Your correspondent speaks first of grape houses, but does not agree with Mr. Saunders in his "belief that a curvilinear roof does not in itself possess any important advantages, and that the gain of more light and less opacity (which he is willing to admit) is the only superiority which such houses possess." He adds, "for myself, I am strongly in favor of curvilinear houses, being satisfied, from my experience and observations, that they not only do possess 'important advantages' over right-lined houses, but are not so much more expensive as Mr. Saunders seems to believe." Now I wish to record my assent to what Mr. Saunders says, and my dissent from the opinion of Mr. Eaton. The experience of a quarter of a century confirms all the facts as stated in my grape culture, relating to position, lean-to or span-roofed houses, as also to the compost for the border. Houses fronting S.S.E. to S.S.W. are the best placed. Grapes, to do well, must have a good soil, and if the natural soil is not suitable,'it must be removed and other substituted. I care not whether this be sod from an old pasture, or compost of loam, leaf-mould, stable-manure and decomposed carcasses of animals.

Inexperienced persons would do well to use in their compost nothing but decayed matter, either animal or vegetable; hundreds of fruit trees are yearly destroyed by planting them in green manure. Amateurs have read that pears require a rich soil; consequently, the trees are obtained, the hole dug, a barrow of fresh cow, or stable, or still worse, hog-pen manure is placed by the hole, the tree is planted and covered with this manure, and the soil filled in over all. No tree can live with such treatment; the roots are as effectually killed as if burned in the fire. The same result will take place if a dead animal is buried near the roots of a tree or vine, so that in decomposing the liquid comes in contact with the roots. If placed in the border, all green manures or animal substances must be put under the surface, where they will not be reached by the roots the first year.

Mr. Eaton asks what is the difference in the Royal Muscadine and the Chasselas de Fontainbleau, and it is to this query and some others to which I care mainly to reply.

This is his language: " I should like to be positively resolved whether there is a Royal Muscadine, which is distinct from and superior to the Chasselas de Fontainbleau. It is contended by some that there is such a grape. I suppose that there is little if any doubt that what are usually sold for Chasselas de Fontainbleau, Golden Chasselas and Royal Muscadine, together with two or three other names, are identically the same. If some of your correspondents who possess the so-called genuine Royal Muscadine will give an account of its peculiarities, and a sketch of its history, if possible, I have no doubt that it would tend to clear away some of the confusion which now seems to exist respecting it".

Having grown these varieties for many years, and described them in my Grape Culture, I have naturally been led by the above communication to refer to my account of them. The Royal Muscadine is there fully described, and I can add nothing at this time. Under the head of White Nice, this grape is mentioned as having bunches like the Royal Muscadine. The Xeres, a grape introduced as a new one about ten years since, as the sherry-wine grape of Spain, has proved to be the same as the White Nice. I have never been able fully to satisfy myself that there was really any permanent difference between the White Nice and the Royal Muscadine; yet the form of the bunch is often quite different, the berry of the Royal Muscadine larger than the Nice, the Royal Muscadine having its bunch shouldered on both sides and very thick, while the Nice has only one shoulder, usually, and sets its berries thinly, occasionally forming a bunch so closely resembling the Muscadine as to continue the doubt The berries in both are round and white, turning to amber when over ripe, and usually rather larger in the Muscadine. Flavor the same as in all the Chasselas, that is, Sweet Water. I think the White Nice to be the grape grown in Canada as Canadian Chief. The Early White Muscadine is like Chasselas, rather smaller berry, and ripens a few days earlier.

The Black St. Peters is a very fine grape. You probably over-cropped the vine. Before discarding it, allow the vine to mature a very small crop, say five or six bunches, and train it on the spur system.

The Chasselas Mosque can be grown without cracking. This season, in the forcing-house, a vine produced a good crop without the loss of a dozen grapes. When the fruit begins to ripen, allow the laterals to grow, and all the young wood shoots; this uses up the surplus sap, which, if they were pruned, would cause an over-supply to the grape, and cause it to crack.