104 THE FLORIST. 



5. Chasselas Musqu^. 



Synonyms : Josling's St. Alban's (according to some) ; Wil- 

 mot's New Muscat. 



Bunch rather large, broadly shouldered and rather loose ; berry 

 middle-sized, round ; skin thin, dull yellowish green, thinly covered 

 with a whitish bloom ; pulp juicy and highly flavoured, resembling 

 the White Muscat in the latter particular, but inferior to that sort ; 

 the leaves are middle-sized, smooth, and rather thin in texture. 



The merit of this otherwise valuable Grape is much lessened by 

 an unfortunate tendency in the skin to a^ack when just on the point 

 of ripening. I have had very fine bunches so much disfigured by this 

 defect, that when quite ripe they were totally unfit to send to table. 

 Possibly if the vines were planted inside of the house, where the 

 supply of moisture to their roots would be under control, the fruit 

 might be less liable to this failing. As regards its name, this Grape 

 has acquired some notoriety. In the first place, it was sold some 

 years since at a high price as a new Muscat ; and latterly it is said 

 to have obtained another new title — that of Josling's St. Alban's. 

 Respecting the latter, however, it is no more than fair towards Mr. 

 Josling to state, that previous to selling what he still maintains was 

 a seedling Grape, he submitted the fruit to the inspection of compe- 

 tent judges, who did not recognise it to be the Chasselas Musque, 

 nor is it yet clearly ascertained, although strongly suspected, that 

 the two are identical. Even if such should eventually prove to be 

 the case, those who know how difficult it sometimes is to identify a 

 single specimen of any sort of fruit, will readily excuse the mistake. 



6. Black St. Peters. 



Synonyms, according to Horticultural Society's Catalogue : 

 Saint Peter's, Black Palestine, Oldaker's West's St. 

 Peter's. 



Bunch large, generally having wide shoulders ; the pedicels being 

 short, the berries stand out stiffly, without drooping ; berry rather 

 above the middle size, nearly round in shape ; skin thin, intensely 

 black, and covered wuth a fine bloom ; pulp very juicy, not highly 

 but agreeably flavoured, its sweetness being nicely blended with a 

 little acidity, and this pleasant briskness is not dissipated by long 

 keeping; the young wood is dark brown, and short -jointed ; the 

 leaves are bright green when young, becoming deeply tinted with 

 crimson-purple in autumn, smooth and shining ; petioles short. 



An excellent very late Grape, perhaps the best in cultivation, but 

 requiring a warm vinery to ripen it in perfection. When well ma- 

 tured by the beginning of November, it will hang upon the vine till 

 the end of the following February. It was first brought prominently 

 into notice by Mr. Oldaker (then gardener to Sir Joseph Banks, at 

 Spring Grove), who wrote a description of it in the Horticultural 

 Transactions, under the name of " West's St. Peter's." Some years 

 afterwards the Mr. Money before alluded to advertised for sale a 

 different Grape (see No. 7) by the same name, and that created 

 considerable confusion, which was increased rather than abated by 

 Mr. Loudon, in the Gardeners' Magazine, designating one of these 



