The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-04-05

nurses for little chicks, if pure breed and
are most inyeterate settlers. The three great
LAYING breeds are the Hamburghs Including
the Bolton GIeys) Leghorn and Spanish-an
non-setting breeds; they are valued as layers
in the order named; but the Hamburghs are
small. blue legged and worth but little as Ia
BILE fowl; the Spanish are layers but poor
market chicks while the Leghorns are best
though not so good fowl for the table as the
Dorking variety. The Spanish and Ham
burghs as we'll as the Dorking are not hardy
while feathering out. If I had a limited en-
closure and could keep a half dozen fowls
wanted for eggs only, the fowls to buy would
be the brown Leghorns or Bolton Greys.
These two varieties are not easily made pets
if few chicks for table use are W anted hgnt
Brahmas would be preferable; we have spod-
en- only of fowls as pure bred while we agree
precisely with the above named writer When
he saws "crossed breeds are earlier and har-
der and for cross he says Brahma and Leg
horn" Now we know by experience that the
brown Leghorn fowls mature young
er than any known breed of pure blood
fowls: we have known little cocker
ellis to crow Tor make noise) at
less than enc month OF age-they mature
sooner by nearly month than the white
Leghorn variety and we think first cross be-
tween light Brahmas and brown Leghorns
would be the best where good layers, settlers
and early market chicks are wanted. We are
ha r ouhorpc for
fancy purposes, and though pure we find them
to be very har 1y and the best layers we ever
had, but there are as good ones to be selected
ont ofevery farmers flock of twenty common
fowls, and now brother farmer let your wife
tell you first which individual fowls lay the
best in your flock and you just give such
place by themselves, this spring, save thei
eggs for setting and say if you are not well
repaid another year. I. j. M.
HOLLIS.
Early, Hardy, and Desirable Grapes.
The coming Spring a great many people
will be thinking of procuring grape vines 20
supply their families with this delicious and
healthful fruit. Some description of the best
varieties for the family garden may, therefore,
prove dCCSDldDlG W tuc IcduoIS vi luC 1WtCos
Earliness, hardness, and good quality are
the chief requisites for popular grape, and
the number of varieties that combine these
excllencies is large enough to furnish con-
tinuous supply from the first of September till
late in Winter or Spring: First among these
l would place the Delaware, which, with good
culture and soil, will give satisfactory returns
everywhere Salem is different but quite as
good, with the advantage of late keeping.
For very early plants Hartford Prolific, Gre
Yelling and Eumelan, and for abundant fruit
fulness, healthfulness of vine and certainty OF
crop plant Concord. For additional late keep
ers add Rogers No. Is (Agawam) and Rogers
No. (Wilder) and we have eight varieties.
which should be in every collection. Rogers
No. SO is delicious and early grape, but | am
not familiar with its habit of growth and pro-
ductiveness. One vine at least should be
planted for trial. For my own part, l would
not dispense with Iona. When it rpens per-
fecty it is unsurpassed in quality. There are
numerous complaints of its failure; but 1
think these are largely due to planting on too
wet soil. All grape-vines need well drained
land. and the Iona seems to be more particu-
lar about this than most other varieties.
There are other grapes excellent to enlarge
the collection and give greater variety. In
seasons when it does not mildew, nothing is
sweeter than well ripened Adirondacks, with
a taste half way between plum and black
berry, combined with peculiar flavor OF its
own. The Diana is a favorite with many,
though 1 can not say as much for its peculiar
flavor. The Rebecca is an excellent and hardy
white grape; but the superior earliness of the
Lady threatens to supersede it as the popular
white grape for general cultivation. Eari-
ness is an important factor in our latitude in
determining the value of grape. A white
grape, free from mildew and as early as Hart
ford, is what we have all been waiting for,
and l think we have found it in the Lady.
Aliens Hybrid is an early white grape, but it
mildews so badly as to be worthless most sea-
sons The Catawba does not ripen early
enough in most northerly sections to be valu-
able. The Ives seeding and Norton's Vir-
ginia are grapes for wine rather than the
table, and need have no place in farmers
gardens when there are so many better varie-
ties. The Isabella is an old favorite with
many, and though 1 could spare it very well,
it will have a place in most collections, usual
ly as the original vine, planted long before
newer and earlier varieties were dreamed OF.
When well ripened, the Isabella is well up to
the best in quality, and better than some |
not always ripen is the only objection to its
universal cultivation. For very best quality,
nothing surpasses Moore's Diana Hamburg.
1t ripens crop about every other year, but
needs laying on the ground through the Win
ter, to protect from Winter killing.
Not one farmer in twenty will buy grapes
or other fruit except apples for himself and
family; but grapes are so easily and cheaply
grown that no family with square rod Of
ground should be without few vines. Grapes
can be got in bearing earlier than any other
fruit excepting Strawberries, and with we'll
rooted layers have had one bunch of grapes
the first year after setting. Yet many man
spends $50 to 800 in setting an apple orchard
which will not bear till six or eight years
after planting, who would begrudge $5 for
dozen vines of the choicest grapes from
which he might eat within two years, and
have abundance before five years had passed.
do not object to extensive and early plant
ing apple orchards, only ''this ought ye to
have done, and not have left the other I'M
done" 1t seems to me that the first duty of
settler on new land is to plant Immediately
half dozen grape vines, and after that as
many more as he can afford. Fresh fruit is a
necessity to the health of family, and moth
ing is more quickly, easily or cheaply grown
than grapes.-W. J. F.-N. Y. Times.
Plea for Humming Birds.
The London Daily Press says: "Lady Bur
~ L .Ao1.