SEPT.26 
to be perpetuated in all of the offsprings of 
the first, few succeeding generations. There¬ 
fore our grape culturists may readily deter¬ 
mine for themselves whether a variety is a 
true hybrid or not by merely raising seed¬ 
lings from the grape in question. 
to be execrated and denounced by all good 
citizens. We must have more exalted views 
of our duties and obligations. No cause ever 
yet succeeded where it was prosecuted for 
the “loaves and fishes .”—Orange Outlook. 
THE CROTON AND WALTER GRAPES 
DUTY OF DEPUTIES 
I notice in the Rural of Aug. S a letter 
from Mr. Hubbard in regard to the Croton 
and the Walter grapes. Mr. Hubbard says 
that in all his experience he has not become 
satisfied that the Walter is worth planting, 
even for amateur cultivation. It is to be re¬ 
gretted that Mr. H.’s experience has been so 
limited, and although he, by bis high recom¬ 
mendation of the Martha, places his standard 
of excellence so low as to destroy the effect 
of his letter upon many, yet such strong 
opinions may mislead some who are in search 
of something better than the wild grapes of 
our swamps. Our locality is not considered 
a favorable one for grape culture, with the 
exception of the Concord and Hartford, yet 
in the past ten years the Walter has only 
once failed to perfect itself, and that year 
we lost our Concord crop also. 
It is not more than a fortnight since our 
firm received a letter from a gentleman in a 
Western State speaking very highly of the 
Waller vine. There never has been any dis¬ 
pute as to the very superior quality of the 
fruit. Another writes us that the Croton 
and Walter are his best grapes ; the latter 
gentleman ia President of a Pomological So¬ 
ciety and is presumed to know something 
about fruits. A gentleman from a Southern 
State wrote last month (after trial) :—“ I 
think the Walter is the grape for us.” 
I might multiply such evidences ; but what 
does this prove ? Not, to be sure, the un¬ 
truth of Mr. Hubbard's stated experience, 
but the fact that the Walter and Croton are 
successful in many localities, while in some 
they may not be, and we have yet to learn 
of any superior fruit of any kind that is uni¬ 
versally approved, Even the Martha, strong 
vine as it is, and good as the fruit may be 
with Mr. H., is here but a miserable apology 
for a grape, although annually bearing, in 
the good company of the Walter and under 
the same treatment. 
We maintain that the Walter, as far as we 
can ascertain, will succeed In as many local¬ 
ities os well as any American grape of any¬ 
thing like its superior quality. 
One word in regard to the Walter vineyard 
of which Mr. H. speaks, I am probably bet¬ 
ter acquainted with that vineyard than he, 
and would say that at one time it was very 
promising, but continued neglect while the 
vinos were still young worked out its nat¬ 
ural results. W. L. Ferris, Jr. 
Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Aug. 23 . 
Weighty responsibilities devolve upon 
Deputies. Their position is both a vital and 
delicate one ; so much so, indeed, that they 
ought not to accept it unless they have made 
up their minds to meet and shoulder its 
obligations. They are commissioned for one 
purpose alone—that of devoting their time, 
energies and abilities to the good of the 
Order and its healthful advancement. If 
GRANGE NOTES AND ITEMS, 
The yearly saving to the Granges, through 
combination in buying and selling, is esti¬ 
mated at over twelve millions of dollars. 
It is estimated that the Oranges have al¬ 
ready four millions of dollars invested in 
industrial enterprises, outside of their regular 
business, 
A large meeting of Patrons from the 
Granges of Virginia and North Carolina was 
held at Danville, Va., on the 11th ult. The 
Southern Granges are alive to the interests 
of the organization, and they will work out 
of it much good. 
The Patrons in Wisconsin ’are engaged in 
a desperate contest with their railroads. 
Every member of the Order in the Union 
should take a lively interest in the struggle, 
and it would strengthen the hands of our 
Badger brethren if every Grunge in the 
States would pass resolutions expressing their 
brotherly sympathy and support. 
Senator Booth of California in a late 
speech said“ The word of a member of 
the Grange should be sterling m every trans¬ 
action, and pass current ns the coin of the 
realm. ‘Not only his field but his life should 
be made fruitful by his association. His 
presenoo at homo should be an atmosphere 
of peace, and his inlluenee among his neigh¬ 
bors as fragrant as an orchard in bloom.” 
At a Council meeting In Illinois, it was 
resolved that “the members of this Council 
believe that the repeal of the general blinking 
law, and the issuing of a legal tender currency 
direct from the Treasury, interchangeable 
for government bonds bearing the lowest 
rate of interest possible, in place of the 
national bank currency, would be conducive 
to the best interests of the members of the 
Order and the country.” 
DRACIENA TERMINALIS 
The Dracaenas are a noble family of plants, 
only a few species of which have attracted 
CULTIVATION OF ORCHARDS 
The subject of the cultivation of orchards 
was discussed at the summer meeting of the 
Michigan Pomological Society, the general 
expression being favorable to the tillage of 
the whole surface, under the absurd name of 
“ broadcast ” cultivation. Wo are surprised 
to notice that while potatoes are objected to 
and grass and cereals regarded as very in¬ 
jurious to orchards, nothing appears to have 
been said about manure. Now, this is all a 
mere question of nutriment aud economy of 
cultivation. We can manure the land well 
and raise n crop of potatoes or roots of some 
kind every year and the orchard will do bet¬ 
ter than with the cleanest tdlage or even 
mulching without the manure. So what we 
have really to decide each for himself is 
whether by giving plenty of tnanuro we 
cannot take off a crop of potatoes or carrots 
or mangels, and get also better crops of ap¬ 
ples than if we simply tilled the laud, apply¬ 
ing less manure or none at all, and which 
course in the long run will bo most economi¬ 
cal. The writer inclines strongly to the prac¬ 
tice of manuring and cropping. The following 
three year rotation for a young orchard can 
be highly recommended. First year, stable 
muuure with sugar beets or mangol-wurzels. 
Second year, potatoes with wood ashes. 
Third year, carrots or Swedes with super¬ 
phosphate ; the ashes being applied in the 
hills and the superphosphate in the drills. 
After the trees cover and shade the ground 
of course no crop pays, hut the orchard 
should then be manured and tilled the same. 
HYBRID GRAPES. 
The late revival of the old question as to 
the origin of the Delaware grape leads us to 
think that many persons do not know how 
to definitely settle such matters when the 
true history of a variety is unknown. Of 
course nothing positive is known as to the 
origin of the Delaware grape so far as the 
time or manner of its production, but that 
it is a pure native variety uo man who ever 
raised seedlings from it would think of 
doubting. The writer has raised from the 
Delaware varieties which were as pure Fox 
grapes (Vltis labrusea) as could bo, and 
others which showed more of the character¬ 
istics of the summer grape (Vitis aestivalis ) r 
but never a one which showed the least par¬ 
ticle of foreign blood (Vminifera). The 
Delaware may be a hybrid between two of 
our native species, although upon this point 
nothing positive can at present be deter¬ 
mined, on account of the great variableness 
of our native species, which is a puzzle to 
even our best botanists in their attempts at 
classification. Testing by seedlings is the 
only sure method known of determining 
whether a grape which does not show iu it¬ 
self the characteristics of two species ia a 
hybrid or not. 
If a quantity of the seed of a hybrid is 
sown, a portion of the seedlings will show 
the characteristics of one parent and a por¬ 
tion that of the other, while a small number 
(perhaps none) will retain the mixed charac¬ 
teristics of the plant from which the seed 
was obtained. In other words, the mixture 
will in part become separated in the off¬ 
springs of a hybrid, one portion reverting to 
or toward one parent, and another portion 
toward the other, few showing the effects of 
previous hybridization. The breeders of 
animals understand this principle well, and 
even when crossing two distinct breeds they 
know it will require many years and genera¬ 
tions to fix any particular type or “strain” 
of blood desired. Our hybrid fruits are alto¬ 
gether “too new” to have their mixed 
characteristics of a sufficiently fixed nature 
any considerable attention in this country. 
They are mainly natives of the 'Jape of Good 
Hope and the East Indies, therefore require 
the protection of a green-house in winter, 
but may be bedded-oufc in summer with 
other ornamental leaf plants. One of the 
most common species, and we may add one 
of the very best, is the Dracaena terminalis, 
the leaves of which are very long, slender 
and of a rich crimson color. The general 
form and habit of the plants is exceedingly 
graceful, as shown in the accompanying 
figure. 
It is not alone the beauty of this species of 
Dracaena which makes it worthy of the es¬ 
pecial attention of amateurs, but its adapta¬ 
tion to what is called window gardening, as 
it thrives well iu ordinary apartments where 
many of our more delicate leaf-plants will 
not succeed. There is no plant better suit¬ 
ed to window decorations. It is so highly 
prized for this purpose in France that one 
establishment in Versailles is said to propa¬ 
gate and sell five thousand annually. The 
demand for it in this country is already quite 
large, and our florists appear to find a ready 
market for all they can produce. Last spring, 
at the auction sales of plants in this city, Dra- 
ccena terminalis figured quite largely, and it 
is to be hoped to the satisfaction of producers 
and purchasers. 
they cannot consent to prosecute their duties 
in this form, then they should decline to act. 
Wa cannot afford to have drones in this 
great department of our work. They are 
not to fold their arras and wait for work to 
come to them, but they mu3t go to it. They 
must find it. Nor is it a position of mere 
honor, however pleasant it may be to dub 
them with honored title of 11 Deputy.” Work, 
WORK is what we want and what we must 
have at the hands of all oiu' Deputies. 
They should, in firet jfiace, acquaint them¬ 
selves thoroughly with the principles of the 
Order. How can they instruct the agricult¬ 
ural mind with regard to them, unless their 
own minds jare familiar with them ? That 
would be like the blind leading the blind. 
Everything, our entire success, depends upon 
the clear and satisfactory manner in which 
these principles are unfolded. Every issue 
must be met and every prejudice and ob¬ 
jection must be overcome by a lucid presen¬ 
tation of the facts. This no novice can do. 
It requires brains and information to accom¬ 
plish it. Deputies should not talk to the 
public at random. This is the way to bring 
our institution into ridicule and contempt. 
Let them, therefore, brush up their minds 
and fortify them with facts and arguments, 
so that they may be able to do our cause 
justice. 
Whatever be their jurisdiction, they should 
aim to cultivate well the entiro field. Let 
them make appointments, get the farmers 
together and address them. Stir up and 
beget a lively interest in every part of their 
jurisdiction. In no other way can they be 
successful, and If their hearts are not in the 
matter we would advise them to stay at 
home. They are not fit for the duties de¬ 
volving upon them. And if there be any 
wretches among us who are simply working when planted close, which is very different 
for the fee of ten dollars involved, we deserve from its habit when standing alone. 
CATALPA FOR POSTS 
FOUR-WINGED PEA 
Please give the common name as well as 
the botanical, of inclosed flower and oblige 
—Hawkeye, Pella, Iowa. 
The plant you send, which has somewhat 
the habit of the Port/ulacca, , is Tetragonolobus 
purpurcus, or four-winged-pod, purple pea. 
We do not know that it has any common 
name, therefore give you a translation of the 
scientific in lieu of a better one. 
