believe  this  plant  vrorthy  of  the  attention  of  far¬ 
mers  in  America  for  new  experiments. 
If  you  judge  these  lines  interesting  to  your 
readers  you  can  publish  them,  not  as  a  rectifica¬ 
tion  to  the  article  of  the  5tb  of  August,  but  as 
throwing  additional  light  in  regard  to  the  Dioa- 
corea  lialaUia.  Emanuel  Uaecy, 
(Late  Student  at  the  Jardln  d«s  idante-s  of  Parts). 
We  have  heard  of  these  glolK)se  tubered  Dios- 
corea  for  the  past  ton  years  but  up  to  the  present 
no  Expositor,  says :  “  This  variety  has  proved  to 
be  an  excellent  bearer,  very  sure  to  pnduoe  a 
crop.  It  is  a  sweet,  pulpy  grape,  of  not  very  de¬ 
cided  flavor.  The  raisins  will  not  equal  the  Mus¬ 
catels  in  flavor,  but  are  very  good.  They  can  be 
produced  at  my  place  at  a  much  less  price  than 
the  former.” 
MUSCAT  OF  AlEXANOftlA. 
This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  extensively  cul¬ 
tivated  raisin  grape  in  the  State,  at  the  present 
time,  and  in  an  enumeration  of  varieties,  there¬ 
fore,  it  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice. 
The  grape  is  too  well  known  to  require  descrip¬ 
tion.  It  is  of  good  size,  pulpy,  and  makes  a 
good-flavored  raisin.  The  objections  mged 
against  it  arc  its  largo  seeds  and  thick  skin,  mak¬ 
ing  it  long  in  curing,  and  also  its  liability  to  blight 
in  setting.  Mr.  West  says  it  is  a  poor  bearer  with 
him,  giving  but  four  tons  to  the  acre,  while  in 
locations  better  suited  to  it.  the  yield  is  doublo 
that  quantity.  Mr.  Bushy  says  of  it  in  France, 
where  it  is  known  in  some  localities  as  Pansc 
Musquee :  “It  is  seldom  preserved  for  raisins  in 
Provence,  as  they  find  it  dilVicult  to  dry,  owing 
to  the  thickness  of  its  skin.  Negrel  Ferand  says, 
that  though  less  cultivated  than  the  common 
Pans©,  it  is  more  worthy  of  attention,  only  that 
it  frequently  blights  in  flowering.  The  remedy 
which  ho  suggests  for  (his  is  to  prune  it  long. 
He  adds,  that  if  cultivated  with  care,  its  raisins 
would  rival  the  best  of  Malaga ;  but  it  is  ques- 
tiouahlo  whether  the  degree  of  boat  at  lioquc- 
vaix'o  is  suflioient  to  tlry  it  perfectly.  Tho  acre¬ 
age  in  tho  State  devoted  to  the  Muscat  of  Alex¬ 
andria  is  quite  extensive,  and  this  will,  for  some 
years  to  come,  be  the  principal  raisin  grape.  It 
succeeds  well  in  iniiiiy  localities,  and  with  care¬ 
ful  culture  and  i»runing  on  rich  soil,  grows  suf¬ 
ficiently  large  to  make  u  good  raisin.  It  shrinks 
less  than  most  vurietios  in  cultivation  here,  re¬ 
quiring,  according  to  dilTeront  localitieB,"from 
two  to  three  pounds  of  grapes  to  one  of  raisins, 
the  latter  being  the  more  coimnou  estimate. 
CANNON  HAll  MUSCAT. 
This  is  another  gia[>o,  closely  allied  to  the 
above,  that  lias  been  used  to  some  extent  in  this 
IShite  for  tho  i)roduction  of  raisins.  It  is  a 
more  vigorous  grower,  has  larger  berries,  and  is 
preferred  by  several  growers  to  the  iluscat  of 
Alexandria.  M.  11.  Miller,  of  Pleasant  Valley, 
Solano  County,  last  season  shipped  several  tons 
of  good  raisiiiH  to  this  market  made  from  this 
grape. 
WHITE  MALAGA. 
This  is  a  grape  that  is,  in  some  respects,  well 
fitted  for  raisin  making.  It  is  of  good  siEe,  and 
the  seeds  are  small  and  few  in  number.  Mr. 
West  writes  of  it  as  follows :  “The  White  Mala¬ 
ga  is  a  large,  loose-growing  grape,  wonderfully 
productive,  and  makes  a  fair  raisin.  I  am  in¬ 
formed  by  a  reliable  ijcrson  that  he  has  grown 
ten  tons  of  this  grajje  per  acre."  G.  W.  Swezy, 
of  Marysville,  cultivnU's  it  quite  extensively,  and, 
the  last  season,  shipped  to  this  market  several 
tons  of  very  good  raisins  made  from  it. 
SULTANA  OR  SEEDLESS. 
This  raisin  is  imiwrted  into  the  coimtry  in  con¬ 
siderable  quantities  from  Tmkey.  It  is  the  pro¬ 
duct  of  a  .small,  wliite,  seedless  and  very  sweet 
grape  that  has  for  several  years  been  cultivated 
to  a  limited  extent  in  Ibis  State.  It  is  grown  to 
perfection  on  tho  grounds  of  Mr.  West,  at  Stock- 
ton,  and  of  Dr.  Strenlzel,  near  Martinez.  The 
article  in  the  Fresno  Expositor  says :  "  The  Sul¬ 
tana  or  seedless  is  a  good  bearer,  although  not 
80  abundant  as  the  White  Malaga.  It  is  small 
and  dries  very  quickly."  It  ripens  early,  and  it 
dries  so  readily  that  it  is  well  adapted  for  culti¬ 
vation  in  the  cooler  counties,  like  Sonoma  and 
Napa,  where  most  grapes  are  rather  late  in  ripen¬ 
ing.  Baisins  have  been  made  from  it  in  this 
State  fully  equal  to  the  best  imported. 
lANTE  CURRANT  OR  CORINTH. 
The  Zante  currant  is  an  important  commodity 
iu  the  grocery  trade  of  the  country,  and  should 
be  pixiducod  iu  California  in  suflicient  quantity 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  whole  Union. 
The  principal  supply  comes  from  Znute,  Cephal- 
ouia  and  other  Ionian  islands,  and  the  Morea, 
though  a  small  quantity  is  produced  iu  Spain. 
There  aie  two  varieties  of  grapes  from  which 
the  currants  are  made,  namely,  the  White  and 
Black  Corinth,  both  of  which  thidve  iu  most 
parts  of  the  State.  A  sample  prepared  from  the 
foiTuer  liy  Mr.  W'est  was  submitted  to  oue  of  the 
leading  grocers  of  this  city,  who  was  so  struck 
with  the  superiority  of  the  fruit  that  he  unhesi¬ 
tatingly  offered  cents  per  pound  for  a  lai'ge 
quantity,  though  imported  currants  were  selling 
at  tho  same  time  for  eight  and  nine  cents  per 
jKiund.  Mr.  West  writes  as  follows  of  this  vari¬ 
ety  :  It  is  always  cheap,  but  it  can  be  grown  at 
quite  low  rates.  If  some  one  would  produce 
them  iu  large  quautities,  and  use  anything  like 
care  iu  curiug  them,  a  much  better  jirice  could 
be  obtained.  No  housokeejier  or  baker  would 
use  the  dii-ty,  gritty,  sour,  partially  rotten  pro¬ 
ducts  sold  as  cuiTaiits  after  seeing  a  clean,  well- 
cured  artiole.  There  would  be  but  few  cun-ante 
used  if  the  housekeeper  could  see,  as  I  have,  the 
we  believe,  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Sanders,  who  considers 
it  the  best  raisin  grape.  It  is  a  long,  white  va¬ 
riety,  of  which  Rushy  writes  as  follows:  “  This 
variety  is  also  employed  at  Malaga  and  its  en- 
vii-ons  in  making  raisins.  It  is  called  Larga 
from  its  long  shape,  the  berries  being  10  linos  in 
length  and  only  6}^  in  thickness  It  i»  a  free 
bearer,  and  is  said  to  make  a  good  mixture  with 
the  Pedro  Ximenes  for  wine."  In  another  place 
the  same  author,  writing  of  the  vineyards  in  the 
THE  GREEN  PROLIFIC  CUCUMBER 
We  did  and  do  ridicule  the  assumption  that 
the  Green  Prolific  Cucumber,  fifty  years  ago,  was 
produced  from  a  cross  between  the  Green  Cluster 
and  Long  Green,  the  progeny  of  whioh  was 
again  crossed  with  the  White  Spine.  Who  know  s 
thi.s  ?  If  Dr.  Hexameu  kuows  it,  we  will 
accept  hU  statement  to  that  effect  and 
hasten  to  withdraw,  any  slight  w-e  may 
have  oast  upon  its  origin.  Mere  surmises,  ^ 
however,  as  to  an  origin  so  definite  and  J 
complicated  are  in  our  humble  opinion  de-  IS 
serving  only  of  ridicule.  ^ 
“  Why  anyone  should  try  to  ridicule  the  |  j 
introduction  of  a  new  Cucumber  any  more  ’ 
than  that  of  tho  IVopliy  Tomato  or  Snow-  ( 
flake  Potato  is  not  apparent."  ‘ 
We  did  not  “  try  to  ridicule"  anything  of 
the  kind.  There  is  no  part  of  the  ar-  ij 
tide  referred  to  that  justifies  tliis  remark.  | 
Wo  do  not  purchase  seeds  of  novelties,  j' 
furnish  the  land  and  labor  necessary  to 
plant  and  cultivate  them  with  any  other 
object  than  that  of  ascertaining  thoir 
merits  or  demerits.  That  high  prices 
should  he  asked  for  meritorious  novelties 
is  right.  It  is  a  jmrtial  reward  to  him  who 
has,  at  infinite  pains  and  yoars  of  toil,  it 
may  he,  produced  them.  But  that  high 
prices  should  be  paid  by  many  for  all  the 
worthless  novelties  that  arc  jidvertised  iu 
superlative  terms,  is  wrong,  and  if  a  single 
individual  or  corjxirution  will  take  it  upon 
himself  or  itsdf  to  test  their  real  worth 
and  to  render  imjiartial  reports,  the  com-  t 
munity  Is  benefited ;  and  it  is  this  benefit  , 
that  it  is  our  aim  to  work  wherever  and  iu  j 
BO  far  as  the  Rohai.'s  influeuco  extends. 
/ 
“  But  it  is  certainly  not  the  province  of  > 
a  journalist  to  run  down  a  new  thing  after  , 
one  oardcss  and  imperfect  experimeut.”  j/ 
There  was  but  “  one”  experiment  with  the  / 
Green  Prolific; — wo  said  UxoX  In  our  ar-  1 
tide.  But  Avo  did  not  say  that  it  was  i 
“cai-elesH  and  imperfect.”  Hoiv  did  Dr.  j| 
Hexameii  find  that  out  ?  All  are  not  pos-  f/ 
sessed  of  his  well  knoivu  skill  iu  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  Cucumbers  and  other  garden 
vegetables  ;  few  are  interested  to  tho  same  ^ 
extent.  But  if  not  possessed  of  all  his  jlM 
skill,  are  one’s  experiments  necessarily 
“  careless  and  imperfect  ?”  Suppose  that 
he  cultivated  a  given  plant  in  his  own 
grounds  with  all  the  care  that  an  easily  J  t 
cultivated  [fiaiit  might  require.  Would  he  M  t 
feel  justified  in  drawing  any  condnslous 
therefrom/'  If  so,  ivould  he  licsitete  to 
state  those  conclusions  suitably  qualified  ? 
This  is  om-  case.  We  cultlvatcil  tho  Greoii 
Prolific  witli  more  care,  we  Ihtuk  it  may 
be  said,  than  is  usually  bestowed  upon  ^ 
Cucumbers  and  we  recorded  the  results  of 
the  trial  as  tliey  appeared  to  us,  without 
knowing  or  oaring  w  ho  were  specially  in¬ 
terested  in  the  Green  Prolific  any  more 
than  in  tho  Khiva  or  Russian  Netted, 
Tailby’a  Hybrid  or  Swan’s  Neck,  all  of 
Avhich  wore  alluded  to  in  the  same  article. 
“■  It  is  certainly  not  the  province  of  a 
journalist  to  run  down  a  new  thing  after 
one  careless  and  imperfect  exiiorimeut. 
Wo  grant  it.  Nor  is  it  the  province  of  any 
fair-minded  person  to  assume  that,  be¬ 
cause  the  results  of  others’  experimeuts 
accord  not  with  his  views,  the  experimeuts 
were  “  careless  aud  imperfect." 
Finally,  Jet  us  say  that  wo  find,  since  AA-ritiiig 
the  article  upon  Cucumbers,  above  referred  to, 
that  the  Greeu  Prolific  therein  spoken  of  is,  in 
tbe  estimation  of  many  w’ho  have  tried  it,  all 
that  Dr.  IIexamek  claims  for  it.  As  the  groimds 
of  the  It.  N.  i'.  arc  not  so  extensive  as  to  include 
every  variety  of  soil  and  climate,  the  failure  or 
success  of  any  particular  plant  should  not  be 
considered  as  eridence  for  or  against  it,  cxceiit 
for  localities  similarly  conditioued.  The  speci¬ 
mens  of  Cucumbers  sent  by  Dr.  Hexameh  ivere 
so  badly  smashed  that  we  could  tell  nothing 
about  them. 
JJ£L£C/\T£S  r/fOA/f  SoUrff  AFB/CA 
Tf/F  SONS  Of  ±7i.e  JUFJSCRT 
A  •visitor 
aroM  tha  xnest. 
THE  CO-OPF^Ar/yF  PUKtf, 
HF  was  on <r£ 
atsl  WB  miFF  pa&c'i, 
time  have  not  been  able  to  procure  one.  If  out- 
correspondent  can  put  us  iu  the  way  of  obtaining 
even  a  single  tuber,  ho  will  do  ourselves  and 
readers  a  great  favor. — En.  Rchal. 
vicinity  of  Malaga,  says:  “There  are  three  dis¬ 
tinct  sorts  of  raisins.  Fii-st,  the  Muscatel,  Avhich 
are  the  finest,  aud  are  always  packed  iu  boxes  of 
25  pounds,  and  half  aud  quarter  boxes,  coutaiu- 
ing  respectively  the  half  and  quarter  of  that 
quantity.  Second,  the  Bloom  raisins.  These 
are  j/reiiai-ed  in  a  manner  in  every  respect  simi¬ 
lar  to  the  Muscatel,  but  from  a  different  grape — 
a  very  long  grape,  called  iu  the  country  Uva 
Larga.  These  are  also  generally  packed  in 
boxes,  but  sometimes  in  casks.  Those  in  boxes 
are  also  called  ‘bunch  raisins;'  the  others  are 
generally  of  an  inferior  quality,  aud  sepai-ate 
from  the  stalks.  Third,  the  Lexia  raisins,  which 
are  packed  in  casks  or  grass  mats  called  ‘  frails.’ 
These  raisins  are  of  an  inferior  kind,  and  require 
to  bo  dipped  iu  lye  (lexia)  of  w-ood  ashes  before 
dry'ing.”  In  order  to  illustrate  tho  difference  in 
tbe  quality  of  tho  three  kinds,  he  gives  the  prices 
at  which  they  are  sold  :  "  When  Muscatels  are 
40  reals  or  $2  a  box  of  25  pounds.  Blooms  are 
about  30  roals,  aud  Lexias  only  from  24  to  28  reals 
per  quintal  of  100  poimds.”  He  adds,  iu  regard 
to  tho  Muscatel  Gordo  Blauco,  that  it  does  not 
succeed  in  the  interior,  aud,  therefore,  that  all 
the  Muscatel  raisins  are  made  within  from  two 
to  four  leagues  of  the  coast.  The  Lexia  raisins, 
which  are  used  for  puddings,  etc.,  are  made  iu 
the  interior. 
MALAGA  RAISIN. 
Mr.  West,  in  an  article  published  iu  the  Fres- 
A  NOTE  in  tlie  Loudon  Garden  says  that  a  gen¬ 
tleman  in  Bolhec,  in  France,  has  raised  a  black 
Spanish  Radish,  which  measures  three  feet  long 
without  the  leaves. 
DIOSCOREA  BATATA 
CAIIFOENIA  GRAPES  AND  RAISINS 
I  BEAD  in  the  Rural  New  Youkek,  Aug.  5, 
1876  an  article  on  the  Moacurea  lialaias  or  Chi¬ 
nese  Yam.  It  is  ti-ue  that  at  first  the  difficulty  of 
gathei’ing  the  roots  (gj-owing  so  deep  in  the 
earth),  gave  to  this  plant  very  little  interest  as  an 
agricultural  plant,  or  as  we  say  iu  France  “  Le 
grande  OnUure," 
But  allow  me  to  add  to  the  article  of  your  hon¬ 
orable  correspoudent  that  “  at  The  .lardiu  d'ac- 
climatiou  near  Alger  (Algerie),  after  several 
years  of  culture,  the  Chinese  Yam  produced 
many  varietibs  with  roots  or  tubers  perfectly 
round. 
So  the  first  objection  may  not  exist  now-,  aud  I 
A  kepokteb  for  the  Sau  Francisco  Call  has 
been  making  visits  to  some  of  the  best  vineyards 
of  the  State,  and  from  his  account  we  condense 
the  following,  as  it  gives  some  interesting  in¬ 
formation  in  i-egai-d  to  tbe  value  of  the  foreign 
varieties  of  grapes  in  California. 
UVA  LARGA. 
All  the  authorities  agree  that  the  best  raisin 
grapes  belong  to  tho  Muscatel  family,  which  in¬ 
cludes  a  considerable  ntuuber  of  varieties,  all 
resembling  more  or  less  the  Muscat  of  Alex- 
audria.  A  variety  of  this  group,  utilized 
quite  extensively  for  raisin-making  in  Spain,  is 
the  Dva  Larga,  which  was  brought  to  this  State) 
