Notes On Grapes And Gratis Culture

S; great hit been the itnpïoveuient ia grapes within the past few years thitt grape giowmg almost seems like a nev branch of horticulture. The very general interest taken in this fruit, impela lis to keep the readers of the -imerican Agriruittfist ponted up in whatever íall.s under our observatinn iñ rfepsot to new and old varieties. These notes are made upan grapes as we see them upon the vines of skillf'til growers, aail upo ppeciraonu ibrwarded for our tables, .The past.&cason has been un usnhlly favorable fcr the grape, there havinV been but littlj tuildsw, and al■ though iuseota have been very troublopome, thf-v d uot seem to have eaused very serious daumgi. Tho old vurietits, Isabella and Ciitawbn, liavn genernlly dona tim'ly and have ripsned with an eurliness and pi'ifection seldom equalled. SpecuneiiS on our tublus, of laubölla frorn Thos. Harris, of Brooklyri, and of Catawba, froin John Cole, of Staten lulnpd, are eaoh remarkably fine ol their kind. A uuniber of seed lihL's have been submitted for our judginent, many of which promise woll. There ar) two tilinga to be borne in trind in regard to suedliogs: lst. A vine Nhou'd be fruited four or fiveyears before :my tmfe opinión can be fonned of its fruit; and, 2d. It is of oo nse to continue to giow a seedliüg, and thus itinhiply vaiieties, unless it has ponie supcriority over orts already in culti vaüon. A seedling is otteu s nt with the statement tliat the plant has had n'eithcr eultivatiou or pruning. This is very uhfair toward a plaut, which il -it has any ment at all, sliould have a 'chance to deelop it A seedltiig from the Isabella, from Carlisle, Pa , lias remarkablo sweetnoss, and is eurlv, but wil h Huch poor bunches from neulec, it is Hot tú be comiuended. Tuú iá üoHi.'ii in ilUistriitii.il oi' in m y siiuihir 'cases, and those wljo hiv: fhown us seeaftrigs which aro tioi notfced, may aiierstand this to b:; the ie:i-i)U. Unió a st'ttdTnig is i leasl god a a Dejaware, Iiuia, Qt,mcor,d, Dl ai ia, of 1 i.tiiu' of c;i e besl soMs, it had better !e givmi u ut .mee. Muxalawui'-] 'J his grape Iiüs liuied well near Nu-.vb:üg, and at Rouhes'er, tliis year. was néarly ripo at "Rochestor, on Öept. 17, and iu tlns favorable season ',i ' ih' d('.v.les3 perfcct'itself there. It groat bouuiy, is a good b3arur, an excelTeot white giaio, and we shall be ■i it it prove hardy, but wiih onr present knowledgo we can uot reconrii i)d it for rwrlhern localities. Crtveling. A distinguished grapc-grower . has gíven it as his opinión that it u thu best black grapo uu yet have. Though not pnpared to audorsu this opiuion, we öftn safely raok it w;tl) the be.st grapew lts roputation has been injured by the cxhibiii.m of small and Ifiose bunehes. Wen well grown, it fonns a well shap, ea,. compact buuch, a good aized berry, with alinost no pulp, very sweet and of a poeuliar and delicate flavor; aliogether it is a sati.sLáctory fnuit Itngers' Hybrids. A n. extensive series ol lings sent out uoder oonabers, but tho' callad " hybrid," thèy buve uo ebar.ae tenstics of the European grupe. The etilo ro range irorn white t) nearly black, the berries vary mucli n quality and timo of ripeniug, aro large, thiuk skinDe I, showy, aud some iru foxy and burn . the t ngue. Keing designated by min bers, there is ;lro idy much confusión amoug them from the contusión of numbers. The whüle set is a complete muddlo, and we du not think the cause has bben advanced by throwing snoh a crowd of varieties upon tho public. If threc or lour of the best had been se lected it vvould have been bet ter. Num. bers 1, 3, 4, 9, 13, 15, 19, and 30, have been bv ditWurit punios considerad the feeit, We havo t; idd them frorn wjvwal diítoront sourcs, aod havs not seen a lirst-class amon them. Norton's Virginia. Wrtvxi wi)ï-ó .ve havo seen of this we are didposed to thi'ik well of it as a witte gfapu. lts tvputation ia es. t blished at the let us hear frotn onr Eastern friends. Alltns Hybrid does well in rnany places,, and then is the best whke grap& Wortbtrying by amateur?, but will nut endure eareLess treatment. lona. This grapa been muoh iuj,ured by the Tery persistent puffing it ha had in si me quarters, and by the exhibition of p or aud badly grown specimens. Tüe present season we have eeen it growing in sevraJ places, and havo t.isted and. examined tho fruit from different localkies. That we may not be charged with any partiality in lts favor, it m ly be well to : say, thai the writer has no acquaintance wilh the orig'mator of the varietj', and that bis opinión is foruied entirely from tiio fruit grown by other persons. Tknsfa;1 it is decidödly the bsst native grape yet brought out,. and tho-ugh time mny develop taults In it, none are perceptible -i'.v. Those who have only geen the ppcjunüiis cshibited ia New York City, can have no idea of the peri'ection and beauty of which the lona ií susceptible American Agri"ult ist. SU Hftchipti ïjmjs.1,