I have the back volumes of the Horticulturist, at least several of them, bound; and I have a little boy by the name of Frank, just three years old to-day. I love to show Frank the plates of fruits, etc., in the Horticulturist, and Frank loves right well to see them; in truth, it gives him unbounded delight to see them, and he never tires of seeing the pictures again and again. Frank has a decided taste for fruit; and I think he will be a horticulturist. He shall have his garden this year, 4 feet by 4, within my garden, as his little sister (some older) has had for two years past.

But to my subject: After finishing the exhibition of a volume of the Horticulturist to Frank a few minutes ago, he asked me: "Now, Papa, where the Quin-sins?" "My son, I will have to ask Mr. Mead." And now, Friend Mead, I will ask you, why have you slighted the quinces so much? The name of this very useful and very beautiful fruit is not so much as mentioned in your last three volumes. There must be something very attractive about it, for I have always observed that the ladies are anxious to get it, in its season, for preserving, and I have never known them to get it, except at a very high price. Although I have never known the price to be less than twice that of the Peach, I have never seen the demand fully met. For there is, perhaps, no fruit which ladies would rather make use of for preserves and jelly, not only on account of the quality of what they produce by their skill, but of its unsurpassed beauty. And on the score of healthfulness, I have never heard man, or woman, or child, so much as breathe a charge against the Quince.

For aught I know to the contrary, Quinces may be as numerous in variety as the Apple or Pear, and as variable in quality. I have often seen the kinds known as the Apple and Pear Quince; and I once, at a country fair in this State, saw Quinces on exhibition, of a kind known by the name of the producer, which were infinitely superior to the former kinds. I doubt if I exaggerate any, when I say they were 15 inches in circumference, and in appearance attractive beyond any thing of the kind I had ever seen. I have a tree of the Chinese Quince, now three or four years old, and apparently perfectly hardy. 1 obtained it on the recommendation of a friend who had fruited it on the eastern shore of Maryland. He represented the fruit as being large, very long, (like a cucumber,) of a beautiful yellow color, and delicious flavor. His wife had made from it a jelly, pronounced by good judges superior to that from the common Quince.

As an ornamental tree, the Quince, when properly pruned, is, to my eye, very beautiful. I think it has the rare advantage, like the dogwood, and a few others, of growing without detriment, within the shade of other trees. At all events, I once had the pleasure of seeing one remarkable for its beauty in such a situation, in the front yard of a distinguished amateur horticulturist near Cincinnati. The tree was faultleos in shape, an almost perfect globe rising from a large straight stalk, some three feet high, and when I saw it, laden with many hundred golden colored fruit, large and perfect The sight was exceedingly attractive, and brought to my recollection the occasion when, for the first time in my life, I saw at the Mission of San Gabriel, near Los Angeles, in California, full-grown orange trees laden with ripe fruit interspersed among its deep rich green foliage.

Why is it, that a tree of such rare beauty as an ornament to a lawn, a fruit so pleasant to the eye and the palate, so much sought after, and so seldom to be found in abundance, is neglected as it is, throughout our country?

Frank thinks any variety of Quince would look well in the Horticulturist, and his papa thinks a painting, with a description of the Chinese variety, of which he has sought information in vain, would afford pleasure as well as valuable knowledge to many, if not all of its readers.

P. S. - The Concord Grape has been fruited with us, during last season; and its size and quality seem so much enhanced in our more southern latitude, that I can not refrain from predicting for it a reputation beyond that of any other native grape heretofore disseminated. Yet, for wine, it is doubtless inferior to the Catawba; and for the table, inferior in quality to the Delaware. For the million, however, it has attractions which will give it greater favor and reputation than any other kind.

It is high time the public had some enlightenment as to the Hybrids. Doubtless many persons fruited them the last season. Will they not speak out, and freely condemn or praise, as each may require?

P. S. - Since writing the above, and when spending a leisure hour in my garden instructing an esteemed neighbor - lately "awakened" in the art of grape-grafting - I was interrupted by the post-boy handing me the last Horticulturist, which contains an admirable article from Horticola. The knowledge it imparts concerning the delicate and uncertain manipulations of grape-grafting, is both of interest and value. The theory he presents of his own failure, is doubtless true. In early Spring, without sufficient protection by a cover of earth, frost will destroy the graft: and, later in the year, the drought and heat of summer will prove equally destructive. Last spring, hoping for a continuance of the blessing of peace - but hoping against hope, as the event has proved - I entertained the idea of beginning to set out a vineyard; and so, had several thousand cuttings of the Catawba - the Monarch, "by divine right," of American grapes - set out in a rather sandy soil. An Eng-lish gardener did the "job" for me - and I am sorry to say for the cuttings too. My direction to plant at an angle of 45° to the horizon, was so far disregarded, that the inserted points of most of the cuttings were not covered with more than two or three inches of soil.

All such were dried up by the heat of summer; and not more, perhaps, than a tenth part are now living, being those whose points by some chance were inserted deeper.

To obviate the effects of frost, I have this spring used grafts from 6 to 12 inches long; and, when the war shall have ended, I will know how to " head" the drought of summer: with what success, in both cases, Providence permitting, you shall know. And I trust, that with the assistance of Horticola, I shall be enabled, "poeo d poco" to master completely the hitherto discouragingly uncertain art of grape grading.

Before closing, allow me to return my thanks to Horticola for the refined and classic greeting he gives me in his last article. His polished pen and instructed mind have afforded me much pleasure; and I take him to be a man after my own heart - "hominem ad unguem." Would that he could come and be my neighbor here - "away out west." If that could be so; and if, again, my frequent visits should beget the belief, in the neighborhood, that he had lost his health forever, and had become my perpetual patient, I promise hereby never to present a bill of any kind to him, save it be a bill of fare in fruit season. I would make the pleasant effort to gratify his eye and palate with the best kinds of every fruit our climate will produce: and if my suspicion be true, that grapes are his foible, or rather his forte, I would exhibit to his gratified view many a trellis, "O'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant".

We must plead guilty to this seeming neglect of the Quince, really one of our most valuable fruits. Embrace Frank for us, and tell him he shall have the "Quinsins." You estimate Horticola none too highly. Learned and polished, he is yet a practiced amateur, such as we seldom meet with. It is a rare privilege to enjoy the society of such a man. We wish you were nearer together, that you might see each other often. He will appreciate your beautiful recognition of his greeting. We have ventured to give him your address. - Ed].