1873.] JOTTINGS ABOUT SOME OF OUR NEW GRAPES. 243 



Gros Oolman. — A. fine-looking late grape, of commanding appearance. The 

 bunches are very symmetrical, of medium size, very compact ; the berries of the 

 largest size, the colour jet-black, the bloom perfect. The constitution is strong, 

 but the flavour is not fine till quite ripe, when it improves very much. Its 

 principal merits are its keeping qualities, and fine appearance. 



Muscat Hamburgh. — Where it succeeds, this is one of the grandest of all 

 grapes, producing large bunches and large berries ; I have grown and shown it 

 upwards of 7 lb. weight. Its flavour is exquisite, particularly when it is allowed 

 to hang till it begins to shrivel. It appears to do best on a warm, aiirated, or 

 newly-formed border of turf, which is much the same as an artificially aiirated 

 border, the air penetrating freely to every part of it, and consequently increasing 

 its temperature. When the border gets old and solid, it necessarily becomes 

 colder, and the Muscat Hamburgh under this condition does not thrive so well 

 on its own roots. It does best grafted on the Black Hamburgh. This season the 

 berries were one-third larger on the grafted plants ; but for a few years after the 

 borders were first formed, the bunches and berries were largest where grown on 

 its own roots. 



Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat. — This is another new grape which has a good 

 many admirers. When well grown, the bunches are large, the hemes above 

 medium size, and when quite ripe a limited amount of Muscat flavour is observ- 

 able. It has a robust constitution, hangs well, and will be useful as a late 

 keeper. It has the defect of seldom colouring well, and takes a long time to ripen 

 thoroughly, requiring fully as much heat as a Muscat of Alexandria to mature it 

 — a serious drawback in these days of high-priced coal. 



Muscat Champion. — A really useful variety, with stumpy bunches and large 

 berries. The flavour is a fine strong Muscat ; but its grizzly-brown colour is 

 against it as regards appearance, and its constitution is not good. 



Golden Champion. — A grape which has an extraordinary combination of 

 good points, but, unfortunately, it has one serious defect — its liability to spot 

 when ripening, arising from its thin, delicate skin. If it had not this fault, no 

 grape would stand higher amongst cultivators, or be more extensively grown. It 

 has a fine constitution, the bunches are above medium size, the berries of the 

 largest size, the flesh melting, the flavour, when quite ripe, exquisite, distinct from, 

 if not superior to that of every other grape. I almost escaped the spot this sea- 

 son, by keeping it in a drier atmosphere than usual during the period of ripening. 



Duke of Buccleuch. — Equal in every respect to the Golden Champion, but 

 without its fault. I have frequently had opportunities of seeing this fine grape, 

 both at the Tweedside vineyard and elsewhere, and have no hesitation in placing 

 it a long way in advance of any of the new grapes I have met with. 



The qualities we want most, and which we must look out for carefully in our 

 new seedling grapes are : — Sound constitution, vigorous growth, compact moderate- 

 sized bunches, with large berries, melting flesh, fine flavour, and free setters — 

 avoiding all varieties that are liable to crack when ripening. A full crop of good 



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