270 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
.Ilian? of a Jtontlisi 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
Prom the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
TAXING OP BULBS AND TUBtRS. 
Ocl. 12. — All tender tubc/s and bulbs 
Bhould be taken up as soon at- tbe lrosl kills 
the leaves. It is not best to wail for a. hard 
freeze, because tie- crowns of the plants are 
liable to be frozen, and this is likely to cause 
decay oven when stored in a dry, warm 
place. Tuberoses and Cannes are frequently 
injured by boiug left, in the ground too late 
in autumn, and soma of Our florists lift them 
before the first frost, in order to escape any 
possible loss from this cause. The main 
point to be observed after tuking out of the 
ground is to dry thoroughly before putting 
away fOr winter. This Is frequently a rather 
tedious job, especially where one has no 
greenhouse or heated room in which to 
spread out and dry the roots ; but unless it 
is done large, succulent bulbs and tubers 
will surely decay if packed In a moist condi¬ 
tion. 
Gladiolus bulbs soon dry, but Tuberoses 
require considerable heat, and for several 
days, in order to drive olT the moisture suf¬ 
ficiently to insure the keeping through win¬ 
ter in safety. There are very few cellar* 
sufficiently warm and dry to keep tuberoses, 
unless it is those in which there are furaacr.* j 
for heating the dwellings. The same may | 
be said of the Cnladium bulbs, as these ueed : 
a warm, dry atmosphere and considerable 
attention in removing the base of the old 
leaves, which /ire usually left adhering to 
the bulbs when taken from the ground. 
The leaf stalks are large, thick and quite 
succulent, and as the outside ones dry they 
should be removed from time to time until 
the solid bulb in the center is uncovered, 
after which the danger of rotting is not so 
great, although a dry, warm place for them 
will still be necessary. 
LOSSES IN EDIBLE ROOT CROPS. 
The annual loss of beets, turnips and sim¬ 
ilar root crops is in the uggregate enormous, 
and all in consequence of carelessness in 
gathering and storing. They are, in far too 
many instances, left in the ground until the 
very last moment and (lien hurriedly dug 
and stored, covered with mud, being placed 
in deep, large bins or buried in the open 
ground. Under such a system it is no won¬ 
der that potatoes rot and turnips become 
heated and decayed long before the winter 
is gone. It is far better to begin a week or 
two too soon than be a day or two too late. 
I have not hud a peck of diseased potatoes 
on my place in the last twelve years, although 
testing within the, time named over two hun¬ 
dred different sorts. What is called the 
“potato rot,” however, lias been in the 
neighborhood almost every season, ami 1 
have heard of several cases lids season ; but 
a glance at the manner of digging, handling 
and storing readily explains “ cause of dis- 
Of course 1 do not deny the existence of a 
genuine potato disease which formerly and 
may now prevail to a considerable extent in 
some localities : but 1 believe more potatoes 
are anuually lost through careless neglect 
than by what is termed “ potato rot.” 
Next in importance to having roots per¬ 
fectly dry before storing is that of putting 
them in shallow bins, barrels or small heaps; 
large quantities- placed together arc always 
more or less liable to generate heat and 
cause decay. This is especially true with 
turnips, and it is rare to lind any of the varie¬ 
ties in spring which have not become soft 
and spongy in consequence of being kept too 
warm during winter. 
TOO MANY EGOS IN ONE BASKET. 
Ilow frequently have I known farmers to 
put all kinds of vegetables into one cellar and 
that one under the dwelling house. The first, 
freeze the cellar is banked up probably with 
fresh horse manure, all the windows and 
doors closed tightly, except t he one leading 
to the rooms above, through which the 
fumes of sweating, decaying vegetables alone 
finds egress during the eutire winter. Tur¬ 
nips, cabbages, beats, onions, potatoes all ill 
one cellar, if in any considerable quantities, 
is certainly putting “too many eggs in one 
basket ” for the safety of the vegetables; or 
the occupants of the dwelling. It ’s no won¬ 
der that so many of my farmer friends get a 
little touch of "spring fever,” and require 
“tansy bitters” at the.approach of warm 
weather But what’s the use of my preach¬ 
ing on this subject; the men who ueed a 
little “ touching up ” on these points don’t 
take the Rural New-Yorker, because they 
“can’t afford it;” all their spare change 
goes to buy tansy bitters or to pay the 
doctor. _ 
PROTECTING TENDER PLANTS. 
Ocl. 13.—We have, commenced to-day get¬ 
ting ready for protecting tender plants 
which arc to be left out in the garden during ; 
winter. The monthly roses, such as the Teas, < 
Noisettes and Bourbons I usually take up 
and heel-in, covering only with earth, A 
trench is dug only a spade deep and the re¬ 
quired length, the soil thrown upon one ride 
to form a bank, the plants laid against this 
with their roots in the trench, the lat ter only 
covered at. first, and they are left in this con¬ 
dition until the ground begins to freeze pret¬ 
ty hard at night, thawing during the duy. 
The earth is then thrown over the tops, cov¬ 
ering six or eight inches in depth, and no 
more attention is given until spring, when 
the plants are taken out, all dead wood re¬ 
moved and then again planted in the bor¬ 
ders. I have practiced this plan of preserv¬ 
ing tender roses for many years and seldom 
lose a specimen. It might not. answer in all 
localities or soils, but with slight modifica¬ 
tion it would probably succeed wherever 
protection from cold is required. If the 
plants are tall and slender growers they may 
bo bent down and the top covered without 
taking up the roots ; and where only a slight 
protection is necessary, some coarse litter 
may be thrown over them and this kept, in 
place with stakes driven in the beds or brush 
laid across, anything in tact that is heavy 
enough to resist the force of the wind, which 
in some localities is rather powerful during 
the winter months. 
By the way, 1 may add that the employing 
of short stakes driven on the ground for the 
purpose of keeping materials used in pro¬ 
tecting plants, is of more consequence than 
many persons might suppose. A few stakes 
driven around a half liardy evergreen, or 
other ah rub, and straw or lniy put in be- 
, tween and over the branches is a far better 
, way to protect them, than to enclose tightly 
in an envelope of the same, which will pre¬ 
vent moisture getting iu during the winter. 
Many a plant has been killed by being 
wrapped in a water-proof coat, made of 
straw. The leaves and branches of all plants 
1 require moistnre in cold weather as well as 
’ in warm, and if it is entirely excluded they 
! soon die. 
Before the ground freezes 1 have a few 
stakes of the proper lengths driven about all 
' of my half-liardy, evergreen shrubs, as well 
ns deciduous ; then, Just before the final clos¬ 
ing in of winter, some straw, hay or even 
leaves are staffed in between them, and over 
' and around the plants. If the straw is put 
’ OJ) too early it will soften the stems and 
' leaves and make them tender, also attract 
I mice to make their nests therein, but after 
the weather is sufficiently cold to freeze the 
3 ground an inch or two in depth, there is lit- 
j tie or no danger of injury. 
In spring the stakes are taken up and put 
„ away where they will be ready for use when 
’ again wanted. I am well aware of the fact 
that all these various methods of carefully 
digging and properly storing of ornamental 
| and useful roots, as well as the protection of 
plants cost money and labor, but I am also 
II quite certain that one lmlf of mankind oc- 
:S complish very little and work hard to do it, 
*' j ns t because they have no system iu doing 
anything. Everything which needs to bo 
■* rloiie ia left, to the very last moment, and 
K then necessity compels them to slight it. We 
i; have had, therefore, a remarkably fine au- 
8 tumn for gathering and putting in crops, but 
<1 X doubt if it will make much difference in the 
h sum total of annual losses through neglect. 
sweet. The vine is vigorous and the leaf 
looks like bearing any climatic condition. 
New York, Oct. 12. F. R. Elliott. 
THE SEEDLING GRAPES OF J. H. 
RICKETTS. 
GRAPE AND WINE NOTES ETC., FROM 
UTAH. 
FERTILIZING PLANTS. 
A PROCESS invented by Hooibrenk, facili¬ 
tating the fertiliz ition of plants, has lately 
been successfully tried, according to Lets 
Monties, iu the Botanical Garden of Vienna. 
This consists iu simply touching the extrem¬ 
ity of the stigma of a flower about to bloom 
with a brush dipped in honey, or still better, 
in honey mixed with the pollen of the plant 
to be operated upon. This, iu the case- of 
Wtrlsc.uH Mfixiconus, which had never boi ne 
fruit, resulted iu the i>roduetion of perfect 
seeds. The operation has succeeded very 
well with certain fruit trees, some of which 
have thus been caused to produce fruit for 
the first time. As an explanation of this 
result it. is suggested that the honey keeps 
the grains of pollen upon the stigma, and 
I thus favors the development of t he pollen- 
tube, which is indispensable to fertilization. 
The substitution of glycerine for honey in 
the experiment has been suggested. 
Ha VINO had knowledge of the numerous 
seedling grapes produced by J. H. Ricketts i 
of Newburgh, N. Y., and visited and exam- 1: 
ined t hem four several times during as many 
years, I again have visited them to see how ( 
they compare with my former notes. In \ 
judging of any fruit 1 prefer to see it upon 1 
the tree or vine rather than upon the show' * 
platform, and therefore this visit to Mr. 1 
Ricketts’ ; for, so far as I know or can read 1 
up, this, gentleman stands to-day at the head 1 
of all who have attempted the art of hybrid- 1 
izing foreign and native grapes, because he f 
lias out of sixty or more seedlings grown 1 
over half of them; so far as the time shows, 1 
free of any disease, and with healthy, strong f 
foliage and wood, as well ns producing such 1 
a show of large, well formed and ripened 1 
buncheB of superior quality, as I have never I 
before seen in any one man’s ground, no 1 
matter from whence came his collection. I 1 
think I may safely say that not a grape in 1 
the small list I name herewith but would 
take precedence of any now known and gen¬ 
erally cultivated In t he following remarks 
upon the grapes 1 make no pretension to full 
and definite description, for as yet the veri¬ 
ties are not in the market, and therefore not 
to be counted iu as subject to pomolOgicul 
rules. My notes were made as 1 stood by 
the side of each vine, and are as follows : 
No. 1.—A blue - black, oval, roundish - 
shaped grape ; a large and long bunch ; skin 
thick, but not harsh , flesh with little or no 
pulp ; sweet, juicy ; very good ; the leaf free 
of disease. 
No. 12, B —Is a round oval, black grape, 
with a blue bloom ; a large and long bunch, 
shouldered ; delicious. 
No. 24.—A small black grape : can be val¬ 
ued only fora vine ; but for that it gives good 
promise. 
Clinton No. 6.—This is another grape of 
about the size of Clinton, and very sweet and 
rich. 
No. 12—Has loose, long, but not extra 
large bunch ; is black in color of the berry, 
oval in form, of above medium size, and al¬ 
though a lute ripening variety, it is now one 
of the richest and sweetest. 
No. 13—Has a long bunch of good size, 
bearing whitish-green, medium-sized berries, 
and is one of the best in quality of the white 
or greenish-white grapes; the skin is firm 
but not astringent. 
No. 22—Has a large, long bunch of whitish- 
green grapes of above medium size ; iu qual¬ 
ity it, is of t he best, but. its period of ripening 
is perhaps a little late to make it popular- 
say about, with Isabella. If it succeeds (and 
the vine appears as hardy and vigorous as 
Concord) South, say ut Cincinnati, St. Louis, 
and 80 along in Missouri, it gives promise of 
some day being one or the most profitable. 
No. 207—Is t he most peculiar grape 1 ever 
saw. It is a yellowish, rosy color, round, 
and both smells and tastes strongly of pine¬ 
apple. The vine is a strong grower and good 
boat er. Near this last noted I a te of another 
peculiar flavored grape among the seedlings, 
’ viz. ; it had the taste, or rather left on the 
palate, the taste of a muskmelon. 
No. 72, B— Is a grape of good-sized bunch, 
a medium-sized, black berry, very sweet and 
’ rich ; vine strong anil with a thick, largeleaf. 
! No. 14—Has a very large, shouldered bunch 
’ of above medium-sized grapes ; a greenIsli- 
' white in color, and in quality surpassing 
- “White Tokay,” which Mr. Ricketts said 
5 was one of its parents. The cane is strong 
and leaf large and thick. 
No. 07—Is a very large, round, black grape, 
with a peculiar rich, sweet, flesh, so good that 
the palate wants just one more and one more. 
- It promises to be very valuable. 
r No. 10—Is a reddish-purple grape, oval, 
s rounded in form ; in quality resembling Pur- 
. pie Damascus. In addition to the above, the 
following have received mimes from Mr. 
i Ricketts, but as I before said, none of these 
, varieties have ever been sent out: 
t Don Juan—Is a grape about the size of 
f Rogers 15, darker in color; flesh nearly or 
quite free of pulp, and u rich, vinous, spark- 
t Jing sweet. 
{ Quasmick .—This has a large shouldered 
i bunch, the berries of medium, or a little 
r above, in size, roundish oval, black with blue 
s bloom ; flesh very sweet and rich. The vine 
s is strong, leaf healthy, and as a bearer it has 
i no au perior. 
i- Advance.—This, muny would consider one 
i. of, if not the best. Its bunches are large and 
n full, the berry of medium or above iu size, 
black, roundish oval, rich juicy, vinous 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker :—We are now 
in the midst of an abundant fruit harvest, 
busy as bees 
" From rosy morn till dewy eve" 
drying fruit., canning fruit, preserving fruit, 
Including jellies, jams, marmalades, pickles, 
&c., and crushing the luscious grape, pale, 
red, purple and black and storing the nectar 
for future use and exportation ; for you 
must know that we have a sol) and climate 
peculiarly adapted for the production of fruit 
in its highest excellence — most delicious 
flavor and great size. This whole region is 
volcanic with granite, red sandstone and 
lime—a very choice composition of soil for 
grapes, peaches, pears, especially, and for 
nectarines, plums, almonds, apples, cherries, 
figs, pomegranates, and most sort of berries 
generally. We ratie here in open air cul¬ 
ture in perfection, Black Hamburgs, Sultana, 
and all the greut list of muscats, and iu fact 
nearly every variety of exotic grapes we 
know" anything of, including some 150 varie¬ 
ties already tried. From these we select a 
few varieties suited to the various purposes 
we require them for, as well as for the vari¬ 
ous seasons, early and late, and discard those 
we like least. We find by experiment that 
the white muscat of Alexandria, bowood 
muscat and sultana are the best for raisins ; 
the Queen of Nice, Gros Column, Trenthani 
Black, and Black Hamburg for t rausporta- 
tion ; Chftsselas Marque, Rio Virgen, and 
Red Chasselaa, for early ; Treuthftm Black, 
Muscat Hamburg, Cb&aselaa Mosque, and 
Black Hamburg for table use, and for wine, 
Trentham Black, Muscat Hamburg. Isa¬ 
bella and Catawba are among the best and 
most profitable for wine that we have had 
the pleasure of tasting. 
Where It is desired to make a heavy, rich 
keeping wine, “pure juice,” let the must or 
juice be strained, and in a clean brass or 
porcelain kettle, boll t wo to one, skimming 
well sett ling and straining again, put it away 
corked loosely. In a year—two or three, 
this is one of the most delicious drinks ever 
used. We have tried it and are making some 
more. We have just been gathering our 
Rhode Island greenings; find them very 
large, averaging 12 ounces each—some 16 
ounces—but they wilt not keep here; are 
a “ fall apple” and now in good condition for 
use. 
From the Sandwich Islands we have im¬ 
ported plants of the banana and mangoes, 
which seem to be doing well and we trust 
will thrive here in all their nat Ive excellence. 
Sweet x>ot.atoes, yams, upland rice and cot¬ 
ton do well here, and we have little doubt, 
but the southern sugar cane will also flourish 
and yet become one of our staple crops. As 
strains are bought out, lands irrigated and 
cultivated, and trees and crops shade the 
ground and rains seem to increase and irri¬ 
gation is needed less. J. E. J ohnson. 
THE CROTON GRAPE. 
We have a letter from Mr. A. M. Under¬ 
hill desiring “to state a few more facts” 
in addition to what were slated in an article 
of his referred to and in part disputed by 
Mr. T, G. Hubbard, whose letter avos pub¬ 
lished in the Rural for Aug. 8. This is 
“ none of our funeral,” and whether Mr. 
Underhill’ 8 Croton Grape, which we know 
is far superior to the Martha for flavor, or 
the latter is the best white grape to plant, 
must be proved by facts, and facts, too, must 
determine its tendency to mildew, which 
Mr. Hubbard asserts and Mr. Underhill 
virtually denies. He cites as confirming his 
views “one of the noted gentlemen alluded 
to by Mr. Hubbard”— that is, either Mr. 
Hixon or Mr. Younglove— and also the 
opinion of a man Avho has worked for him 
for some three years in his Croton vineyard, 
not, however, giving his own opinion. The 
letter is one we cannot well publish, while 
wo will not willingly withhold a single im- 
portant fact which would lead the readers 
of the Rural to judge better what grapes 
to plant. 
—- 
Cuttings of Graph Vines. —The German¬ 
town Telegraph says “ The Western Rural 
recommends that cuttings of grape vines 
should be taken in the fall and put in bun¬ 
dles, buried in the earth or packed in moist 
sand in the cellar. We do this cutting m 
February, bury iu the earth in bundles, 
marked, and plant out in the spring. Except 
such as Delaware, Diana, and one or two 
others, the Avood of which is very hard and 
difficult to grow, we have no trouble m 
growing any quantity.” 
