1885 
&\)t tHitajarlX 
DELMONICO AND MONTREAL GRAPES. 
On November Sth we received a box of 
grapes from O. H. Alexander, of Charlotte, 
Vermont, containing a cluster each of a red 
and black grape. Mr. Alexander wrote to us 
at that time that they were both seedlings. 
The red one, called by him Early Dalmonico, 
we show at Fig 27. It was picked the last of 
August, and much resembled Salem in color. 
The skin was rather thick and tough; the 
berries adhered well to the peduncle; the 
grape was fleshy, with a rather large pulp, 
which was fairly tender and parted quite free¬ 
ly from the seeds, of which there were from 
two to six in each—quite uniformly three. 
The grapes were of medium size and good 
quality, somewhat resembling Salem, though 
not quite as good. They were tested on No 
vember 18, and were considerably over-kept, 
and for that reason we could not judge of the 
quality accurately. Very little, if any, foxi¬ 
ness. 
The black grape, named Montreal, we show 
accurately at Fig. 28. It was said by Mr. 
Alexander to have been picked the second 
week in September. It was very black; skin 
very tough and firm, but with uo bad taste 
when eaten close; adhered very firmly to 
peduncle anil, to all appearance, would con¬ 
tinue to baug on, and is, no doubt, a good 
keeper. (Mr. A. says it will keep till Spriug.) 
Seeds large, aud seldom varyiug from three 
to each grape. Quality fair; the pulp was 
quite firm, but parted freely from the seeds, 
and was free from any foxiness It must be a 
good shipper, aud, we think, a good keeper. 
We know nothing of the parentage of these 
grapes, or of their growth, productiveness, 
hardiness, or healthfulness, all of which are 
essential elements in a good grape. 
JitiscHlcmeous. 
A HIGH ESTIMATE PLACED UPON THE RURAL 
BLUSH POTATO BY HIGH AUTHORITY. 
I wish to speak a good word in favor of the 
Blush Rota to introduced by the Rural. We 
have just been putting up a barrel to send to 
the New Orleans Exposition. Out of several 
hundred sorts raised the past season, they are 
the best, both in point of size, yield and qual¬ 
ity. Of course, this may not be the case 
every season, but It is certainly the fact this 
year. My father, who has made potatoes a 
study for the larger part of his life, regards 
the quality of this variety, as growu on our 
land—a sandy loam—as unexcelled. Allow 
me to compliment you as the disseminator of 
so valuable an addition to our already large 
list of potatoes. w. H. rand, 
Shelburne, Vt. 
In the Forthcoming Report ok the 
Department of Agriculture, Prof. Riley 
will treat exhaustively of the insects injuri¬ 
ously ufleeting the cabbage, being a continual 
tion and completion of the last report. Thir¬ 
ty-one species are known to be seriously 
destructive, besides many others occasion¬ 
ally found upon it. It will also treat fully on 
silk and silk culture, in which he will give the 
results of his investigation during the past 
Summer in the south of France, arid, gener¬ 
ally, he will advise people not to risk too much 
or too rapidly ou the production of silk in 
this country. He thinks the great hope of its 
success is in the perfection of the Serrel 
reeling machine and its adaptation to general 
use. The Report will also treat quite exten¬ 
sively of other injurious insects, such as the 
joint worm affecting wheat, the orange insect 
ot Florida, the cranberry worm, etc. It will 
also contain much valuable information on 
insecticides aud their uses. This report will 
be obtainable from your member of Congress, 
and will be worth reading. 
MR. DYE’S JERSEY HERD ALL SOUND. 
It will be remembered that the first out¬ 
break of contagious pleuro-pneumonia west of 
the AlJeghauics, wus reported to have occurred 
in the Jersey herd belonging to Mr. Dye, of 
Troy, Ohio, one of the most extensive dealers 
in Jerseys in the country. It was through 
purchases from this herd that most of the other 
cases of the plague in the “West,” arc said to 
have been caused. We are glad to learn that 
Mr. Woodroffe, one of the veterinarians con¬ 
nected with the Bureau of Animal Industry, 
has lately inspected Mr. Dye’s herd aud found 
every animal sound and eutirely free from any 
appearance of pleuro-pneumonia or other con¬ 
tagious diseases. 
The Gideon Apple. —I have seen the state¬ 
ment lately, that I have said that the Gideon 
Apple was the best I have ever raised—one 
journal said the best I ever saw. Though a 
good apple, it is not the best 1 have originated, 
nor have I ever made such a statement. It 
is hardier in tree, but I never considered it 
quite equal to the Wealthy in quality, or beau¬ 
ty of fruit: and the Excelsior is fully as 
hardy, its fruit is as large, and in color, form 
and quality it is much its superior. 
I have others originated at the same time, 
that are fully its equal, if notsuperior, though 
not so esteemed at the time the Gideon was 
first sent out. peter n. gideon. 
Excelsior. Minn., Dec. 20, 1884. 
Aren't you yoing to try the Marlboro Rasp¬ 
berry? One new subscription, in additon to 
your renewal, will entitle you to four plants. 
American Apples in England.—The 
following remarks, which we find in the 
Times merely credited to an English paper, 
may be read usefully by those who hope to 
find a market for their apples in England; 
“There are few greater treats during the 
winter aud early spriug seasons than the mag- 
uificeut apples which are imported from Amer¬ 
ica to find their places ou the dessert table in 
England. Considerable numbers, however, 
arrive here in a bruised condition from the 
effects of careless packing; a certain amount 
of fermentation is set up, and unless they are 
consumed without delay, they are lost to the 
dessert table. This is more frequently the 
case wheu barrelfuls of so-called 'Newtown 
Pippins’ and others have been exported by 
private individuals to their friends in Eng¬ 
land than when they are packed by the regu¬ 
lar tradesmen. There is no reason why this 
splendid fruit should uot be imported here, 
just as when it is gathered from the tree. A 
common but soft kind of tissue paper should 
envelop each apple before it is placed in the 
cask, and this tissue paper should have been 
soaked in a solution of salicylic acid, and dried 
before it is used. The best preparation of 
salicylic acid for this purpose is the alcoholic 
solution, made by the strongest spirit, and 
then diluted with as much water as it will 
bear without precipitating the acid, so as to 
make the solution go as far as possible. Each 
apple should be enveloped in at least three 
or four folds of the salicylated paper, and 
every possible precaution should be taken to 
prevent bruising when loading into the casks 
or cases. Well packed apples should not stir 
at all during tbe voyage, and the shaking of 
the railway train should have little effect 
upon them. Nevertheless, a certain amount 
of contusion is inevitable, and to avoid the 
ulterior results of this, the salicylated paper 
is indispensable.” 
Remedy for Mildew.— The Pacific Rural 
Press is responsible for the statement that 
mildew can he extirpated by the use of an 
emulsion com posed of one part of phenic acid 
in one hundred parts of water, in which soap 
has been dissolved. The operation should 
take place in the evening to avoid evapora¬ 
tion, and the spray be applied so as to reach 
every part of the leaves affected The filament 
of the mildew will be found dead and drying 
up the next morning. This at least is worth 
trying. Phenic acid is a synonym of carbolic 
acid, and is prepared chiefly from coal tar. 
It is extremely destructive to plant and ani¬ 
mal life, and should therefore be used with 
great care. _ 
The Kentucky Hemp Crop.— A corres¬ 
pondent at Lexington, Ky„ reports to Brad- 
street’s that the hemp factories in that vicinity 
have averaged about eight months' business 
during this year. The stock of hemp now in 
the State is regarded as the lightest, with pos¬ 
sibly one exception, in the past eighteen years. 
The stock in manufacturers’ hands is said to 
be quite nominal. The new crop is variously 
estimated at from 25 to 40 per cent, short 
with 80 per eeut. shortage the more popular 
estimate. The light crop was due to the 
scarcity of hemp seed in the Spring and the 
fact that much hemp laud was planted in to¬ 
bacco, owing to the high prices ruling for the 
latter staple. 
More About the Phylloxera.—F. W. 
Morse, of the California Experiment Station, 
as appears by a bulletin just issued, has been 
making some careful observations upon the 
habits of the phylloxera as it develops on the 
Pacific Coast, and draws the general conclu¬ 
sions that, contrary to the opinion hereto¬ 
fore held, the wingtd and gall louse forms of 
the inseet do exist there; that these forms de¬ 
velop not earlier than the last of July; that 
the young insects in great numbers readily 
ascend from the rootlets through the soil to 
the surface, and there attach themselves to any 
object lying in their way, so that there is 
fully as much danger of infection being car¬ 
ried from au infected to a healthy vineyard 
by wagons, plows, or other implements, as 
well as by fruit boxes, crates, etc., as bv the 
winged insects; that in ordinary soils uo pre¬ 
ventive, used around the stem of the vine 
only, affords any security agaiust the ascent 
of either form of the insect, or against its 
migration to uninfected vines or vineyards; 
that any measures to destroy the insects al¬ 
ready existing on the viues, or to prevent their 
spread to others, should be taken prior to 
August 1st. 
Feed for Laying Huns. — Mr. A. C. 
Hawkins told the Massachusetts farmers, at 
a meetiug of the State Board, that they she uld 
feed the fowls at daylight each morning, all 
they would eat, of a mixture one-third in bulk 
of corn aud oats ground together in equal 
parts; one-third wheat middlings; one-sixth 
boiled potatoes, aud cue-sixth meat scraps or 
cooked meat. If this is mixed with skim-milk 
so much the better. Next, cut or chop nice 
clover hay, put it iuto a tight barrel aud wet 
it with boiling water, covering tightly and 
letting it stand till one o’clock, wheu the 
fow Is should have all they will eat, which will 
be a large quantity. At the same hour give 
a feed of corn, broken or cracked, mixed with 
wheat or wheat screenings. This should be 
throwu among the litter, that they may have 
plenty of exercise in scratching for it. Just 
Early Delmonico. Fig. 27. 
Montreal. Fig. 28. 
