The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-10
For the Herald of Freedom.
Letters from A. M. Burns.

BLACKBERRY GROVE, Big Blue Rlver,t
Riley Co., Kansas, Nov. 10, $50.
G. W. BROWN, Esq. Although you
have only employed me as 'local cor
respondent" to give you the "neiOs," as
you termed it, of this region, yet in the
absence of interesting local matter, pre-
sumo that any information which will be
beneficial to your readers in a pecuniary
point of view, will be acceptable to you.
Since I came to Kansas, have en-
deavored to obtain the tame grape vine,
and out of several hundred grape vine
cuttings" sent to me from the East by
express and by mail, 1 have only three
living vines. My failure 1 have attrib-
uted to the distance they have been sent,
the rough usage they received, and being
dried on their arrival, they did not take
root. The principal knowledge possess
of the cultivation of the grape vine, is not
from experience, although 1 have had
some in the East, but derived from books
and agricultural papers. l have formed
the opinion that our soil is not of such a
nature as is we'll adapted to the propaga-
ton of the vine from cuttings" but when
they take root they grow exceedingly
well on our soil.
A. ana mn toll
then an easy matter to multiply vines by
"layers," which is bringing down branch
from the main vine, laying it on the
ground, and covering it, in this country,
to the depth of four or five inches, (three
will do in the Eastern States,) leaving
the end and all the small laterals sticking
out of the surface of the soil. This, il
done in June or July, gives root the
next fall where there was bud. Every
root then being separated from the parent
vine, will produce a grape vine. This
process is rather too tardy, as it requires
about four years before the grape is OBJ
tanned. In order to ascertain where
could obtain "roots," one, two or three
yeats old, examined all the newspapers
1 could get, printed in Kansas, to see il
any nursery man. had advertised grape
vines, with the variety and price, and
whether he would send them by mail
but could not find any such advertise
ment. then wrote to Joseph Harris
ESQ.,, editor of the Genesee Farmer, pub
lished at Rochester, N. Y, for the low
sum of fifty cents per annum, or five cop
les for two dollars, and which should bt
taken by every farmer in Kansas. Mr.
Harris hahded over my letter to Messrs
Charles P. Bissell and Josiah Salter, who
answered my questions by private let
ter, dated July 25th, 1859. They in
formed me that they sent, "by mail
strawberry plants, blackberry, raspberry
goosebery, as well as grape vines" The!
also added 'Of course we cannot senC
as large plants by mail as we can by ex
press, because they refuse to receive yer!
large parcels at our Office"
To me the above was important infor
nation, and believing it may be Of grea
benefit to many of your readers, l hav
oiyen il to them. Messrs. Bissell & Salt
er's nursery is at Rochester, N. Y. The,
have seventy-three varieties of crap
vines. A catalogue of the vines an
prices, sent by mail, can be obtained &
Messrs. B. & s., by writing to them. Ii
others do as they please, will send fc
some two year old grape vines nextsprint
lam afraid that our farmers are neg
lecting to plant fruit trees as they should
1t is said there are plenty of fruit trees
: Kansas for sale; at least some short ad
) refreshments say so. But why cannot th
5 nursery men keep standing advertise
! ment, with list of the different varietie
! the age of the tree, the price per dozel
l &c. In regard to this matter, ! speak nj
o for myself, but for scores of person
] They save penny by not informing Il
: peopls what kind of fruit trees they ha'
: for sale, and thereby loose dollar.
: Truly yours, A, II, BURNS.