AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
274 
plant the trees and think that sufficient. I see 
here many a fine apple tree which would yield 
a handsome profit to the owner, if it were only 
treated right. There is no question that grapes 
and other fruit will grow finely at the West, 
if proper attention and care he given them.” 
A Horticultural Exhibition. 
We would remind all growers of fruits, flow¬ 
ers, and vegetables, within reach of New-York 
City, that there will be an exhibition of horti¬ 
cultural products during the last week of the 
fair of the American Institute. The articles for 
the horticultural exhibition must be at the 
Academy of Music, 14th-sti;eet, before noon of 
Wednesday, Sept 16th. Liberal premiums are 
offered and we trust that there will be a general 
display. It is some years since we have had 
an exhibition that at all represented the horti¬ 
cultural capabilities of New-York and its neigh¬ 
borhood. W e hope that our cultivators will 
this time appear not only as spectators, but as 
exhibitors. There are some things in the pre¬ 
mium list which we would like to see altered. 
Thus low premiems are given for Quinces and 
Cranberries—fruits that need especial encourage¬ 
ment—nor do we think sufficient attention has 
been paid to garden vegetables. Squashes and 
Pumpkins, which are produced with compar¬ 
ative ease, have special premiums, while Cauli¬ 
flower, Egg plant, Endive and other things, 
which require the best skill of the gardener, 
are not noticed in the prize list. We do not 
mention these things in a fault finding sp)ii'it, 
but as hints to be considered another year. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
New Lawns. 
The soil should be made deep at the outset. 
If the land is poor, a coat of old manure should 
be turned under. This will prevent the drying 
up and burning out of the grasses in mid sum¬ 
mer, as it will cause the roots to strike deep for 
nourishment, and will furnish them the food 
they need. After the plowing, harrow smooth, 
sow the seed, brush it in, and afterward roll it. 
Cultivators are not perfectly agreed as to the 
best grasses for lawns. Some advise the sowing 
of only one kind of seed ; others favor several. 
In some of the finest bits of natural lawn which 
we have noticed by the road-side, we have 
counted several sorts. Kentucky Blue Grass is 
a favorite in some quarters; others prefer Red 
Top. In the writer’s experience both have done 
well; the Red Top was mixed with a little 
sweet scented vernal grass and white clover. 
It is a question with some whether the grass 
should be sowed by itself, or with some other 
crop, as oats, barley, or rye. For lawns of ordi¬ 
nary size, we would recommend to sow the 
grass by itself, and to sow liberally enough to 
cover the land at once with grass. It is also a 
question whether lawns should be mowed the 
first season. English cultivators say Yes. This 
practice may answer well for the British cli¬ 
mate, but not so well for ours. We have seen 
many a new lawn injured by too early cutting. 
To stand well, grass needs time to form large, 
vigorous roots, and to strike them well into the 
earth, but this they can not do if the tops are 
cut off in mid-summer. All that is taken from 
the top is so much lost to the roots. In the 
second and following years, when the roots 
become strong and well established, the mow¬ 
ing may be frequent. The first year, we would 
I simply pull out weeds, and leave the grass to 
rot on the surface in Fall and Winter. * 
[Our own preference is for one kind of grass, 
as this gives a uniform growth. After trying 
several kinds, successively, and in a mixture, 
we have settled upon the Kentucky Blue Grass 
•as just the thing for our locality. It is perfectly 
hardy, and though starting slow the first season, 
it eventually makes a firm, compact, even, vel¬ 
vety sod, that will endure hard freezing even 
under water. We sow the seed very thickly to 
start with—at least 3 bushels to the acre.—E d.] 
The Yeddo Grape. 
There has been so much interest felt in this 
grape and its introduction to this country has 
been so much desired, that a description of its 
habit and growth will doubtless interest our 
readers. The first account we have of it, is 
from the pen of Robert Fortune, the well 
known Chinese traveller, and was published in 
the Gardener’s Chronicle for April 27,1861. He 
says: “The vine of this district, which we may 
as well name at once the “Yeddo Vine” pro¬ 
duces a fruit of great excellence. The bunches 
are medium sized, the berries are of a brown¬ 
ish color, thin-skinned, and the flavor is all that 
can be desired. This grape may be valued in 
England, where they have so many fine kinds, 
and most certainly will be highly prized in the 
United States of America. A few years ago, I 
was travelling from Malta to Grand Cairo in 
company with Win. C. Bryant, the celebrated 
American Poet, and a genuine lover of horti¬ 
cultural pursuits. This gentlemen informed me 
that owing to some cause, our European vines 
did not succeed much on the other side of the 
Atlantic, and suggested the importance of in¬ 
troducing varieties from China, where the clim¬ 
ate as regard extremes of heat and cold is much 
like that of the United States. I have never 
met with what I consider a really good variety 
of grape, and therefore have not been able to 
act on Mr. Bryant’s suggestion. At last, how¬ 
ever, we have a subject for the experiment, and 
I urged its importance on Dr. Hall, who is an 
American citizen, and who has already intro¬ 
duced a number of plants to his country from 
China. He enters warmly into the matter, and 
no doubt will accomplish the object in view. 
I therefore conclude this by giving notice to 
your readers to look out for the arrival of the 
“ Yeddo Vine.” 
The above is an account given by the cele¬ 
brated Mr. Fortune, a perfectly disinterested 
witness. Knowing that Messrs. Parsons & 
Co., the well known nurserymen at Flushing, 
L. I., had received from Dr. Hall a specimen of 
this vine, we have requested them to give us 
their experience with it. They write as follows: 
“ We at once grafted it upon a strong native 
vine, and planted it in a good soil. During the 
last Winter it was covered with straw, and up to 
this time, its growth is very remarkable, and 
scarcely surpassed by any of the native sorts. 
The main stem is as thick as a man’s finger and 
from it proceed four strong branches, seven and 
eight feet long. By Autumn they will probably 
be twelve or fifteen feet. The leaves resemble 
those of the Delaware, while the stem is unlike 
any other grape known. The vine will be left 
entirely exposed the coming winter—it was too 
small to be exposed the past winter. There is 
every reason to suppose it will be perfectly 
hardy, because nearly all the plants which have 
hitherto been introduced from Japan, have prov¬ 
ed hardy in our climate. The interest now felt 
[September, 
everywhere in grape culture, gives additional 
importance to the introduction of this grape, 
and should it prove all we hope, Dr. Hall will 
have rendered a great service to his country.” 
Notes on Strawberries—Mulch them. 
While in most locations the Triomphe de 
Gand sent out by us, has proved an abundant 
bearer, we occasionally hear complaints that but 
little fruit is produced. It would be strange if 
a strawberry of European origin should prove 
to be perfectly adapted to every locality through¬ 
out our extended country. Let any one look over 
the transactions of the American Pomological 
Society, and he will see that fruits, such as ap¬ 
ples, pears, etc., which stand high in one region, 
are unsuccessful elsewhere, and are condemn¬ 
ed for general culture. It is so with strawber¬ 
ries; their fruitfulness is affected by local influ¬ 
ences, and it is only by experience that we cer¬ 
tainly can know a variety will succeed in a par¬ 
ticular place. Horticulture learns as much from 
failures as from successes. With the great 
number of fine sorts of strawberries we now 
have, there is no doubt that some good variety 
may be found which will succeed in each local¬ 
ity. With regard to the Triomphe de Gand, we 
believe it to be the best strawberry for general 
culture yet introduced. It may fail in some lo¬ 
calities, but we have had nothing thus far that 
has proved so generally satisfactory. Some per¬ 
sons have made a point of the fact that it is 
condemned in Europe. True, but it is there re¬ 
jected for the very qualities which render it de¬ 
sirable here. It is the only one of the European 
varieties which has attained a general success 
in this country. On the other hand our favor¬ 
ite kinds, originating here, have failed in Europe. 
With strawberries, we must judge as we would 
of other fruits, by their merits in our own par¬ 
ticular region. We have sent out the Triomphe 
de Gand, as the most promising sort known, 
and have seen no reason to regret it. There 
may be failures and probably null be. Where 
it does not succeed, the person who really wish¬ 
es strawberries, will try other sorts until he finds 
one which will do well with him. Many try a 
single kind and finding that will not grow, give 
up the cultivation altogether. If they would 
only communicate the fact of their failure, and 
give the public the result of their experience, 
they would do a good service to all in their vi¬ 
cinity. We hope to make strawberries as com¬ 
mon in eveiy family, and as much a matter of 
course, as potatoes, and wegive from time to time 
such advice as our knowledge warrants. Let 
those who have facts, showing either success or 
failure, communicate them in order that their 
experience may benefit others. We commenced 
this article for the purpose of calling attention to 
mulching. There is very often a drouth just 
at the time that the strawberry is setting its 
fruit. In large beds it is impracticable to water 
them, and the only way to prevent the earth 
from drying is by mulching. In the Fall, after 
growth has ceased, cover the bed with straw. 
In the Spring when the plants start, uncovei 
each crown, but leave the straw in its place. 
This will keep the ground moist during early 
drouths, and keep the fruit clean. After the 
berries are picked, the straw may be removed. 
•--• *--- 
Strawberry Item.— I. G. Hiler of Boston, 
Mass., in renewing his subscription for next 
year, to be sure of the “ Agriculturist Straw¬ 
berry ,” writes: “ An article in your paper three 
