MARCH 5 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 463 
gard to the Caroline Raspberry, and I wish to 
add my testimony as to its value. I received a 
few plants from the originator, Mr. Carpenter, 
two or three years since, and have been simply 
delighted with them. I find them entirely sat¬ 
isfactory, and a marvel in the way of produc¬ 
tiveness. I have tested most of the prominent 
varieties, as well as the old and standard 
sorts, and a feature which I consider largely 
in the favor of this is, that persons who can¬ 
not eat the raspberry generally, find the flavor 
of this pleasant and agreeable. It has been a 
matter of surprise to me that it was not more 
extensively introduced, and more generally 
offered in the catalogues of the different nur¬ 
series. I trust the attention which it has re¬ 
ceived from the Rural will result iu its being 
more widely introduced. I write this, not in 
the Interest of Mr. Carpenter, whom I do not 
know, but specially in the interest of the peo¬ 
ple who must be benefited by the extended in¬ 
troduction of so good a berry as the Caroline. 
Passaic Co., N. J. Albert Turner. 
-» ♦ ♦- 
REFERENCES TO SEVERAL CUTS. 
what experience I have had has been against 
the light-colored varieties. The 
Crystax White, with us, is of a yellow, 
rather than white color ; beny about half the 
size of Dorchester; rich flavor, and sweeter than 
most of the varieties; not productive; plant 
hardy, and a good grower; may do for the ama¬ 
teur who is after novelties, and is satisfied 
with a light crop. 
Kentucky White.— What few berries our 
plants have produced, were of a transparent 
white j berries not well filled out, plant not so 
hardy as Crystal White. I. J. Blackwell. 
-- 
Notea from Charlea Downing. 
I have only seen the Bidwell Strawberry at 
Mr. Roe’s once the past season, and know but 
little of it, only that it is of good quality and 
very promising. 
I think the quality of the Duchess Grape is 
very good, at least. The vine is also a vigorous 
grower aud a good bearer. I don’t know 
enough of the Niagara to say any thing decid¬ 
edly. The Prentiss, so far as I know it, is also 
of very good quality. 
Marvin. Very late—large, crimson, Arm. 
of good quality. A promising berry. Foliage 
burns iu some places. Page 117-148. 
Shirts. See T. T. Lyon’s article. Page 148. 
Huddleston’s Favorite. Better quality 
than Crescent SeedliDg. Soft. Very product¬ 
ive—bright red. Page 148. 
Hekvey Davis. From John B, Moore. Firm, 
of excellent quality. Page 151. 
Glendale. Light-red, firm, productive. 
Very late. Strong grower. Page 147. 
Seneca Queen. Very productive—dark 
color when ripe. Early, juicy, soft. Page 147. 
Caroline. Sent to us last Spriug by John 
B. Moore to be tested. We shall be able to 
report next Summer. Page 151, 
Endicott’s Seedling. Sant to us last 
Spriug by Mr. E P, Roe. It seems to be a vig¬ 
orous variety. Page 148. 
Kentucky is, with us, very prolific even 
during dry seasons, ripening its fruit for a 
long time. The plants are as vigorous as any 
wo have. The berries are sometimes twice the 
size of our engraving. This berry does well 
in Augusta, Georgia. Page 151. 
French's Seedling. From E. J. C. Wil¬ 
liams. Very large leaves—vigorous, prolific, 
of fair flavor. Page 151. 
Cowing's Seecling (E P. Roe), planted in 
late May, made a good growth. Beny richly 
flavored, bright red, medium size. Page 148. 
PnoTO or Martha. Leaves largo. Stems 
of both leaves and fruit notably short. Berry 
dark rod, medium early, soft. Page 147. 
-*-*-*- 
Directions for Planting Strawberries. 
For the Garden. —One of the best methods 
is to plant iu beds about four feet in width, 
leaving a walk between. Three rows may be 
planted in each bed set fifteen inches apart 
each way, the outer row being nine inches 
from the walk. By this method the beds need 
never be trodden upon. 
Runners. —If large berries are desired, ruu- 
nera should be cut out as they appear during 
the season. Thus new crowns are formed in the 
old plants for next year’s fruit. Keep the 
ground clear of weeds aud the surface mellow. 
Mulching. —Just before the fruit begins to 
ripen, cover the ground between the plants 
and about them with straw or freshly mown 
grass. This will protect the plants against 
drought and the fruit from the sand and soil 
which are spattered over them by rain. 
For Field Culture —The matted-row sys¬ 
tem is generally adopted, as the cultivator and 
horse perform the labor. The rows should be 
not less than four feet apart and the plants 18 
inches apart in the row. 
--- 
“ Glossy Coue.” 
In onr trial grounds last season we tested, 
alongside of this variety, about 30 kinds and by 
a caretul comparison decided that the “ Glossy 
Cone,” had the greatustnumberof good points. 
The size ia a full average ; flavor equal to and 
somewhat resembliug that of the old Triomphe 
de Gaud; the form, as the name well indicates, is 
cone-shaped; color deep scarlel-eriuiBon, hav¬ 
ing a gloss as if varnished, making it one of the 
most beautiful of ail strawberries. It bears in 
the greatest profusion, and the fruit is thrown 
well up on Btrong fruit stalks. But its most 
valuable merit is earliness, in which, with us, 
it leads all others. We first observed its pro¬ 
fusion of flowers, showing the rows white from 
end to end when the eurliest of the other 
kinds only showed a flower here and there. It 
held to this early development all through the 
season, and we picked ripe fruit from it three 
days before any other sort, except Crescent 
which was equally early, but which iu all re¬ 
spects is perfectly worthless with us. 
Peter Henderson. 
-♦♦♦- 
White Blackberries. 
Having grown blackberries only in small 
lots, this may not be a fair comparison. Yet 
-- 
GRAFTING THE GRAPE. 
Figure 143 Isa cion cut as cions are usually cut 
In pear or apple cleft-grafting. Two clans may be 
Inserted, one on either side. If the stock Is large 
enough, or but one, as may be desired. Care should 
be taken to see that the inner bark, which is very 
thin In the grape, of the cion and 
stock Is placed as Dearly as possible 
m contact. The stock should be pre¬ 
pared as is elsewhere described by 
Mr. Burrows. 
During a visit South last Spring to 
Tryon Mountain, n. C., we visited an 
old gardener who had met with en¬ 
tire success in grape-grafting, by ihe 
following methodCuttings of wild 
vines were made In late February or 
early March, with or without a heel 
of two-year-old wood attached, as 
shown in Flg.144. These were grafted 
by cleft,.grafting or by saddle-graft¬ 
ing, as shown, and both stock and 
cion were placed In boxes of mellow 
soil In ihe cellar. Here the cuttings 
(stocks) would form a callus In a 
few weeks, and In late April or May 
they were s>: t out in nursery rows. 
We were also shown a number of 
old vines, some of which were two 
inches m diameter, that had been cut 
off within two feet of the ground. A 
vertical Incision was made at the top 
and in this a cion, cut wedge-shape 
on one side as well as at the end, 
was firmly pressed until the bark of 
the stock and that of the cion were 
continuous. No bast or wax of any 
kind is needed In this kind of grape 
grafting, 
A writer In the Gardeners’ .VI onthly 
is quoted by Professor Uusmann In 
hla “American Grape Growing.” 
The method is illustrated by Fig. 145 . 
fig. 143. “After the first four or five leaves 
are formed, and the. sap Is flowing, you choose the 
place on the vine where you intend to graft. At 
that place, wrap tightly a twine several times 
around the vine. Below the twine, make a sloping 
cut down, as shown, and a similar reversed cut 
above, about one Inch deep. In selecting a clou 
prefer one that has naturally a bend. Cut it 
wedge-shape at both ends and a little longer than 
the distance between the cuts in the vine (stock). 
Insert the cion, taking care to have the bark in 
contact securing It by a string In the middle to 
the stock, drawn tightly enough to force the cion 
ends Into their places.” The joints in this case 
should be covered with wax. The bud of the cion 
wilt soon grow, when by degrees all shoots of the 
stock and In the Fall the stock abovo the lower 
insertion of the graft, and the clou above the 
growth from the bud, may be removed. 
GRAFTING THE GRAPE. 
.r, 0 . burrow; 
This topic has been writen and rewritten 
about by ancient and modern authors until there 
seems but little, If anything, left untold; yet 
perhaps the results of my observation and exper¬ 
ience on the subject may prove interesting to some 
of your many readers, and T offer them in the hope 
that they may to some extent benefit, at least, the 
beginner. 
There are various circumstances which make It 
desirable to graft the vine; for instance, we may 
have some strong vines of a worthless variety, and 
by grafting them with an improved sort we cause 
them to produce fruit of greater value in much 
less lime aud lu larger quantity than we could 
have obtained by replacing the old by young 
vines of the desired variety. Again, some of our 
finest, varieties have either defective foliage or 
feeble roots, or they may be of delicate, constitu¬ 
tion, and by grafting them on some of the hardy 
and strong-growing sorts, we improve their con¬ 
dition sufficiently to enable us to grow them profit¬ 
ably for market. By adopting this method many 
of our vlneyardlsts grow to perfection and at a 
handsome profit, such varieties as Allen's Hybrid, 
Rogers's Hybrids, Rebecca, Montgomery, etc. 
There are several methods of grafting In prac¬ 
tice, viz : splice-grafting, inarching, cleft-grattlng, 
etc., the last being more generaii y in use, not, 
however, on account of its superior merit, I pre¬ 
sume, but because It Is the one form most com¬ 
monly followed In grafting fruit trees. The vine 
Is generally considered to be tar more difficult to 
gratt than most other fruits, and Justly so from 
the fact that the bark Is very thin, and the grain 
of ihe wood usually more or less crooked and 
gnarled, making It. difficult to form a perfect-fit¬ 
ting joint, vines of medium size make the most 
desirable stocks; but those or large size may be 
successfully grafted If they are vigorous and 
healthy. 
To perform the operation, I remove the earth sur¬ 
rounding the crown of the vine down to the roots, 
and select that portion of the stock below ground 
which appears stralghtest In the grain of the 
wood; I saw off the top within three or four 
Inches of the roots, and, having split the stock 
through the center, select for the cion a piece of 
the desired variety of medium size, short-Jointed, 
wlthwellrlpeued wood, consisting of two buds; 
It the wood should be long Jointed, then one 
bud only should be used. Beginning Just below 
the bud, pare the cion to the shape of a rather 
long, slim wedge, to tit the cleft. In the stock, and 
insert It by opening the cleft with a wedge or 
chisel and press It down firmly, being careful to 
observe that the bark of the stock and that of the 
cion match and cross each other slightly, in order 
that the cion may catch the rising sap, and thus 
sustain it till the union is complete. If the stock 
Is small and does not hold the cion firmly In place, 
It should be secured by wrapping firmly with cord 
or wire. If the latter Is used, care rnuBt be taken 
that It is removed about August 1 st, or after it 
has made five or six fees of growth, otherwise It 
would eventually cut off the cion. 
After the operation Is completed a mound of 
earth about three feet In diameter sufflc.ently 
high to cover all except the top, should be 
thrown around the cion which should be protect¬ 
ed on the suuny side by a half-inverted flower pot 
or board until It has formed a union and made 
some two or three Inches of growth, when It 
should be gradually Inured to the sun, and after a 
few days the protection may be entirely removed. 
Numerous suckers, or sprouts, will make their ap¬ 
pearance from time to time Horn the crown of the 
stock, which must be removed or they will rob the 
elon of the required amount of sap and It will 
either perish or produce a feeble and sickly 
growth. To remove these superflaous shoots, a 
careful hand should be employed, as In the early 
stages of growth there is great danger of breaking 
off the young growth of the cion. In dolug the 
work, carefully put aside the earth with the hand 
and take them off one. by one. When all are rub¬ 
bed off, replace the earth around the cion, cover¬ 
ing It well up to the top or the old wood. This 
ahould be repeated as often as shoots appear. 
There are several periods during the year when 
the vine may be grafted, and each has its advo¬ 
cates. Some prefer the early Spring; others are 
most successful In May when the vines have 
grown some three or four Inches, and up to the 
early part of June, in this case, however, the 
cions must be kept in an ice-house or cold cellar 
to preserve them In a dormant state. The season 
generally adopted In this vicinity is early SprtDg— 
as early as the grouud is flt “ to work.” Some of 
our vlneyardlsts are very successful with this 
early grafting, one of my neighbors getting as 
high as 95 per cent, of the cions to grow, and many 
of them make from ten to twenty feet of growth, 
and produce a medium crop of fruit the second 
year after being grafted. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
A CHAPTER ON GRAPES. 
3. B. FECK, MUSKEGON, MICH. 
It Is Interesting to notice the different descrip¬ 
tions given of the same variety of fruit by different 
persons, both as regards the different likes and 
dislikes of flavor and successes and failures in the 
raising and marketing. Probably no grape Is 
more generally a favorite, as to flavor, than the 
Delaware, especially In the minds of women and 
children, who are supposed to be more specially 
fond of sweets ; still 1 lately heard a woman say, 
when offered nice Delawares, “No, I don't want 
them, I’d rather have the other.” The other was 
the concord. 
Gthers admit the Delaware to be a nice, sweet 
grape, but say It doesn't pay tor market, while a 
Western New-Yorker, who raises a great variety 
and markets them In Boston, gives preference to 
It for profit. Most persons like the flavor of the 
Iona, but many abandon it as too tender and un¬ 
certain. while a grower of large experience olalms 
that he made a great mistake when he supposed 
that ho could get a larger yield of Concords than 
of Ionaa with the same care. The Clinton Is gen¬ 
erally claimed to be a poor, miserable, sour grape; 
but Insetting a dish each of Clintons, Concords, 
Ionas and Delawares before a dozen school chil¬ 
dren for a trial of taste, a large majority voted for 
Clinton; and a young girl, who for a day was em¬ 
ployed in preparing Concords for the press, and on 
the second day set to work on Clintons, said on 
tasting them, “Oh, these are a great deal better. 
—N. B. These Clintons were ripe. 
Assuming that I, In common with the rest of 
mankind, have the right to differ In opinion from 
others, even though my opponents may be wiser 
than r, I proceed to express my opinion, my likes 
and dislikes of some of our more common varieties 
of grapes for the latitude of Central New York 
aDd Michigan. 
I dislike the Isabella, Crevellng and Adlrondac, 
not because they are subject to disease, as some¬ 
times charged, nor because of any special inferior¬ 
ity In quality, but simply because they do uot 
bear enough to pay for their pruning and training, 
I dislike the Diana, not particularly on account of 
Its flavor when ripe, but because It Is subject to 
fits of barreness or excessive fruitfulness, caus¬ 
ing it to fall to ripen in the latter case and to be 
worthless. 
I like the Concord, not on account of Its flavor, 
which to me Is insipid, but because of Its hardi¬ 
ness and productiveness, ana, more especially, 
because the grape-eating public accept It. and 
relish It as rhe “grape for the million" and hold 
on to it with a tenacity worthy of a better grape. 
1 like the eight varieties of Rogers’s HybrtdB that I 
have tested (except No. 1 , Goethe, which does not 
ripeD), because of their vigor and hardiness, good 
size, peculiar saccharine flavor and fair but 
not excessive .fruitfulness. Ia these there la 
much of a sameness in flavor and habit, though I 
have a choice In favor of the Salem for flavor and 
extreme hardiness, the wood always ripening to 
the extreme end of the smallest twig; but if you 
value extreme excellence don’t let it overbear. It 
was first called Rogers's No 2 - 2 ,but latterly Rogers's 
53—which is right? (Thomassays 22 ; Barry, 53 
—we do not know—Ed8.] It ripens about with the 
Concord, and as to Its number and name, were it 
as early as Rogers's No. 39 (Amenta) and Rogers's 
No. o, I would number It “ A No. 1,” and name It 
“Seek-no-further.” I know other grapes not 
worth mentioning, all having one fault like the 
Dutchman’s horse “good for nothing still I am 
not sure but they, like crab and seedllDg apple s 
for older, would make the best of wine. 
Errors in Descriptions.—' The Salem Is de¬ 
scribed by high authority as “ the largest, most 
attractive and popular of Rogers’s Hybrids”—the 
Wilder and Merrlmac, Nos. 4 and 19, are larger. 
The Ives’s was described aa “too late for northern 
latitudes’’—it ripens before the Concord. The 
Clinton, one of the slowest In Its process of ripen¬ 
ing, Is described as “seldom good or even passable 
till ripened by frost’’—not one word of which la 
true. The truth Is that the process of ripening of 
this as well as of other grap'33 Is a olnnge of color 
and also a change of a portion of its acids to sugar, 
glucose, and It frost arrives before this process 13 
completed It destroys or neutralizes a part of the 
acid, making It to tbe taste less austere but pre¬ 
venting it from ever ripening to perfection and 
destrojlng all Its natural richness of flavor. Most 
persons may have noticed that a slight frost upon 
the naked potato gives It, when cooked, a sweet¬ 
ness of taste, the frost having changed a part of 
the starch to sugar—a change with which chem¬ 
ists are familiar. 
TESTING NEW GRAPES. 
Within the past five years I have purchased 
about so of the newer varieties of grapes that have 
been so highly praised and so extensively adver¬ 
tised. It one-reath of these new kinds prove de¬ 
sirable, 1 shall be agreeably disappointed. The 
cost of new plants Is an Important item, and to be 
added is the loss of space occupied by the vines 
during the years necessary to give them a fair 
trial. If, after finding them undesirable, we are 
obliged to remove them and set out others, much 
valuable time is lost. 
To obviate this, in a measure, I set out new va¬ 
rieties alternately with other vines that are 
known to be valuable—as the Concord, Delaware, 
Salem, etc.; then by layering the best, one can 
easily and with comparatively little loss of time, 
fill the space from which the worthless kinds have 
been remuved. New vines that cost three or four 
dollars each, are generally slow growers, there¬ 
fore we can allow the belter known varieties to 
occupy most of the room, until it Is determined 
which we preter. 
l am of tue opinion that in the general scramble 
after new grapes, we are llkety to under-estimate 
the good qualities or many of the older kinds. 
While It Is wise to spend a reasonable amount of 
time and money In the pursuit of better grapes. It 
Is unwise to discard those that have already proved 
successful, until we are eery sure that we have 
something belter. The (ant that a new kind of 
fruit is well advertised, Is no proof that it is of any 
particular value. Perhaps the Champion has been 
more extensively advertised and more thoroughly 
puffed than any other grape, and yet It Is proba¬ 
bly the poorest that was ever offered to the pub- 
lie. We should Judge more from the character of 
the persons offering new plants for sale, and not 
be caught by silver-tongued agents, or glittering 
advertisements. A person that has been engaged 
in palming off a worthless article, should never 
be trusted again. 
People that ate, in the main, honest, are some¬ 
times deceived. They are so anxious that their 
new grape should be a desirable acquisition, that 
they can see more of Its good qualities than others 
are able to discover. Again, what will succeed In 
one location, may fall in another, so that the best 
we can do is to keep on trying for better fruits, but 
to do so with due caution. Nelson Ritter. 
