22 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
sects, else there would not be such an admirable 
trap for catching them and a supply of water 
for killing them when caught. Experiments 
have shown that the Venus Fly-trap actually 
feeds upon the insects it catches, and does not 
refuse a diet of beef; and observations upon 
the Pitcher-plants may show that the insects 
caught by them contribute to their nourish¬ 
ment. The interior surface of the pitchers of 
all the species is furnished with sharp hairs 
pointing downward; near the opening, in some 
species, at least, there is a sugary exudation 
which attracts the insects, which, if they go 
down the tube for water or fall in, find their 
return much obstructed by the bristly hairs. 
To enumerate the southern species of Pitcher- 
plant, there is the Parrot-beaked S. Psittacina, 
a somewhat smaller species than ours, and, like 
that, has spreading leaves, the hood to which 
bends over the opening and has somewhat the 
appearance of a parrot’s bill. The pitcher in 
this is more nearly covered or closed than in 
any other species ; this, like our 8. purpurea, 
has red flowers, as has 8. rubra , the Red 
Pitcher-plant. This is one of the rarest, and 
has erect slender, tubular leaves 10 to 18 inches 
long and handsomely veined with purple. 
There are two yellow-flowered species, 8. flava , 
commonly called “ Trumpets,” and the “ Spot¬ 
ted Trumpet-leaf,” 8. mriolaris. The last 
named has erect leaves about the same length 
of those of 8. rubra, and curiously marked 
with white spots on the back near the top. 
8. flava, or Trumpets, is the largest of all the 
species, it not being rare to find the trumpet- 
shaped leaves three feet in length; its flowers, 
on stems as long as the leaves, are four or five 
mches across. This is found as far north as 
Virginia, and in some places grows in great 
Abundance. In traveling through North Caro¬ 
lina we have seen immense quantities growing 
upon each side of the railroad, forming an in- 
teresvug and conspicuous object. The most 
reduced in size of course, from plants we raised 
from some roots kindly furnished by a friend 
at Apalachicola, Fla,, near which city it was 
first discovered by Drummond in 1885. Our 
native Pitcher-plants, although not quite so 
wonderful as those of the East Indies, which 
belong to a different genus, Nepenthes (see 
article on Mr. Such’s establishment last month), 
are all worthy of cultivation. Our common 8. 
purpurea is, of course, perfectly hardy, and, 
like the rest, must have a plenty of water. A 
handsome clump of it placed in a vase filled 
with moss makes a charming ornament for a 
room. The southern species are usually culti¬ 
vated in hot-houses, but we have found no 
difficulty in growing them (two of them at 
least, S. flava and S. JDrummondi!) in the open 
air. The roots were planted in boxes (being 
less apt to dry out than pots) filled with a mix¬ 
ture of peat, chopped sphagnum moss, and 
sand. The boxes were placed near the cistern, 
where they would be sure to be kept quite wet. 
Late in autumn the boxes were removed to 
the cellar and looked to now and then to see 
that the soil did not become very dry. 
-■ i -- -- 
The Cold Grapery. 
BY PETER HENDERSON. 
Our climate is particularly well adapted to 
the cultivation of vines under glass without 
fire heat, and the wonder is that cold graperies 
are not in more general use even by people of 
moderate means than they at present are. T7e 
built one for our own use three years ago oh 
the plan shown in the engraving. The dimen¬ 
sions are 50 feet long by 25 wide. It is fin¬ 
ished in very good style, and cost but little 
more than $1,000. It was planted in June, 
1871, and last season we cut upwards of 300 
lbs. of fruit from it; next season it will proba¬ 
bly yield double that quantity. The “ border,” 
ELEVATION OF GRAPERY, SHOWING END AND PART OF SIDE. 
beautiful, so far as the leaves are concerned, 
and one of the rarest, Is Drummond’s Pitcher- 
plant, Sarracenia Drummondii. The leaf is 
about two feet long, funnel-shaped, the round¬ 
ed blade or hood erect. The upper part of the 
leaf is white and beautifully netted with con¬ 
spicuous purple veins. The flower is purple. 
We giVe an illustration Of this Sped**, mUVh 
the proper making of which is of great import¬ 
ance, was begun by excavating the natural soil 
to the depth of 20 inches for 15 feet in width 
of the length of the grapery on each side. The 
inside was left untouched, the borders being 
entirely outside. The bottom of the excava¬ 
tion was graded from the front of the building 
to the Outside ctf the borders,with a fall of about 
an inch to a foot, so that thorough and rapid 
drainage would be sure to be attained. At the 
extremity of each border a drain was built to 
carry off the water. The whole bottom was 
then cemented over so as to prevent the roots 
getting into the subsoil. This pit was then 
filled up to the depth of about two feet (four 
inches being allowed for settling) with a com¬ 
post which was previously prepared by mixing 
about three parts of turf top spit from rather a 
shaly pasture, one part of rotten stable manure, 
and one part of lime rubbish. The vines were 
planted in the border outside, the tops being 
drawn inside through openings left for the pur¬ 
pose. The plants w r ere strong one-year-old 
vines, and were set about June 1st. By Oc¬ 
tober they had grown to over 20 feet in length. 
The varieties used -were nine-tenths Black 
Hamburg, with a few Muscats and Frontignacs, 
which have done exceedingly well. 
In November they were cut back to the bot¬ 
tom of the rafter, or about three feet from the 
ground, and quickly reached the top again the 
second year, with firm, well-ripened wood. In 
November they were again pruned back to 
about three feet above the foot of the rafter, or 
six feet from the ground. On this shoot was 
produced the fruit referred to this year (the 
third from the time of planting). We are just 
pruning now (the middle of November), and 
are cutting the shoot back to about four feet 
from top of the rafter, or about sixteen feet 
from the ground. 
Every December wc lay the vines down along 
the front wall after being pruned, covering 
them completely up with scil until May, when 
they are then taken up and tied to the wires, 
which are 1 / xe galvanized iron, and run across 
the rafters 15 inches apart and 15 inches 
from the glass. The training followed is what 
is called the “spur” system, which is simply 
to allow one cane or shoot to each rafter (or at 
three feet apart), and pruning the side shoots 
or “ bearing wood ” annually back to 
one eye. In the summer treatment of 
the cold grapery the principle must 
never be lost sight of that to keep the 
vines in perfect health a temperature of 
not less than 70° at night wdth 10° or 
15° higher during the day is always 
necessaiy. Any rapid variation down¬ 
ward is certain to result in mildew. The 
floor of the grapery should be kept 
dashed with water at all times, unless 
in damp weather, from the time the 
buds start in May until the fruit begins 
to ripen in September, except during the 
period the vines are in flower, when it 
should be dispensed with until the fruit 
is set. If the weather is dry copious 
watering is necessary for the border 
outside. The summer pruning of the 
grapery consists simply in pinching off 
the laterals or side shoots to one eye or 
bud. Every winter three inches of the 
best well-rotted stable manure is spread 
over the border, and over that six inches 
of leaves or litter; the leaves or litter is 
raked off in spring, and the manure is 
forked in, the object being to feed the 
roots from the top of the border. This 
same treatment we give our hardy grapes with 
excellent results. 
I am a good deal of a utilitarian, and am 
very apt to make even my luxuries “pay” 
when it is practicable to do so; and though we 
would hardly dream of selling our grapes that 
have bean grown for private use, yet I do not 
scruple to make the glass that shelters them do 
