the middle of February; the third year, the first of February, and so on, fifteen days earlier every year, until you reach the first of December; beyond this you can hardly go, as this allows only time to prune and clean the vine after it has gone into rest.

In a house that is forced in December or January, every year, ten pounds grapes is quite as much as each vine will perfect, on an average of years."-p. 23.

of

From the Diary of the vines during the last winter, we learn that fires were first made, and forcing commenced December 20th, 1846. First flowers opened February 15th. Grapes began to color April 10th. Being a period of five months.

Fully ripe May 20th.

The retarding of vines has been tried by Mr. Allen. And he still continues the practice, producing grapes by the means very late in autumn. The treatment of the vines is the same as for the grapery, the only difference being the exclusion of the sun by shading with mats, to keep them back as much as possible. The vines are usually retarded about ten days:

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Early in March, the sun must be excluded from the house; this can be done by spreading sails, or mats, over the glass; the doors and lights must be open day and night when the temperature is above freezing.

In May, when the vines push their buds, the covering must be removed from the glass: keep the temperature as low as possible, night and day, during the summer; the end of May, or early in June, the vines should be put to the rods, or trellis.

Early in July, the grapes will be in blossom; apply the sulphur now to the floor of the house, and observe the vines carefully during this and the next month; if the mildew appear on the wood, fruit, or foliage, shut the house at night, and apply more sulphur. Never allow it to remain on the fruit; if, by accident, any should get on, brush it off immediately, opening the house by day, as in any grapery. Early in August, the grapes will require to be thinned.

In October, when the nights become cool, close the doors and windows, (where it has not been done before on account of mildew,) giving as much air, and keeping as low a temperature, (when the sun shines,) by day, as possible. In November, small fires must be made and kept up in the night-time and in cloudy weather.

The fruit will be ripe the last of November and in December; after which, the house must be kept as dry as possible, having sufficient fires to keep out the frost.

After the fruit and foliage are off, prune the vines, and protect them from the frost."-pp. 31. 32.

We believe the process of retarding grapes, as practised by Mr. Allen, will soon be generally adopted by gentlemen who are desirous of having grapes upon their tables half the year, without forcing, and at little expense. If the proper kinds are selected, the fruit will hang upon the vines in excellent order till January. The Black Hamburgh, Wilmot's New Black Hamburgh, West's St. Peters, St. Peters, (old,) Black Prince, and Syrian are the principal sorts.

In our January number (p. 43,) we presented our readers. with an excellent paper by Mr. Allen on the merits of thirtytwo varieties of grapes which he had fruited in his collection. Among them are included nearly all the sorts he recommends for cultivation. He has, however, given a list of names of upwards of fifty kinds which are found in foreign collections, some of which he has already proved. Two years hence the qualities of all of them will be ascertained from vines in Mr. Allen's, and other collections around Boston; and we shall not fail to give our readers an early and full account of them, especially such as prove valuable acquisitions.

The concluding chapter is devoted to an explanation of the different systems of pruning and training the vine. Mr. Hoar's plan is first noticed; next the ordinary method of long canes; and last the spur system.

In conclusion, we may recommend this little treatise to the attention of every grape-grower, convinced that he will rise from its perusal, with a better knowledge of the proper treatment of this most delicious fruit.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ART. I. General Notices.

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Propagation of Plants for the next Season.-The summer garden is now in its glory, and amply repays its possessor for all his expense, labor, care. Verbenas, petunias, and other creeping plants nearly cover the beds; pelargoniums, salvias, and fuchsias have assumed their deep and rich tints, and dahlias rule over the whole in profuse magnificence. The amateur begins to take breath for a while, and basks in the paradise himself has created. Weeds are now less luxuriant, and lawns appear to repose in their rich green, sometimes, indeed, too much imbrowned by the summer suns.

From the present time till the middle of September, this beauty will rather increase than diminish, and the labor demanded will be less than at earlier seasons of the year.

But we must intrude upon this state of repose by the note of warning and remind the amateur that, if he wishes a repetition of the scene before him next year, he must propagate at once. Many plants should now be well rooted, such as wallflowers, pinks, and carnations; biennials should be sown, and roses budded. But it is to the propagation of exotic plants, requiring the management of a frame, that I now call attention, and would advise the following mode of treatment :-First, let a gentle hot-bed be made. If you have a spent melon or cucumber bed, that will do, if the old dung is mixed, to the depth of a foot, with leaves and mowings of grass. You may either insert your cuttings in the mould in the frame or in pots. The latter plan is preferable on many accounts; the cuttings strike easily against the sides of the pots, and they can be moved more readily. Indeed, many things will be best left together in the striking pots until the spring, and consequently they should be grown in a vehicle which can easily be removed. The soil should be fine, yet porous, having a good portion of sand mixed with it.

As a general rule, the cuttings should be wood of this year's growth, having consistency and strength at the part to be inserted in the ground. Pelargoniums strike without any difficulty, and will scarcely fail under the most ordinary management; other plants are more difficult, yielding more easily to damp, wind, &c. Let every cutting be taken off at a joint, and inserted firmly into the soil. If the soil is moist, water need not be applied, except in small portions. It often happens that an excess of water causes a cutting to perish. Skill is shown in keeping the leaves from drooping; for, if they do so to any extent, they seldom recover their crispness; and every gardener knows that a cutting with half-withered leaves has little chance. Place the pots in the frame as soon as they are filled, and keep them close for a few hours. Attentively watch them; pick off dead leaves, and maintain a gentle heat. By treatment of this kind, and by remembering the different habits of the woody and the succulent varieties, you will accomplish your purpose, and be independent of nurserymen and friends another year. Do not be afraid of having too many; but cut wherever you can without injuring the beauty of your beds. Some are sure to die, and by misfortune, many may. Provide an abundance, and then you will be able to do to others as you are often glad they should do to you—give some away.

In looking over the propagating department of the garden at Putteridge, belonging to Colonel Sowerby, I was surprised to find that, under the hot suns of May, thousands of cuttings just put in did not flag in the least, although they had no shade but the glass. Mr. Fish informed me that this was accomplished by keeping the plants a sufficient distance from the glass. By this simple arrangement, the light becomes diffused before it reaches the plants; whereas, if the glass were too near, they would require shading, or be parched up. With these hints, added to his own experience and obser

vation, it is hoped the reader will secure for himself another season of as great beauty and abundance as I presume he is enjoying at the present time.-(Gard. Chron., 1847, p. 541.)

Pruning the Banksian Rose.-This rose differs widely in appearance from other roses, and the difficulty experienced by many in inducing it to grow and flower freely, points out the error of treating it as other roses. It is met with in the regular course of business, and the question that it is a rose being satisfactorily determined, it is pruned as a rose; the how, when, and where being never once thought of. Hence the cause of the disappoint ment that so frequently ensues. Now, how pleasant it would be, if, with a little management, the many barren plants could be induced to change their character, and thus convert barrenness into a source of admiration and delight. To accomplish this end, do not prune the Banksian at set seasons, as with other roses. It is disposed to form strong shoots in the summer time. Watch for the appearance of these, and, so soon as they are about a foot long, pinch off their tops. In consequence of this check, they will form laterals, which become well ripened, and flower with certainty. It is necessary to cut their tops off early in spring, and from this period the plants should be watched throughout the growing season. Where too many shoots arise from one spot, let some be broken out entirely when young, and let the others be stopped when they attain the length before mentioned. There was a plant which covered one side of a house in this neighborhood, but which was unfortunately destroyed by the severe frost during the winter of 1837-8. It was subjected to the treatment mentioned above, and produced annually thousands of its beautiful blossoms.—(1b. pp. 511, 542)

Replacement of Branches in Fruit Trees. -I observed that Monsieur Jamin (Paris) whenever his pear trees, trained distaff fashion, required a branch, he made, in the autumn or winter, an incision above a dormant eye through the bark and down the sides, and that this process invariably produced a branch. I have followed this plan last year with success, except that, in some instances, a bloom shoot, instead of a leaf shoot, has been produced. I observe that Mr. Rivers has not yet explained the rationale of double-working refractory pears. I suppose he will if he can. I have a tree of the purple-leaved filbert, which, last year and this year, bore fruit, and a few of them, the husks being of a beautiful purple brown, mixed with the common sort, is very ornamental in a dessert-plate. The tree itself is nearly as beautiful, as a shrub, as the purple beech.—(1b. p. 541.)

Autumn Pruning Fruit Trees.-The present is one of the most important periods of the whole year as to giving due attention to fruit-trees. The autumn will soon approach with rapid strides, the solar light become much diminished, and the soil perhaps starved by heavy rains. It will then be too late to talk of the benefits of light to trained fruit-trees. We are of opinion that all tender fruit-trees, trained, will now be benefited by a constant stopping of the growing shoots. Any amount of control may be exercised over the roots by such means. Of what use is the excitement of so late a root action as we frequently see encouraged by means of enriched

soils and the neglect of stopping? As much of the ascending current as will keep the leaves well fed and sustain their color, will, we believe, be quite sufficient after the middle of August. In looking over peaches and nectarines, it will be found that many of the shoots, which were deemed necessary and nailed in for succeeding crops, will begin to overlap each other. We stop many of these at this period without hesitation. Pears, too, whatever superfluous shoots may have been retained-with the idea of preventing the blossom-buds of next year from "breaking"-should now be well shortened back. In doing this, there is no occasion to strip them entirely away; this would remove too many valuable organs. Our practice is, and we are very successful in pear culture, to merely shorten them sufficiently to admit the sun's rays with freedom. The stumps cut thus back (each carrying three or four efficient leaves) will assist in producing elaborated matter, both to feed the fruit and to invigorate the embryo blossom buds, now actively engaged in depositing food for a healthy development in the ensuing spring.-(1b. p. 544.)

Culture of Vines in Pots.-At p. 292, "A Novice" requested information on this subject, and, as the call has not been responded to, I venture to send you the details of a practice which will afford ample success, if followed out. Any variety may be fruited in pots, but there are some which ought to take the lead, either in a limited, or extensive, collection, amongst which are the Black Hamburgh; the White Muscat of Alexandria, which is a truly splendid grape, in pots, and much more certain in setting the fruit than when planted in the border; the White Frontignan; Chasselas Musque; St. Peters; and, for very early forcing, the White Verdelho: these are established favorites, but others may be introduced when variety is desired. Propagation should be effected from single eyes, and it will be necessary to consider if they will be required for very early forcing, or not, because it is well known, that a vine acquires a constitutional habit of breaking early, or otherwise, accordingly as it has been treated.

If required for early purposes, prominent eyes should be chosen, from early forced vines. The mode of making the cuttings is immaterial, provided there is a portion of wood, say an inch, left on each side of the eye; make the cuttings at the time of pruning, and preserve them in sand. At the time of starting, which may be from the beginning of December to the end of February, prepare some eight-inch pots, by half filling them with broken crocks then, to within an inch of the rim, with a compost of light loam, leaf mould, and a little sand; lay the cuttings on this (horizontally, with the eye uppermost) pretty thickly, press them slightly down, and cover with sand; some prefer sand, but this is immaterial. They should then have the brisk bottom heat of a dung-bed. As soon as they are rooted, which they will indicate by starting into growth, they must be potted off into five-inch pots, and replaced in the frame, keeping up a brisk heat thereto, and giving them air at every possible opportunity, otherwise they will draw too much the object is to induce a stocky habit. When these pots are well filled with roots, give them a shift into larger pots, and still keep them in the frame, until they have again rooted well, when they should be shifted into eight-inch