MAY. 101 



eight more may be grown against south-aspected v;alls in the south- 

 ern parts of the kingdom, with some probabihty of the fruit acquiring 

 an eatable state of ripeness in favourable seasons. 



In the subjoined list all the most esteemed varieties are noticed, 

 with the exception of a few new sorts, whose merits have been highly 

 extolled by some persons, but which have not yet been sufficiently 

 tested to warrant me in recommending them. 

 1. Black Hamburgh . 



Synonyms, according to Horticultural Society's Catalogue : 

 Warner's, Warner's Black Hamburgh, Purple Hamburgh, 

 Red Hamburgh, Brown Hamburgh, Dutch Hamburgh, 

 Hampton-Court Vine, Valentine's, Gibraltar, Black Gib- 

 raltar, Black Portugal (of some), Black TenerifFe, Salisbury 

 Violet, Victoria, Admiral, Frankendale, Frankenthaler, 

 Frankenthaler Gros Noir, Trollinger, Blue Trollinger, Pale- 

 wooded Trollinger, TroUer, Languedoc, Malvasior (of 

 some).* 

 Bunch large when well-grown, and then the shoulders are large 

 also ; berry large, varying slightly in form, but generally nearly 

 round, and sometimes there are little flat spaces on the sides as though 

 the berry had been hammered ; the skin is thick, dull black, toler- 

 ably well covered with bloom ; pulp sweet and very agreeable, but 

 not highly flavoured ; juicy when just in perfection, but after hanging 

 on the vine a month or so after ripeness, part of the juice exhales, 

 and the pulp becomes much more fleshy. The leaves are large, 

 coarsely serrated, smooth. On vigorous vines the young wood is 

 strong, and more pithy than that of many other sorts. 



Unquestionably this is the most useful black Grape in cultivation, 

 and its merit is in a manner indicated by the numerous names it has 

 received, for it is the fate of every superior variety of fruit to be re- 

 peatedly renamed and resold by ignorant or interested persons. Of 

 the synonyms given above, that of Frankenthaler appears to be the 

 name by which this Grape is generally known in Germany ; Ham- 

 burgh is therefore merely a provisional name, taken from the town 

 it is supposed to have been obtained from. It is maintained by 

 many that two or more distinct varieties of the Black Hamburgh 

 are cultivated, while others, again, assert that no greater differences 

 exist than might have been caused by dissimilar soils and manage- 

 ment. Without attempting to decide this vexatious question, I would 

 suggest that those who suppose they possess distinct varieties should 

 graft them all upon one vine, when accordingly as the supposed dif- 

 ferences are found to be permanent or transient, the dispute would 

 be decided. One of these subvarieties has lately been loudly trum- 

 peted under the name of " Wilmot's New Black Hamburgh," which 

 some, again, say is nothing more than the old Dutch Hamburgh. Con- 

 nected with this question the following fact may be worth mention- 

 ing. Several years since, the late Mr. Wilmot of Isleworth was em- 

 ployed by a gentleman in this neighbourhood to superintend the 



* I have omitted about a dozen names, chiefly German, as it is not supposed 

 that any Englishman will ever try to pronounce them. 



