MAY. 
149 
can see no reason for believing them distinct. The Yine alluded to as bearing 
only a few berries had a cane of large size, the whole length of the rafter, in 
full health, and showing a correct picture of the Prince Albert, and of its 
customary barrenness. 
“ Possibly the Vines in New York are not true Barbarossa. If the Vines 
were selected ’^en in growth, this peculiar habit may have led to error.” 
Can any of our correspondents give any information on this point ? 
On the subject of mildew, Mr. Allen remarks, at page 22, that— 
“ The mildew seems to be the great drawback to the successful culture of the 
Grape in this country (America). Under glass, when it has been more and 
more troublesome, from year to year, (in my houses) it has been entirely 
subdued by constant applications of sulphur applied early to the floor of the 
house and repeated as often as it was washed in by water or disappeared by 
evaporation.” 
It is now perfectly well known that sulphur is the great enemy of 
the Vine mildew; the American mode of applying it, however, appears 
an extravagant one, and must in many cases prove inefficacious. In 
this country the appearance of mildew on Vines is a matter of as little 
importance as the appearance of red spider; sulphur is their avowed 
enemy, and where proper attention is paid to the thorough cleansing of 
the houses, and dressing the Vines with sulphur and lime in the form 
of paint, and the precaution in houses previously infected to give a good 
dressing of the same to the flue or hot-water pipes, little need then be 
feared with regard to mildew. Vines on which it has become esta¬ 
blished may be freed from the pest in a short time by dusting every 
part affected with dry sulphur, repeating the operation at intervals of a 
few days until it quite disappears. 
The following extract, in the form of a letter to the society, refers to 
another subject on which “doctors differ,” and we introduce it here to 
show that some of our transatlantic brethren are opposed to making Vine 
borders of dead horses, and agree with us in the construction of Vine 
borders. 
“ To the Chairman of the Fruit Committee of the Mass. Hort. Society. 
i Winchester, U. S., January 1, 1857. 
“ Dear Sir,—Yours of Dec. 27th was duly received. In a note published in 
your last year’s report, I detailed what I believed to be the best method of 
training Vines in open culture, and also gave a description of my soil. Not¬ 
withstanding the coiling of my Vines around the stalks, and the severe root 
pruning given them some two years since, they still continue to make too much 
growth. I am satisfied that we have no soil in this climate suitable for the 
Vine, that is not already rich enough in those materials necessary to form leaf 
and wood. Especially is this true of Vines grown under glass. The system of 
making rich borders is derived from English cultivators, and is in direct oppo¬ 
sition to the culture of the Vine in its native soil, and the wine-growing districts 
of Europe. 
“This gluttony of the Vine has been growing from bad to worse, until in 
some instances borders have been literally filled with dead horses and oftal from 
slaughter-houses. 
“ Something, however, of a return to first principles was found at the late 
exhibition in the Regent’s Park, where Grapes from Vines grown in nothing 
but common garden soil received the highest premium in competition with 
nearly one hundred of the best Grape growers of England. 
“ Vines, in pots, grown in a soil composed almost entirely of gravel and sand, 
without any animal manure, treated with silicate of potash and phosphate of 
lime, have borne large crops and ripened their fruit much sooner than those 
