and productiveness for a popular grape, com¬ 
bined with the highest quality; but its rather 
delicate foliage renders it liable, in many 
places to mildew and consequent failure. In 
favored localities, where milrlew does not pre¬ 
vail, the Delaware is perhaps the finest red 
grape yet produced, early, productive and 
profitable. 
Among the newer varieties, Ulster Prolific 
may be considered among those promising to 
be valuable for general cultivation. The vine, 
so far as I have seen and tested it, appears 
hardy, and the foliage is healthy. Its growth 
is moderate, but it is very productive of me¬ 
dium-sized, compact clusters, averaging per¬ 
haps a little larger than Delaware, ripening 
medium early, of pure flavor and really good 
quality. Vergennes has also proven general¬ 
ly successful, and though not equal to the 
Concord class in all respects, is a handsome 
red grape, of pleasant flavor, but not very 
high character. Clusters medium, berries me¬ 
dium to large, vine vigorous and productive. 
It has been healthy in foliage with me; but it 
is reported as subject to mildew in some 
places. It will probably be found as reliable 
as any of Rogers’s hybrids, some of which it 
partially resembles. Another grape of recent 
introduction from Michigan, appears to have 
nearly all the requisites of a popular variety 
for general cultivation—the Woodruff Red. 
It is claimed to be a Concord seedling of the 
most vigorous growth, with large and healthy 
foliage and “iron-clad” constitution against 
cold in severe winters. Clusters and berries 
are of the largest size, ripening a little before 
Concord, and as its name indicates, its color 
is a bright and attractive red. In quality it 
is regarded by most persons as very good, 
and I think it altogether the most promising 
red grape for a popular and profitable mar¬ 
ket variety yet introduced. Its one_fault is a 
little too much of what good President Wilder 
called the “native aroma;” but which I call 
foxiness, and this may account for the differ¬ 
ent estimates of the quality of this grape. 
To some tastes this “native aroma” is 
a fragrance and an additional charm; to 
others it is unpleasant. I am one of 
the latter; and lor me, the less a grape has of 
it the better. The Woodruff is not, however, 
more objectionable in this respect than the 
Martha, Niagara, or Pocklington, and I be¬ 
lieve it will suit the popular taste as well as 
any of the above-named varieties. I noticed 
that the Rural pronounced it, some time 
since, a grape of “poor quality.” I do not 
doubt that the specimen from which that esti¬ 
mate was formed, was “poor,” but as I have 
seen the Woodruff Red, it is very far from 
being “poor,” and that is not its normal char¬ 
acter. Of the hundreds who have tasted the 
grape in my presence, it was regarded as ex¬ 
cellent by nearly all, and some even declared 
it superior to the Delaware. It could hardly 
receive the approval of such men as T. T. 
Lyon, Charles W. Garfield, H. E. Van Deman, 
G. C. Bracket, and many other experienced 
fruit-growers, who pronounced it good, if it 
was a “poor” grape. I do not hesitate to say 
that I regard it as worthy of extensive trial; 
and I believe it will take its place among our 
most profitable market grapes. 
The above-named grapes I think are all well 
adapted to general culture; and I have no 
doubt they will succeed in all places where any 
grapes can be successfully grown, and with 
reasonable care and attention, will give satis¬ 
faction and profit to those who plant them. 
There are many other grapes of finer quality 
than these, but they have not been found to 
possess all the qualities necessary for general 
planting in the same degree. In a future ar¬ 
ticle I may further notice the most promising 
of those which, with additional care, may be 
grown as successfully iu many places as those 
I have here recommended. 
Delaware, Ohio. 
£tU'm HoytCg, 
PAINTING.—IV. 
BY AN EXPERIENCED PAINTER. 
Styles or fashions for outside painting ; ad¬ 
dition of ' l bell courses ” to square buildings; 
hints on suitable colors for outside paint¬ 
ing; specimen suits of coloring to be kept 
for future reference. 
Much depends on the architecture of the 
house in deciding the style of painting. A 
large square house with little enrichment or 
changes of surface, cannot be put into many 
colors, for unless the different colors are di¬ 
vided by divisional members of the trimming 
of tne building, any two colors coming to¬ 
gether would look patchy. A square build¬ 
ing with plain sides, without any divisions, 
may easily be prepared for a variety of colors 
by having what is called in architectural par¬ 
lance, “bell courses,” put on at different inter¬ 
vals over the clap-boarding, so as to set on 
flush with the corner trimmings of the build¬ 
ing. When set on the beveling clap-boards, 
these will require planiDg on the back bottom 
edge, so when they are nailed over the clap¬ 
boards, the front surface is perpendicular, as 
the window frames and corner trimmmgs. It 
is best to have these “bell courses” follow the 
top or bottom of windows or any projecting 
parts, which of themselves suggest a line. One 
only on the surface about the middle of the 
sides of a building gives an opportunity to 
paint the main surface in two colors, and other 
parts can then be in stronger colors to har¬ 
monize the whole. The old, or modem-fash- 
'oned house* with many gables projecting ai d 
retiring surfaces, and the surfaces being in 
different forms, such as shingles, upright sid¬ 
ing, curtains, panels, etc., give an excellent 
chance for painting to advantage in rich col¬ 
ors. 
I will now give some suggestions for combi¬ 
nations of colors. For want of illustrations 
by colored samples, I can only give the ideas, 
yet as 1 will give the names of the colors com¬ 
bined to make the tints, a painter, or one used 
to colors, can work from the hints given A 
rich russet olive color made with raw sienDa, 
darkened with Prussian blue and brightened 
with a little orange chrome for the body color; 
the trimming color darker, made as the first 
color, but omitting the orange and adding 
more blue and a touch of black. If there is 
spandrel open work in gables, or small cur¬ 
tains to upper windows, or any small appro¬ 
priate work, all such may be painted in deep 
orange, made of orange chrome and Venetian 
red. Blinds may be rich, deep, reddish brown, 
made of Indian red, burnt sienna and dark¬ 
ened with a little black. Roofs and chimneys 
may be dark red, half Venetian red and 
Prince’s metallic paint. If there is a brick 
foundation it may be the same as roof, or all 
Venetian red. Bashes of windows may be 
black, or dark brown, of Indian red and black. 
This style will admit of small touches of red 
(Indian) on a few little parts, but very spar¬ 
ingly if at all. 
These colors are a key to a long line of 
deep rich coloring. They may be varied with 
a little more orange or blue in body, with an 
addition of white to lighten it, or, dropping 
the orange and adding more raw sienna. 
Ceilings of stoops, balconies and, in some 
cases, cornices, may be deep cream yellow, 
made with oiange chrome and white. Of 
course the ceiling should be darkest on darkest 
buildings. This class of colors we will desig¬ 
nate No. 1 for future reference. 
Another style of colors which have been 
very popular, inclining a little more to green¬ 
ish tints, is made by more white and orange, 
and moderated or toned down with black, 
with trimming color deepened with raw umber 
but with less white to prevent body from 
looking muddy. Humoring these shades, 
lighter or darker, all the various shades of 
sage greens may be produced. On light 
bodies the trimming may be dark and 
on dark bodies trimming may be lightest. 
Where there are curtains on large 
gables, or around the building under cor¬ 
nices, a third shade, lighter or darker 
than the body can be used, in which case 
the same trimming color may be used 
around both colors but it must be darker 
or with sufficient contrast, that the effect may 
not be lost on any part of the building. I 
would not advise using green itself for mak¬ 
ing these colors, as it will not look as soft, 
unless a strong green is desired, but for varie 
ty, chrome green of a good quality and black 
may be used for dark-green blinds or trellis 
work. The orange, but little lighter than No. 
1 may be used and also for the blinds, leaving 
out the burnt sienna and substituting a little 
Venetian red. The roofs may be the same or 
redder, using more Venetian red. The floors 
for this as well as No. 1 may be some of the 
body color lightened, and more raw sienna 
and umber added. This last selection we will 
call No. 2. 
It must be held in mind that the art of mix¬ 
ing colors of all the various tints that are not 
decided or primary colors, is the toning down 
without destroying the richness of the color; 
this requires a light hand with the black or 
umber, especially where there is white in the 
•color. The least over-touch makes a leaden 
color. The Prussian blue is also intensely 
strong and must be rubbed up with a knife on 
a board before mixing. 
^Irboricultuvat, 
THE WEEPING HEMLOCK. 
As was stated in the Rural New-Yorker 
as long ago as 1877 (July 21), this incompara¬ 
bly beautiful evergreen originated with an old 
gentleman by the name of Burrow who lived, 
we believe, near Mr. H. W. Sargent, Fishkill, 
N. Y. The plant-loving Mr. J. R. Trumpy, in 
the employ at that time of the Parsons, of 
Flushing, Long Island, N. Y., heard of it and 
visited Mr. Burrow hoping to purchase or beg 
cions. In this he was disappointed. Mr. 
Burrow would neither sell nor give. Mr. 
Trumpy, thus sadly disappointed and having 
an intense desire to secure so promising a nov¬ 
elty which only enthusiasts feel, set out for 
Mr. H. W. Sargent’s, who, he had heard, pos¬ 
sessed a small specimen which was derived 
from Mr. Burrow’s tree. Mr. Sargent was 
good to Mr. Trumpy.who left him with a par¬ 
cel of cions, and from them the Weeping Hem¬ 
lock was propagated and disseminated. This 
must have been 2? or 28 years ago. Now this 
Weeping Hemlock is catalogued as Abies 
Canadensis Sargentii pendula. Ought not the 
varietal name to be Burrowii pendula, in jus¬ 
tice to the originator? Otherwise we should 
say that Mr. Trumpy’s name should be given, 
since it was due to him rather than to Mr. Sar¬ 
gent that the tree was introduced. 
Our engraving in the Rural above alluded 
to (1877) shows it grafted upon a stock some 
five feet high, but it was found not to thrive 
well, as the naked stem cracks while the mas¬ 
sive foliage, like most evergreens perched on 
high stems, is too heavy for grace and propor¬ 
tion and is liable to be beaten and tossed by 
heavy winds. The illustration. Fig. 16 (p. 39), 
is re-engraved from our valuedEnglish contem¬ 
porary the London Garden. It was drawn 
from a photograph sent to Mr. Robinson, the 
editor, by Mr. S. B. Parsons, in whose home 
grounds the beautiful specimen stands. The 
species or Common Hem.ock of which this is 
a sport, is itself the most elegant of conifers. 
There is scarcely any other evergreen to com¬ 
pare with it in point of grace and lithe beau¬ 
ty. The fine leaves and spray respond to 
every breeze as if happy to be fanned, while 
they yield to stronger winds with the grace of 
a Weeping Willow with less liability to in¬ 
jury. As we have before remarked, it com¬ 
bines the charms of both deciduous and ever¬ 
green trees, and for this reason is no less beau¬ 
tiful in summer than in the winter when 
evergreens in general are most prized. But 
it is hard to speak fittingly of the peculiar, 
wholly distinct beauty of the Weepmg Hem¬ 
lock. True, it is not suited for groups, for 
hedges or for isolated plants here and there 
as is the species. It must ever take the place 
of a choice tree, must occupy a choice posi¬ 
tion, the same as concentrated foods must be 
eaten sparingly. One or two are enough. 
Its place is as one of a choice distinctive col¬ 
lection. 
The specimen at the Rural Grounds was pur¬ 
chased of the Parsons about 15 years ago. It 
was at first planted in a warm, dry position 
rather near the dwelling and it did not thrive. 
The third year it was removed to the place it 
now occupies, a rather damp though well pro¬ 
tected part of the grounds, and here it has 
grown into its present fine proportions. It is 
not so high as Mr. Parsons's, though more sym¬ 
metrical, being about 11 feet in diameter and 
but a little over five feet high without a lead¬ 
er. It may well be compared to a low foun¬ 
tain of evergreen spray. 
A NOTE FROM S. B. PARSONS. 
I do not know the precise age of my Weep¬ 
ing Hemlock, but conjecture it is25 years old, 
as it was one of the first we grew when we dis¬ 
covered it in the grounds of Mr. H. W. Sar¬ 
gent iu 1861. My specimen is 11 feet in bight 
and 13 feet in diameter of foliage. Its hight 
has been obtained by training up a leader, aud 
there is no reason why it cannot be carried 20 
feet high. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If it is not answered In 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.l 
CONTRACTED HOOF IN A MARE. 
J. S., Fond du Lac, Minn. —The hoofs of 
my 10-year-old mare are so hard that even 
while running on pasture all summer bare¬ 
footed they had to be pared frequently, other¬ 
wise making her lame; can you recommend 
anything for softening them? 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORNE. 
Poultice the hoofs every night with a lin¬ 
seed or bran poultice, for two or three weeks 
as may appear necessary. Each morning 
when the poultice is removed, cover the whole 
hoof with an ointment of equal parts of tar 
and vaseline. If this does not soften the hoof 
enough, keep the poultice on during the day 
also. When the hoof has been sufl&ciently 
softened’by the poulticing, apply a mild fly- 
blister to the front and sides of the pastern at 
top of hoof; and repeat in three or four weeks 
or as soon as the effect of the first blister has 
passed off. As the hoofs increase in length 
have the hoof-wall shortened, but do not touch 
the frog, sole, or outside of the hoof-wall with 
knife or rasp, unless there is some special 
disease requiring such interference. The frog 
and sole, except when injured or diseased,will 
usually take care of themselves, and do so 
much belter than can be done with the but¬ 
tress or kuife of the blacksmith. Excessive 
paring is the most common cause of drying 
and contraction of the hoof of the horse. 
After the above course of treatment the hoof 
will have become softened and porous,and will 
dry even more readily than before the treat¬ 
ment, so that it will be necessary to continue 
the use of the ointment on the hoof once daily 
for a few weeks to prevent such drying. 
POWDERY DEGENERATION OF THE INNER PART 
OF HOOF-WALL IN A COLT. 
G. H. B., Hamburgh , Mich. —About two 
years ago a colt of mine was taken lame in 
her fore feet, something like the thrush. I 
doctored her for that and she got better. 
This fall it came out on her again, and on the 
other colts that ran in the field with her. 
The disease seems to be more between the out¬ 
side shell and the inner part of the foot, than 
in the frog. It is more like a dry rot. It 
crumbles up like powder when cut out, and 
smells badly. The colts have always run on 
high and dry land and their stables have al¬ 
ways been kept clean. It is in all of their 
feet, but they are not lame yet. 
ANSWERED BY F. L. KILBORNE. 
Your colts are suffering from a powdery 
degeneration of the inner part of the hoof- 
wall, probably due to injury or bruises in run¬ 
ning or shoeing. A disease of this kind oc¬ 
curring in so many colts in the same place, 
must have a common cause which should be 
sought for aud removed; or the colts are pre¬ 
disposed to diseases of the feet, in which case 
this family of horses should not be used for 
further breeding purposes. Carefully pare 
out all the diseased horn, until only the tough, 
leathery horn remains. Then apply a dress¬ 
ing of warm tar and cover with tow. If there 
is still adischarge, apply the following powder, 
first cleaning out all diseased tissue—calomel 
and sulphate of copper each two drams—well 
pressed in dry on tow. When the discharge 
has entirely disappeared apply the tar dress¬ 
ing. If the colts have been shod they may be 
reshod with a leather shoe to retain the dress¬ 
ing. The shoeing should be done with as little 
hammering on the hoof as possible, aud reshod 
every two or three weeks to renew the dress¬ 
ings. If the present blacksmith is given to 
much hammering of the hoofs, simply a 
change in workman may produce favorable 
results. The colts should be kept where they 
cannot strain or bruise their hoofs, until well 
grown out. 
ASPARAGUS SEEDING. 
J. McF., Watertown, W»'s —Does it hurt 
asparagus to goto seed? I have Peter Hen¬ 
derson’s Gardening for Profit, late edition, and 
he makes no mention of this. I had a bed 
set in the spring, 1886, and I did not cut away 
any. Each plaut threw up two to three 
strong shoots which in time were completely 
covered wiih seed. Remember this was a 
very dry summer here, only two or three 
light showers in July. It seems to me that 
the coming crop will be weak after the plants 
raising so much seed. Should the plants 
flowering be cutoff? 2. Aud are wood ashes 
good for asparagus? 3. Is horse manure 
where wood shavings are used, as valuable as 
that where straw or hay is used for bedding? 
Ans. —The strength of the roots of aspara¬ 
gus depends upon the growth of the tops the 
same, of course, as with all other plants. Our 
opinion is that the tops may be cut away, a 
few days before they would be injured by 
frost, without harm. To cut them away 
much earlier would be injurious. Seed-bear¬ 
ing is an exhaustive process to be sure. But 
it is a natural function and the plant can 
stand it. Cutting away the foliage before 
maturity is a blow at the life of the plant. 
Our friend is no doubt aware that there are 
males and females among asparagus plants 
and that the former cannot set fruit. They 
are easily distinguished from each other by 
the flowers. The male flowers are twice the 
size of the others. 2. Yes. Wood-ashes are 
first-rate for asparagus plants. It would be 
well to add some raw bone flour. 3. No, 
straw is far better than the shavings aud 
richer in food material. Shavings are, besides, 
slow to decompose. 
THE APRICOT. 
J. G. K., Peru, Ind. —When aud where did 
the apricot originate? On what is it grafted, 
and will it thrive in North Central Indiana? 
What kinds would be likely to thrive here 
best? 
Ans.—I t is impossible to say where the 
