I will mention, in conclusion, that we have not had a very good grape season. The Catawbas have rotted very badly. The Isabellas also, but not so much. But the Concords and Delawares have not rotted at all, and the Dianas and Rebeccas but little. I consider the Concord by all odds the best grape for general cultivation for this region. An Old Subscriber.

Springfield, III., Sept. 10th, 1862.

[The flies or thrips alluded to by our correspondent are common all over the country. They greatly disfigure the leaves, and injure them sometimes to a degree that threatens the crop of fruit. There are various remedies proposed, but none that we know of that can be relied upon as effectual. Dusting air slacked lime over the foliage we have found to be the best; but it must be repeated several times. The insect is more or less common every year in this vicinity, but not very often in such numbers as to do material damage to the crop. We have sometimes known a vineyard to be so full of them, that on touching a vine they would fly about and in one's face so as to be very annoying, and even get in one's nostrils and throat The best thing we can recommend is the air-slacked lime, which may be used in a common dredging box, or a child's drum, elsewhere described by one of our correspondents. Do any of our readers know of any thing more effectual? The Catawba has rotted very generally this season; oilier kinds not so much. - Ed].

Ma. Editor : - My grapes were attacked with mildew about the 10th of June; and having seen it published that one* pound of sulphur in thirty gallons of water, by syringing the vines with this solution, would stop it, and having no experience on the subject, I made the solution, and used it. In a few days, on examining say vines, I found that wherever the water touched a leaf, it killed it dead. The leaves from the lower part of the vines were all killed and fell off, but every grape that was not affected is now growing, and is as large as the same kind on vines that remained healthy. The vines have again put forth their leaves, and the mildew has not yet appeared again on them. Was the solution too strong, or was the mode of applying it wrong? Yours, etc., D. F. KINNEY.

P. S. - The kind of grape referred to above is Norton's Seedling. Would any other kind be liable to mildew by being grafted on them 1 Bock Island, III, August, 1862.

[Your case is more or less common among those who use such remedies for the first time. Your solution was evidently too strong, to judge from the effects, though the proportions would hardly indicate that. You would probably do better to use the flour of sulphur sparingly, simply dusting it on the foliage, Sulphur will not dissolve in water alone. Bub the sulphur up with common yellow bar soap, and dissolve this mixture in water, and you will have a much better remedy. A little lime may be added with advantage. You can graft safely as proposed; that is to say, without additional liability to mildew, unless the disease has become constitutional in your vines, which we think is not the case. - Ed].

Messrs. Editors : - We seldom have all kinds of fruit so well represented as the present season. It will be an important year to compare varieties, and report thereon. We have yet found no newer Strawberries which we think will supersede the Triomphe de Gand, Jenny Lind, Scott's Seedling, etc., with us. The peach-blight has made blighting work on our natural fruit trees this spring. The budded peaches are little injured. Our varieties are Yellow Alberg, Early Crawford, Late Crawford, Honest John, Haines's Early, Red Cheek, Hoffman's Favorite, White Rareripe, Early York, Oldmixon Free, Sturtevant, etc. Are the yellows, blight, and curl-leaf the same thing? Is the cause yet known?

On some vines and in some situations the wet weather has started the rot and mildew on our Isabella and Catawba grapes. What is the cause of the grape rot, and the remedy?

E. Fairfield, 0. T. and S. B. McMillan.

[The present has certainly been a very productive fruit season. Apples and Pears are selling at present for a mere song in the New York market, and it is many years since we have seen Plums so abundant. Triomphe de Gand, we believe, sustains its good character all over the country. The yellows and blight are identical, but not the curl. The cause is not well ascertained; but if you begin with healthy trees, enrich your soil properly, and prune systematically and judiciously, you will seldom be troubled with the disease. As it is transmitted by the bud, it is difficult to know whether you have started right or not. All diseased trees should be at once removed. The rot is probably caused by sudden and extreme changes in the weather, accompanied often by cold rains. We know of no certain remedy after it has appeared, but we always remove the infected berries to check it from spreading. Sulphur and other remedies are often successfully used for mildew. A sheltered situation, well-drained soil, and judicious culture are the best preventives. Some kinds of grapes, owing to constitutional causes, are more liable to rot than others.

It would require a dozen pages to treat the subject intelligibly. - Ed].

P. B. Mead : - Please change the direction of the Horticulturist to Hamilton P. O., Loudon Co., Va., instead of Leesburg. We have a regular mail there now, which will be our permanent office. Let us hear from different parts of the country as to the fruit crop and weather occasionally, or often. I like to know how things do every where. Here we had it plenty wet enough until the 20th of July, but now we have no rain since, and the crops, which were all moderately good, or better than they had been for some years, of peaches and apples, are suffering for want of rain; but should the drought not be too lengthy, the winter apples will most likely be fairer than usual, as the spring was much later than usual, and the fall seems to be approaching already, as the past week we came near having a light frost. Peaches will not be as large as usual, being hurried by a short summer, and drought in the hottest part Grapes have rotted considerably; the ground was so wet in the spring they set heavy, and since so hot and dry they have rotted more than usual here; and sorry am I to say, most of the Rogers's Seedlings have rotted some, though they had an unfavorable place at the foot of a northern slope, and trained to their disadvantage; but the Concord has rotted quite as bad; also Catawba, and a variety here called the Con-stantia, a purple grape, better than the Isabella, and much like it.

The Diana, Clinton, and Delaware are clear of rot; also the Franklin. With proper drainage, I don't think the Rogers's Seedlings will be more subject to rot than the Concord, Catawba, or Garrigues.

The Ott pear is in perfection now, and is the best eating pear I have known, unless it be the Seckel, which is not ripe here now. I think the Ott will be found to ripen before instead of after the Seckel, when the trees get older; and this will show why they deem it so poor at the West, as their trees are young and thrifty, and do not ripen perfect fruit yet. The Kirtland, now ripe, is not equal to the Ott, nor is the Lodge. I fear but few from the South can attend the Fruit Congress this fall. I have many other things I wish to say, but must stop.

8th Month, 21st, 1862. As ever, in haste, thy friend, OLIVER Taylor.

[We hope that no reverses of our army will render another change in your post-office necessary. - Like you, we are always glad to hear of the weather and fruit from all sections, and we presume our readers share this feeling in common. We too have had a drought of much severity, and on the 2d of September a sharp frost, followed by much heat, and within a couple of days many vines that had up to that time escaped were badly affected with mildew and rot, particularly in low and exposed places. We have noticed a little mildew on two of Rogers's Seedlings; and here we would again repeat our opinion, that no grape vine, under certain conditions, can claim immunity from it. Certain kinds will be more affected than others from constitutional causes, and it is well to know this. Fruit is very abundant here, but, on the whole, not as fair as usual, especially apples. We are glad to hear your good opinion of the Ott; it is undoubtedly a pear of much excellence. We have seen the Kirtland in great perfection, and think it will be esteemed. Take another opportunity of saying what yon have left unsaid now.

We are always glad to hear from you. - ED].