Mr. Editor:- The annual grape-pruning season has brought to my mind a subject upon which I have been cogitating for some five or six years past; but before proceeding further, I may as well - for fear of subjecting myself to the charge of plagiarism, or, in plainer English, "stealing other folk's thunder" - remark that some one else, some time ago, either in this magazine or the Gardeners Monthly, alluded to the same subject. Without much trouble I could, I presume, find out what was said and where it was said, but I do not desire to do so. I would rather simply record my own observations and impressions.

In pruning grape-vines on arbors or trellises, I have invariably observed that whenever the young growing shoots come in contact with any tree within their reach, they will take hold of the branches and grow away, till they attain double the length of any of the others that are growing exposed on the arbor; and not only longer, but make stouter and firmer wood.

Now let these stray shoots remain undisturbed and unpruned for a year, or two years, and the result will be .not only a better quality of fruit, but at least double the quantity of it, compared with those on the arbor.

Now the question naturally arises, Why is this? It is very certain that this difference does not result from manuring the roots or pruning the branches. In fact, as far as the roots are concerned, they are laboring under great disadvantages: being, of course, in close proximity to the tree on which they climb, they are, consequently, robbed of at least a moiety of their sustenance.

The only satisfactory conclusion 1 can arrive at about the matter is this, that the shoots of those vines in the tree find there a grateful, genial, humid atmosphere, in which they love to luxuriate - humid compared with the arid atmosphere that surrounds their neighbors on the exposed trellis; they have also a more uniform temperature, as well as the shade in which they so much delight, and which I think is so very essential to the well-being of most, if not all, the native vines.

Three years ago, in pruning the vines on a small arbor, about thirty feet long, having four vines on each side, I observed that two shoots of the preceding summer's growth had run into an apple-tree which grew very near one end of the arbor. I had my hand on one of these truant shoots to pull it out of the tree (as it was very fine wood) and place it on the arbor with the others, but I suddenly changed my mind, and thought I would leave it where it was, to pursue its erratic course, in company with the other delinquent shoot.

The bunches were not counted nor the fruit weighed, to my knowledge; but my belief is, that from those two stray shoots, in that old apple-tree, there was nearly double the quantity of fruit that there was on all the other vines on the arbor put together, notwithstanding the manuring they received, and the pruning, as I thought, "according to scientific principles".

Now the above is not an isolated or exceptional case, but the rule, wherever and whenever they come within reach of a tree. A knowledge of these facts convinces me that pleasing and profitable results may be obtained from this well-known predilection of the vine for shade, by planting them adjacent to trees, where circumstances will admit, and there leaving them, unmolested, to indulge their freaks and whims.

For some time past, (excepting last season,) the Isabella and Catawba grape crop has been almost a failure in many localities, rotting and shanking off before they were ripe. I feel confident that by planting a few vines here and there, where they will have a chance to run into the trees and take care of themselves, in this way, without any further trouble, (except picking,) scores of bunches of good, sound fruit will be obtained, when those on arbors, stakes, and trellises are a comparative failure.

For the sake of illustration, I will give a sketch of one way in which I think I would plant a dozen vines, for a start, if I had the opportunity to do so. I would look around the ground for a good-sized tree. I would prefer an apple-tree, if it was in the right place, as they do not grow so high, and would give a larger, broader surface for the purpose than most other trees. I would measure out from the trunk of the tree twelve or thirteen feet, more or less, and draw a circle around the tree at that distance from it. On the line described, six feet apart, I would put in stout cedar or chestnut undressed posts, eight feet high, (above ground,) and fill in with panel-work of the same rough material, (rustic summer-house fashion,) and then plant a vine to each post On the top of each post, if necessary, a pole may be nailed, slanting into the tree, and secured to some of the stouter limbs, for a rafter, till the vines had firm hold of the branches.

Inside this now pomological summer-house (twenty-four feet in diameter) permanent seats may be fixed; and also a table around the tree, or a short winding stairway may be made for convenience in picking the fruit. I must not forget to mention that it will be necessary to leave a space open between two of the posts, or two or four openings may be left, and a walk, or walks, leading to them. And now, Mr. Editor, don't you, with your mental visual organs, perceive what a glorious summer-house I have (in imagination) erected for the children? Take my word for it, sir, to this temple will they daily repair, and worship at the shrine of Pomona. Well, what if they do occasionally gorge themselves with apples and grapes? Bless you, sir, ripe grapes won't hurt children; no, nor the " big uns" either. How do I know? 1 will tell you how I know. About four years ago I suddenly and agreeably came in come-at-able contact with four or five as fine bunches of Muscats and Hamburghs as were ever unpacked and tasted in any Horticulturist's (horticultural, I mean) - editor's sanctum sanctorum.

How many pounds I ate I can not precisely tell, but let it suffice to say that I was full, not in a figurative sense, but in reality: I felt - I think I felt - something as I suppose a boa-constrictor must feel after having swallowed an antelope, horns and all. Well, I made up my mind that if I did not die that night, I should not require any thing to eat for the next two days at least; but, to my utter amazement, I never felt better in my life than I did that very next morning, and never in better condition to perform, if required, a astronomical feat. Now, sir, this is how I know that ripe grapes won't hurt children. Therefore, let them go to this play-house that I have erected for them as often as they like, and play, and rollick, and romp, climb the tree, and eat apples and grapes to their hearts' content, when they are ripe; and, likely enough, when the family physician presents his bill, papa will find that he has saved enough on that to pay for the labor and material used and expended in the erection of my "Natural Grape Arbor".

[A right good finish, W. You have shown so much taste and such great capacity for Muscats and Hamburghs, and, withal, have been so considerate for the children, that we have no disposition to criticise any thing you have said. By all means let the little ones eat ripe fruit freely and abundantly; nothing could be better for them. But let us look a moment at the point you started with. It is an undeniable fact that vines will run on trees precisely as you describe; but we regard your example as an unhappy one from which to draw principles of practice. Vines, as generally grown on arbors, are submitted to a killing process, which few of them survive for many years, and which produces unfruitfulness and constitutional weakness at a period when they ought to be showing all the vigor of youth. Under these circumstances it reaches forth one of its arms to a neighboring tree, and, under the operation of the "first law of nature," runs for its life; and not only so, but carries with it a large portion of the sap which would otherwise go to sustain the whole vine; hence the other portions become starved and enfeebled, and the fruit small and poor. We do not think it safe to generalize facts under such circumstances.

Take a well-grown vine on a trellis, (not an arbor,) and one growing at random on a tree, and we have no doubt of the result We think, however, that as good grapes may be grown on a tree as are often found on arbors, such as we find them; and they are poor enough, lacking in every good quality except sweetness, and not always possessing that. Do you mean to say, W., that our vines love shade, or that grapes will ripen as well in the shade as in the sun 1 Of course you do not; you only wanted us to keep a little shady while you made that pretty "Pomological Summer-House." We see now what you were after. It was a pretty conceit, and handsomely done. We like the idea, and hope many such houses will be made for the children to play in. They will make a pretty feature on the lawn, afford a grateful shade, and some tolerable grapes, but not many apples, for the vine will certainly kill the tree in time, for which you have not provided; but the arbor will remain, and that is all you probably want. We "go in "for Pomological Summer-Houses, but without the expectation of getting the best fruit from them. - Ed].