own. 
We attempt now, no scientific explanation of 
this second effect of ringing. Perhaps it may be 
said that the cutting oft' the downward flow of 
sap somehow prevented the perfect elaboration 
of the saccharine element ; but this is only stat¬ 
ing the simple fact in longer words, without re¬ 
ally explaining it. Of this, however, we feel as¬ 
sured, that ringing enlarges the fruit and hastens 
its maturity, but injures its quality. For the 
student of vegetable physology, it affords an in¬ 
teresting experiment; and for the amateur and 
the exhibitor at public Fairs it will ensure large 
and highly colored specimens ; but otherwise, it 
is of no practical use. Nature has had long ex¬ 
perience in fruit-growing, and will not allow man 
to interfere with her ancient processes altogeth¬ 
er with impunity. 
A Word for the Curculio. 
It is sometimes supposed that the Curculio at¬ 
tacks not only the fruit of the plum and cherry- 
tree, but also the limbs of the tree itself, where it 
produces the black knot and the gummy protu¬ 
berances common on these trees. 
This must be a mistake, because, as old fruit- 
raisers will remember, the fruit was punctured 
for twenty or thirty years in succession before the 
black knot was heard of. And can any one be¬ 
lieve that the Grand Turk would take up a new 
habit after thirty years of different behavior 1 
Besides, it is no uncommon thing to see trees on 
which there are no tumors, and yet where the 
fruit is marked with the fatal crescent. And 
again, some trees are found with the black wart, 
and yet with unpunctured fruit. 
It may, indeed, be true that the eggs of the, 
curculio are sometimes deposited in the excres¬ 
cence, but this does not produce the excrescence. 
It would, then, be better to charge the warts to 
some other insect, or to a diseased condition of 
the tree. The curculio has enough sins to bear 
already, in being every where regarded as the 
grand destroyer of the plum-crop. From this 
charge he cannot escape. 
Protection of Strawberries in Winter. 
In protecting the Strawberry there may he too 
much of a good thing. All varieties of this fruit 
that we have ever experimented with, are bene¬ 
fited by covering. They come out in the Spring 
earlier, and seem to start stronger. But many 
who are not acquainted with the habits of the 
plant, kill them with kindness. They pile on 
coarse manure, straw, leaves, or fine sea-weed, 
until the plants are smothered. While the plant 
is in its inactive state, there is little to prevent it 
from decomposing, by the action of heat and 
moisture, like other vegetable matter. An ex¬ 
amination of a plant taken from under a manure 
heap, would show that the leaves and crown had 
rotted. 
The strawberry in its uncultivated state grows 
among the grasses, which, in their decay, form 
all the protection the plant needs. Nature pro¬ 
vides but a light covering to shield it from the 
sudden changes of the atmosphere. For this pur¬ 
pose almost any coarse litter, pea or bean vines, 
corn stalks, or sea-weed, kept in place by poles 
or brush, are good enough. They must have air 
in Winter as well as in Summer. 
-«v . . «.- 
Nothing is easier than for any man, even one 
of strong mind, to render himself insane by for¬ 
ever dwelling upon one idea and disregarding all 
the other multifarious duties which God has re¬ 
quired of him in this life. 
Cheerfulness is perfectly consistent with piety. 
