should bo turned over three or four times 
during that period. The soil for repotting 
should, previous to use, be screened through 
a coarse sieve—about half an inch mesh—to 
rid it of pebbles, sticks or other extraneous 
matter's. But when seeds are to be sown in 
it, a tlnor sieve—a quarter iuck mesh or a 
little less—may be used.” 
at this season or not ?” It is far better not 
to. The sun on the leaves will ripen and 
give color to the fruit, aud give full maturi¬ 
ty and perfection at the same time. The 
fruit depends upon the leaves for sustenance 
somewhat as we depend upon both lungs 
and stomach. The grape-vine makes often 
multitudes of useless shoots ; these may 
profitably be romoved at any time, and the 
earlier the better. This is what is known as 
pinching and summer pruning. Stripping 
off leaves to let the sun In is worse than 
useless. 
SOILS FOR PLANTS IN POTS 
WINE PRODUCTION FROM NATIVE 
GRAPES. 
We find in the American Garden, a new 
publication in its “ third year,” edited by Mr. 
James Hogg, (noticed in another column,) 
a common-sense article on “ Soils for 
Greenhouse Plants,” which we transfer to 
our columns as undoubtedly the practical 
views of the editor. We must give, in con 
nection with it, one caution which to our cost 
we have learned to heed, namely:—Be sure 
that soil used for potting plants contains no 
angle worms ; 
“ It is the common error of amateurs and 
of some professional gardeners to suppose 
that for the proper cultivation of greenhouse 
plants a large variety of soils is necessary. 
In a work published by an eminent nursery¬ 
man in this country some years ago, no les 3 
than nineteen different combinations of seven 
different soils are given as necessary to be 
used in growing the various plants there enu¬ 
merated. To decide which may be the best 
soil for the particular plant which lie is grow¬ 
ing, leads the cultivator into endless confu¬ 
sion ; while putting his decision iu practice 
leads to unnecessary trouble and labor in 
preparing the composts, 
“ In Europe, and especially in England, the 
atmosphere is so much more moist and cool 
than with us—although the annual rainfall 
is not greater, if as great as in our climate, 
that plants thrive there in soils which here 
would bo too light. The drain upon the re¬ 
sources of the plant, in our climate, requires 
that it should be more substantially fed. As 
an instance Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Ca¬ 
mellias, Ericas, Acacias, Chorizemas and sim¬ 
ilar plants arc grown in England in sandy 
peat or in compost largely composed of it, 
while with us they dofar better when grown 
in fresh loam without any admixture of peat 
or leaf mold. In our own practice we have 
found that with good, fresh loam, without 
any admixture of sand, leaf-mold or peat or 
rotted manure, we can successfully and sat¬ 
isfactorily grow almost all of the ordinary 
greenhouse plants. 
“ There are some exceptions, it is true, but 
they are few. Ferns, Greenhouse Terrestial 
Orchids, Chinese Primroses and some things 
of that Rort may require a soii in a greater or 
le3s degree composed of leaf mold or peat, 
but the greenbou e hard wooded plaids are 
better without it. And so of Fuchsias, Pe¬ 
largoniums, Cirnatious, Cinerarias and soft 
wooded greenhouse plants generally. They 
are the better for not having manure mixed 
with the loam in which they are grown. The 
peat f nd the manure induce a rank growth 
that in altogether unnecessary in plauts grown 
by amateurs ; and only necessary for florists 
in order to get their young pluuts as large us 
possible iu the shortest time—their custom¬ 
ers being guided more by quantity than qual¬ 
ity. The stimulat ing qualities of the manure 
arc soon exhausted by the exuberant growth 
of the plant ; it ceases growing and, starved 
for want of its exciting food, becomes a some¬ 
what deplorable looking object to the pur¬ 
chaser. If it is desired to have healthy, bushy 
plants covered with a profusion of flowers, it 
is best to omit such materials from the com¬ 
post and to rely upon such soil as wilt pro¬ 
duce a less stimulated growth. If manure 
is necessary, aud it is so a t some periods of 
the growth of soft wooded plants, it should 
be given in the form of dilute manure water. 
Such periods are just before or at the time 
when the plant begins to form its flower 
buds, and whilst it is blooming, us then there 
is a greater drain upon the vitality of the 
plaut aud it needs extra feeding. 
“'The best loam for potting purposes is 
obtained from old pastures or from the grassy 
banks of roadsides. It should be takou out 
about six inches deep aud thrown into a 
heap, grass side downwards, to secure decay. 
The loam should be light and friable aud 
from 'well drained land. If it be clayey, 
sharp sand should be mixed with it; and if 
no pit sand can be obtained, clean road sand 
will answer a good purpose. Real peat soil 
is very scarce in this country, and we are 
obliged to substitute leaf mold. This can be 
best obtained in the woods by raking off the 
loose leaves and rubbish and taking off the 
underlying top soil to a depth of two or three 
inches. It can frequently be had in greater 
depth iu depressed places or basins in the 
Well ripened grapes, having soft, sweet 
pulp, if properly mashed and pressed, and the 
juice or must allowed to ferment without ac¬ 
cess of air, produce palatable wines. Some 
kinds, sometimes, yield wines of high quali¬ 
ty. The wild varieties of native grapes have 
usually, when perfectly ripe, thick skins, 
a little sweet juice, and hard, fleshy pulp en¬ 
closing the seeds. This pulp is filled with 
intensely sour joice, and the seeds when 
crushed arc astringent and acrid. 
If the grapes are mashed on the stems, 
which arc also quite astringent, and espe¬ 
cially if they are allowed to ferment before 
they arc pressed, their ostringency is added 
to that of the skins; if the mashing be bo 
hard as to crush the pulp and the seeds, the 
acidity of the oue and the acridity of the 
other affect the Uavor of the wine. The 
acidity may bo iu a measure counteracted 
by the use of sugar and water, but as soon 
as we do this Wc have an unnatural product, 
and not wine as Nature made it. It may 
sell, but it is not the “ juice of the grape.” 
We have a letter from W. H. Shaver, of 
Gonzalas Co., Texas, who clearly lias made 
some serious error in hi3 wine making. He 
writes : 
“ I am now making wino from the wild 
grapes of this region. I let the grapes fer¬ 
ment in the skins two days ; then draw off 
the must into barrels, mixing it in equal 
parts with sugar and water, made by admng 
to 81 pounds of sugar water enough to 
make twenty-oue gallons. When tills stands 
from eight to ten days it begins to baste bit 
ter and smell musty. I wish to know if 
“ must” not sweetened will keep well, say 
until next spring ; and l want, to learn also 
how to make vinegar from grape juice, 
which is very acetous. I am really in 
trouble about, my wiuo.” 
Our correspondent needs to understand 
the principles upon which the fermentation 
of wine is conducted, so that the flavor of 
the fruit may not be lost, and that no 
uceloua or vinegar fermentation may take 
place. 
Access of air is to be avoided to the last 
degree after the skins are brok n. If fer¬ 
mentation is to take place on the skins the 
vessels must be closely covered, first with 
lids or boards, these again with wet blankets 
to keep out the air over. The fermentation 
will quickly cause a sufficient quantity of 
carbonic acid gas to form upcm the surface 
to exclude the air, provided these coverings 
be kept on or only partly lifted m examining 
the mass. When the must is drawn off and 
put into barrels it should be done with the 
greatest possible expedition-iu fact it 
should run through frames directly into the 
barrels, all being kept covered and cool—of 
course out of the sunlight. We should 
judge that the must which would llow off 
without pressing would make wine which 
would keep well and probably be of sonic 
goodness without the addition of sugur—but 
it would have to go through Us fermentation 
in as cool a place as could be found, where no 
great fluctuations of temperature would oc¬ 
cur. The barrels are not filled quite full, for 
much would be wasted wore the working to 
be violent, but are kept covered with wet 
cloths weighted down at first, aud subse¬ 
quently with a cork bung, having a bent 
tube like an inverted letter U, one end in¬ 
serted in the bung and one end dipping un¬ 
der water iu a vessel set close by. This 
allows the gas to flow out, but no air to go 
in. When the bubbling from the end of the 
tube in the water ceases, and there is no 
sound of fermentation in the barrel, it is filled 
up from another barrel similarly treated 
aud bunged up tight. 
Free access of air to the mashed grapes 
or to the must will cause mustiness, and this 
is fatal to good wine, and probably also to 
good vinegar. Vinegar is made from wine 
or eider, by exposing it to the air after the 
alcoholic or vinous fermentation has ceased. 
Vinegar may begin to be formed before 
the wine or cider has thoroughly worked 
if the air has access, and thus wine is 
spoiled, and cider becomes too “hard” 
to drink, but to make good vinegar the 
working should be all over before we ex¬ 
pose (he liquid to the air. Vinegar may be 
made very rapidly by allowing the alcoholic 
liquid to trickle over tasteless shavings, thus 
exposing a large sur face to the action of the 
air. 
STANDARD PELARGONIUMS 
A CORRESPONDENT of tlie London Farmer 
gives the following directions :—To grow 
standard pelargoniums as many strougyoung 
plant.? of the robust, kinds as are requisite 
should be planted out on to an apportioned 
piece of ground, previously thoroughly well 
manured, at the usual time ; here they must 
bo encouraged to make one strong shoot 
only, which must be fastened and kept 
trained to a stick as it proceeds t,o grow up¬ 
ward. When tilts single shoot, has reached 
the necessary length—the usual bight being 
about 3 feet—then the top mu*t bo pinched 
lu or slopped, aud as frequently as young 
shoots continue to form at the apex so must 
they be pinched back, always allowing that 
two or three buds, with the leaves at whose 
axila they are attached, remain, these in 
thfcir turn to form fresh shoots, to be agaiu 
pinched back and so continue until a bushy 
head is formed. After the first season some 
kind of trellised support must bo formed for 
ti e heads. The readiest formed ones I have 
had experience of consisted of a round hoop 
of smaller wire to the necessary diameter, 
say from 2 to 2,h> feet iu diameter, having 
cross wires for support, and the whole to be 
supported by a strong stake firmly fixed into 
the put in such a manner as not to admit of 
11 lore oscillation than can possibly be avoided. 
Upon tli; sc trellised crinolines the young 
shoots must be kept constantly tied down as 
they grow. 
lu those instances where by process of 
grafting, &e., rarer kinds, such as Tricolors, 
&c., are induced to grow upon the previous¬ 
ly-formed strong upright shoots, it will 
be well to take the plants up somewhat 
earlier in the autumn than the others ; so 
soon, in fact, as they have attained to the 
necessary bight, because by taking them up 
and potting them some of the extra sap will 
be exhausted, and it will be possible to graft 
them at once. The grafts wifi then take 
hold, stand through the winter iu their 
preliminary established stago, and be ready 
lo make a good, strong sUrt in the curly 
spring. Keep all when taken up and housed 
for winter rather dry at the root. w. 
FISH CULTURE-BROOK TROUT 
A. Palmkh, Roscobel, Wia., writes the 
Western Farmer :—While this is not the fish 
for t,he million, as the amount which can he 
raised is limited, yet it is a great favorite 
with the angler and epicure and is better 
adapted to cultivation iu private ponds than 
any other fish yet, experimented with. Al¬ 
though naturally very wild it is easily domes¬ 
ticated and with a little potl ing becomes as 
tame as a kitten. 
They are easily bred and grow rapidly, al¬ 
though they don’t produce as much spawn 
as some fish, yet a sufficient amount to trou¬ 
ble the breeder to find water to raise the fish 
in, each female producing from five to eight 
hundred spawn at two years old, and about 
double that amount at throe years old, but 
they cannot be raised to advantage m any 
other than spring or brook water. This may 
be either hard or soft but not largely impreg¬ 
nated with minerals. 
Trout, iu their natural state, prefer active 
water of even temperature, but still they do 
well in pond water if there is a continual 
supply of fresh water running into them, 
and will stand a temperature of sixr.y-flve or 
seventy degrees, but water which runs up to 
a high temperature will not raise as many 
trout as that, of more even temperature. 
The same applies to still water. They are 
great consumers of oxygen, and cold wafer 
contains more than warm water, and run¬ 
ning water more than pond water. In build¬ 
ing ponds we try to have a fall from cno 
pond to another to carry this property n;o 
the water. We find in transporting trout 
that as long as tlieoarR are moving they need 
but little attention, but if they stop fora 
short time the water must be agitated. 
They are cheaply raised. Being cold-blood¬ 
ed they waste no food In keeping up the heat 
of Hie body, and ponds which have been 
built a few years as well as brooks produce a 
large amount of insects and Crustacea and 
nearly enough to feed what trout the water 
will bear. 
I am feeding about fifty thousand, ranging 
from two inches to eighteen in length, the 
larger portion small and they will not eat a 
beef liver a day, Milk curds, any lean meat 
that Is fresh, or other kinds of fish make 
good food for them. 
In connection with other farming, a small 
spring that is perpetual, will pay to improve, 
while many farms in the Slate contain water 
enough to raise more pounds of meat than 
all the arable land would if cultivated and 
the products of it fed to cattle or hogs, and 
the building of the ponds would not costas 
much us tlie necessary buildings to make tho 
stack comfortable. The stock to start with 
would cost lens ; tlie necessary seed for the 
farm would more than feed the trout; the 
labor of feeding and caring for the cattle and 
hogs would be much greater than that of iho 
trout ; then If I am right, and 1 think I have 
been liberal, the trout will pay the best by 
the difference of fencing, plowir g, seeding, 
harvesting and threshing, and will come into 
market in less time than the cattle and pretty 
near as soon as the hogs. 
While there is much for the new beginner 
to learn, I think he can get a know ledge of it 
as easily as he could of raising cattle if he 
were equally ignorant of their nature and 
habits. And while iu one case he would 
apply to the cattle breeder for information, 
in the other he would go to some well-in- 
fortued fish breeder. 
ROSES FOR BUTTON-HOLES 
The following varieties aro highly recom¬ 
mended by an English florist for forcing for 
button-hole flowers. This has become quite 
a trade in this country, lienee, this list may 
prove an aid to some of our readers. Abel 
Grand, Beauty of Waltham, Duke of Edin¬ 
burgh, Duke of Wellington, Fisher Holmes, 
General Jacqueminot, Henri Ledechuux, 
Jules Margot tin, Louisa Wood, Madame 
Victor Verdier, Virgin ale, Monsieur Noman, 
Princess Mary of Cambridge, Viooiute VI- 
gier, Victor Verdier. Bourbon; Souvenir 
de la Malniaison. Tea: Abrieote, Alba 
rosea, Catharine Murnet, Devouiensis, Oou- 
bault, Isabella Spruut, La Nautes, Madame 
Fuicot, do. Charles, Nauviu, Safranot. 
FLORIGULTURAL NOTES 
An Acre of Peonias .—This is the heading 
of an article in the American Rural Home 
where the writer evidently passed a half day 
of luxurious enjoyment, examining the 
blooms of some hundreds of varieties of the 
herbaceous uaoniaa in tlie grounds of Ell- 
\vangL it and Barry. I have been there and 
I only wonder they wrote so quietly of oue 
of the most showy and beautiful floral hardy 
plants known. I am ready to praise and 
admire, the rhododendron and kalmias. so 
also the tree peonias, but the dear people 
caunot all afford to have them, and care ror 
them, to perfection of bloom. Yet they can 
have the herbaceous peonias at a low price 
and can grow them to perfection in one year 
from planting, in any good common garden 
soil.—E. 
Plant ini) Bulbs .—An English Gardeuer 
says :—“Florists’ catalogues now contain a 
number of bulos which are reputed hardy, 
but their hardiness must depend in some 
degree on the depth at which they are 
planted, and about which no directions are 
given. If planted too deep they are beyond 
the influence of the advancing sun in spring, 
as well as his ripening in autumn ; if tuu 
shallow they may be- ltijured both by frost 
aud drouth. Nor Is their depth iu their nat¬ 
ural Habitat any certain guide—at least, if 
it is true that the Lilies in California are to 
be found 2 feet below the surface. Few 
gardeners here would like to bury their 
dear-bought treasures so low down.” 
The European Carp.— The Carp ( Cjjprt - 
nus car))to) is a fish attaining a good size, 
say a weight of two to three pounds very 
rapidly, bearing the warm, muddy water of 
ponds, multiplying in such localities, and 
thriving in overcrowded waters provided 
only there be ubuud&ut food. In quality it 
is third-rate, yet, if is so cheaply raised that 
it is a great uource of profit to pond owners 
in Europe. Wc would bo glad to know of 
some one who has the Hue carp in this 
country, 
REMOVING LEAVES FROM GRAPE VINES 
C. C. Patterson, Logan Co., Ky., asks 
Is it better to pull leaves from grape-vines 
