As Mr. Allen's book on the grapevine is the authority on the subject of the Sage Grape, and as the disappointment in this variety arises from a comparison of the merits of the grape itself, with the account there given, we shall refer to the work itself, in order to get at the truth of the matter.

Mr. Allen does not himself, describe the Sage Grape. He never saw it. He merely says - " it is represented to be of a lilac color.** He quotes three letters from Mr. Sage, himself, describing the variety - a native grape found growing on the margin of a small stream in Maine. The color of the fruit he does not mention. But he says, " the berries are very round, average girth three inches.*' " They are," he continues, " the richest flavored grapes I have ever tasted. The pulp is very soft, juicy," etc. He concludes by saying, " I speak in confidence when I say that the Sage Grape, properly cultivated, will surpass anything of the grape kind in this country".

What are we to understand by this? Clearly, that the Sage Grape ought to surpass Black Hamburg!is, Muscats, and all the most delicious foreign grapes, for they are in this country. But we had seriously no idea of comparing any native grapes in this way, and therefore we expected it, from the description, to surpass the Catawba and Isabella, or at least compare with them. Now two things place the latter most excellent native grapes far below the best foreign grapes, in the estimation of all good judges; first, the hard pulp (peculiar to all native grapes, though less to those;) second, the foxy or wild aroma. The Sage Grape, according to the specimens we received through Mr. Sheldon, from Mr. Sags himself, is a genuine wild fox grape, common enough in the woods of New-York, very large, round, very foxy in smell, and intolerably hard in the pulp. To compare such a grape as this with Black Hamburgh, is simply as absurd as to compare a choke pear with a Seckel. There may be, and we have indeed seen people, who like choke pears, and we are not going to quarrel with them for their taste - but that does not prove that the majority are wrong, in preferring Black Hamburghs.

We have no doubt that Mr. Sage wrote his account of the grape that bears his name, in good faith; but when he said that it would surpass " anything of the grape kind in this country," he ought to have added the following: - P. S. I have never tasted any good grapes.

We have had this very same pale fox grape sent to us from various parts of the country, by persons who extolled it as a native white grape of wonderful size and most delicious flavor.

The merit of this pale red fox grape is solely confined to its excellence for making jellies, a merit well known in the middle states. For the table, it is neither more or less than a humbug. If our correspondent thinks the grape is black, he has evidently not got the true Sag gripe, or eke Mr. Sags himself has not, because, as the following letter from another part of the country will show, he has seat the fruit to others, and with the like results. Ed.

Dear Sir - Being a constant reader of the Horticulturist, I occasionally meet with an article, to which I am tempted to reply. Such an one is contained in the December number of the Horticulturist, (p. 575) in reference to the celebrated Sage grape, so highly praised by Mr. Allen in his work on the vine, which work fell into my possession soon after it first came out.

On seeing the Sage grape therein described, (as would be the case with almost any green one) I immediately ordered a vine, which is now well established, and should bear handsomely by next summer; bat like others, (as I understand,) I could not wait to see the fruit on my vine, (which by the way cost me just $5, by the time I received it,) I ordered a box of the fruit from Mr. H. £. SaGe, of Portland, Conn., the originator of it. With what impatience I awaited them can well be imagined by any one who has read Mr. Sage's descriptions of it in Allen's work. They came, in sound order; before opening the box however, I smelt a fox, but here they were, to me to a tune of a dollar and fifty cents; as freight on the box, which had in it about three quarts of the Sage grapes exclusive of the price of the grapes, (a bill for which has never been sent me yet.) On opening the box, I was really surprised at the enormous size of the fruit, but on tasting them!! - you have tasted and described them, Mr. Downing, that will do* It would have tickled one who has eaten good grapes, too see the watery eyes and coughing fits, that about a dozen of the largest of the grapes caused among a party, where I first opened the box.

I had written to N. LonqwortH, Esq., on the subject of this grape; he stated that he had seen it about Philadelphia, that it was " a fall blooded Fox grape, and might answer as musket balls in time of war," which was, in my opinion, a pretty appropriate remark. If I had my choice to be shot with one of them, or swallow half a dozen, I of course would prefer the latter punishment however.

An old saying is, give every dog his due. As a table or wine grape the Sage will always be excluded; but here let me say in its favor (for it will be roughly handled, which indeed the grape individually can very well bear,) that, for making excellent jelly, it has in my estimation no superior, if even an equal; while grapes of a much finer quality for eating, or wine, make a very thin juice, and must be boiled down to. give body, the Sage grape makes a thick syrup, and retains a peculiar aroma which suits exceedingly. X only men-tion this quality of the Sage grape, as a sort of plea of compassion, as we all know a Falling reputation receives a kick from every one. If the Sage grape is as good a bearer as it has been represented, I think, honestly, one vine might be well worth cultivation.

Tours respectfully, Samuel Mills*.

Orion Cottage, N. Leb., the. 26, 1851.

Remarks #1

A humbug we suppose to be something that pretends to be what it is not, and thus imposes on the public. Now, if Mr. Sage, who gave the description of this fruit in Mr. Allen's book, in his own words, had called the Sage Grape a large and good fox grape, every body would have understood him, and there would have been no " humbug" in the case. • But he said,not a word of its being a fox grape; on the contrary, he described it as having a "pulp very soft and juicy," - while it is quite the reverse. He sneaks of it as being the " richest flavored grape he ever tasted," and ends by saying, it " will surpass anything of the grape kind in this country." Now, as it answers none of these high encomiums, we think our correspondents are quite right in calling it a humbug.

Notwithstanding exceptional fancies, there is something, we must be allowed to add, like a general judgment, as to the quality of grapes, as in everything else. It is not sufficient to destroy that judgment, that an individual here and there does not agree. There are some men who prefer rye whiskey to the finest sherry, or pork and beans to canvass back ducks, but they would make but a sorry figure if they were to come out and attempt to palm off these delicacies as surpassing any thing eatable or drinkable in the wide world.

Mr. Allen is right in saying that he did not impose the description of the Sage Grape upon the public. But no doubt many of his readers considered him as endorsing it, by printing Mr. Sage's highly wrought description, without any word of caution or doubt. Ed.

Remarks #1

We are much obliged to Mr. Willard. The ash saw dust is excellent! but we fear in most cases the use of candle boxes, would impart a disagreeable flavor, having bad many samples of fruit sent us, of which we were unable to judge at all, simply from their having been packed in candle boxes. Other boxes are easily substitned. Ed.

Remarks #2

What our correspondent suggests is a great improvement on that popular abomination - the common stove. Just such a ventilating stove, is, in fact, already in use in the common schools of Boston - " Clark's Patent ventilating Stove," (described in our "Country Houses," p. 471).

But the real difficulty in all stoves lies in the high temperature to which the surface of hot iron, which forms the stove itself, is liable to be heated, and the certainty with which hot iron robs the air of its purity, when so heated. If a stove could be invented which, instead of heating the air by presenting a surface of hot iron, backed by red-hot coal or wood, did so by presenting a surface backed by hot water - or, in other words, if the iron stove were cased with a thin space of water all round, and the radiated heat came from this surface of boiler, which could never be heated above boiling point, and would, therefore, never rob the air of its purity - such a stove, with the supply of pure air introduced as our correspondent points out, would be perfect, quite healthful, and satisfactory.

Much the most genial and healthful temperature yet attained, is that from hot water pipes, or steam pipes. We notice, with pleasure, that the Astor House, and many of the large hotels and steamboats, are of late heated in this way. Some of the manufactories are endeavoring to invent a boiler and pipes sufficiently compact and cheap, to answer as a substitute for the common furnace, in heating houses. It is undoubtedly true, that enough heat is wasted in the kitchen flue of many dwelling houses, to heat the whole house most completely and salubriously, if it could be made to heat a hot water apparatus, connected with a system of ventilation, by which all the heat could be retained in the house. Patience, and continual experiment, will, we trust, bring about this desirable result, for, with the exception of the Russians, no civilized people breathe so much poisonous air, as we Americans of the present day Ed.

Remarks #3

Our correspondent's conjecture about a greater distance of the vine from the glass, being needful in more southern parts of the country, is quite correct. Yet as the grape leaf needs a great deal of strong, pure light, care must be taken not to go too far, (for the farther from the gnus, the more the light is decomposed,) and twelve inches is far enough, in all cases. A more important point still, is to have the roof glass uniformly dear, and free from wavy lines - which invariably burn the foliage, and thereby injure the vines.

A common brick flue would be a most useful appendage to even a cold vinery, in all parts of the southern country where there is much dampness in summer. A fire would only be needed occasionally, and the fact that a brick flue is a rapid absorber of moisture, and that wood is the fuel most readily obtained all over the south, point out this as the cheapest and best mode of heating them. By having one end of the vinery - say the north end, terminated by an enclosed shed - the furnace might be placed in this, and the flue carried from it through the house and back, above the surface of the border, without any loss of space.

We may add, that the farther south, the more imperative the necessity of placing the span-roofed vinery, (the most economical and best form for a cold vinery,) on the north and south, instead of the east and west line. In the former case, the violence of the midday sun is avoided, and in the latter it is greatly increased, to the manifest injury of the vines. En.