JUNE. 171 



multitude of authorities giving advice, pause before they venture to 

 start with such uncertain guides. 



Sorts to select. — The ambitious in this way generally want to make 

 a vast display in having a number of sorts ; one great cause of failure 

 is growing too many kinds in the same house. Hamburghs, Muscats, 

 and Frontignans, St. Peter's, early and late kinds, strong growers and 

 weak, are huddled together in one house ; thence comes mischief 

 Now by far the the best Grape for nearly every purpose is the Black 

 Hamburgh. Never mind about Mill Hills, Richmond Villas, Victorias, 

 or Popes ; the original old Black Hamburgh is quite as good as any of 

 the new kinds, if not better ; so for general purposes stick to the old 

 Hamburgh — for a black Grape for use from May to January. But a 

 few white Grapes are also required to vary the dessert, or help the 

 sale ; so plant at one end of the house a few Royal Lluscadines, or 

 Dutch Sweetwaters ; one-third the quantity of black Grapes planted 

 will be ample. I recommend planting them by themselves, because, 

 if mixed with the strong-gi'owing Hamburghs, the latter will outgrow 

 and starve them ; so keep them at one end. 



Now, supposing very late Grapes are required, say in January, why 

 then, the Hamburghs I have been praising up would not keep so well 

 as some ; and therefore (but mind, they must have a house by them- 

 selves) the West's St. Peter's, and Barbarossa, filling two parts of the 

 house with the former kind, as being rather higher in flavour, and a 

 more prolific bearer. Here, then, you have the cream of black Grapes, 

 so far as productiveness and quality combined are in question. Now 

 for a late white Grape. There is nothing better than the Muscat ; 

 and this Grape, too, should have an apartment to itself, for it requires 

 more fire-heat than any other ; and its good qualities repay the ex- 

 pense of fire heat. Frontignans, and several other kinds, are fine 

 Grapes, for flavour, but may be handed over to those who do not mind 

 expense and room. You have, therefore, the Hamburgh, West's St. 

 Peter's and the Barbarossa for black Grapes ; and the Royal Muscadine, 

 Sweetwater, and Muscat for white — six sorts, which, with few special 

 exceptions, are quite enough to grow for profitable uses. 



I next take soil, or compost in which to gi'ow them ; and here again 

 simplicity is the rule. It has been demonstrated over and over again, 

 that turfy loam, a little road grit, or old mortar, and a little well-rotten 

 dung, horse, cow or pig dung, it does not matter which, are all that are 

 really required to grow first-rate Grapes. Old pasture turf cannot 

 always be had, but in most places a few loads can be obtained fi-om 

 waste grounds, commons, or sides of roads ; it should not be clayey, nor 

 yet too sandy, but something between the two, dug not more than three 

 or four inches deep, and stacked up for two or three months, for the 

 grassy part to decay. One cart-load of old mortar, or scrapings of 

 towns, will be plenty to four or five of the above, except the loam is 

 very heavy, when a little more may be added, and the same quantity 

 of the manure ; chop up the turf, and mix the whole together when in 

 a dry state. Mind, never meddle with these materials when wet. 



A Gardener in the Country. 



