AUGUST. 229 



crop of her on two years old plants, both for size and quantity, was 

 wonderful. The leaves of the plants were tied back to let in the sun, 

 and the heavy crop of fruit was suspended on lines of string, which is 

 the best way to colour her to her tips. Bricks, slates, and glass burn 

 the stems and calyx. Evidently the Queen, where properly cultivated, 

 is one of the best croppers. She likes strong and highly manured land, 

 deeply trenched. Mr. Tatchell Bullen, who lives below Bridport, told 

 me, that in his strong ground, the British Queen grew into large 

 bushes, and cropped wonderfully. I have had one of my large plants 

 photographed by Mr. Rogers of Blandford. The plant had 278 berries, 

 the greater part of which were ripe, and some over ripe. I believe it 

 to be Keens' Seedling, though, from the pubescence of its stems and the 

 height and size of the plant, Mr. Ingram thinks it is not. I have 

 fifteen ranks of it, two feet apart, and, when Viscount Curzon was here 

 to see my Roses, he counted the stems of one plant, and found it had 

 twenty-five. The plants are two years old, and were planted with 

 peat charcoal. The portrait of the plant was taken by the expressed 

 wish of my kind friend, Monsieur F. Gloede, for whom it is designed, 

 on his arrival at Rushton. 



W. F. Radclyfpe. 



NOTES, QUERIES, AND ANSWERS. 

 In reply to " Grape Grower " — Budding Vines is no modern practice ; 

 our recollection of its being practised goes back 25 years. Vines may 

 be budded from this season to March next, with the almost certainty 

 of their producing fruit from the same buds next season, provided the 

 buds are sufficiently ripened when inserted, and the stock is headed 

 back, to give them a fair chance. The operation requires great nicety, 

 as you must insert a part of the wood with the eye, and cut a corre- 

 sponding piecS of the bark of the stock to insert^he bud, taking great 

 care that the eye inserted fits very closely the incision made to receive 

 it. Our plan is to take a piece of the wood containing the eye to be 

 budded, with about a quarter of an inch of wood above and below the 

 eye, split the wood down the middle, make the cut smooth, and square 

 the ends. We then cut a corresponding piece out of the bark of the 

 stock, which must be done very cleanly, so as not to rupture the bark ; 

 then fit in the eye, and bind up closely with gummed tape or matting, 

 using a little clay or not, as you please. If the stock at the time of 

 budding can be partly cut back it will assist the buds taking, which in 

 ordinary cases, and on young stocks, will soon he the case. We have 

 found the best stocks to be the West's St. Peter's, Hamburgh, Black 

 Damascus, Barbarossa, or, indeed, any strong vigorous growing Vine, 

 excepting the Cannon Hall, on which we could never make buds take 

 well. Budding Vines in a similar manner to Roses we never saw 

 practised, nor do we think it practicable, but the plan detailed is 

 simple and safe. We should say a well ripened bud, inserted now or 

 in September, on a healthy stock, and the top cut down to the eyes 

 next winter, would produce fruit next autumn to a certainty. 



