i88i.] THE GRAPE-VINE CONTROVERSY. 557 



although fungologists who have given attention to the subject, hope 

 tar more from isolation from infection than from constitutional resist- 

 ance of disease, promoted by healthy culture and the judicious selection 

 of healthy seed. 



A gentleman whose vocation in connection with art and science 

 brings him in frequent contact with the great critic and philanthro- 

 pist Ruskin, called on us the other day to talk about the subject of 

 fruit-culture. In answer to an inquiry, he said that if the great 

 modern philosopher entertained any particular opinions on the sub- 

 ject of horticulture, they were in favour of its simplification and exten- 

 sion, so as to confer the greatest amount of benefit on the greatest 

 number of people. Our visitor said, speaking for himself, that he w^as 

 of that opinion also, and he thought much was written on the subject 

 of horticulture that was calculated to mystify if not to absolutely 

 deter people from attempting gardening in many branches, and being 

 a reader of horticultural papers, he instanced statements that corrobo- 

 rated this opinion. The gardening papers were, he said, like the 

 ' Pall Mall Gazette,' written for gentlemen more than for the general 

 public and those who were interested in horticulture as an industry, 

 not to mention the number of humble persons who were concerned in 

 the subject. When our visitor called, we had just a few minutes pre- 

 viously received the weekly copy of a contemporary from the post- 

 man, and had been reading the following statement by a writer, to 

 the effect that, "in order to insure success for any reasonable length 

 of time " with Pears on walls and on the natural stock, " it is an abso- 

 lute necessity in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred " to have bor- 

 ders 30 feet wide, 3 feet deep, concreted if needful, and composed of 

 good heavy loam ! Pointing the passage out, we observed : " This, we 

 suppose, is what you mean 1 " "Just so," was the reply ; "such pre- 

 paration and expense, if credited, would render the culture of Pears 

 an impossibility in ninety-nine cases in a hundred.'^ The author of 

 the passage was, of course, talking perfect nonsense — unconsciously 

 maybe, but still nonsense ; but we do meet with the like very fre- 

 quently. Reader. 



THE GRAPE-VINE CONTROVERSY. 



LOW TEMPERATURES FOR SETTING MUSCAT GRAPES. 



It is well the author of the "leader" in last month's 'Gardener' has laid so 

 lucidly before the readers of this journal the true bearings of "low night" 

 and high day temperature on the setting of Grapes, and Muscats in particular, 

 for I am afraid the advocates of low night-temperature are overlooking the 

 part played by the "higher day-temperature," iu effecting for them thohe 

 splendid "sets" they speak about. I don't wish it to be inferred from this, 

 that I want to run down "cool night-temperatures." On the contrary — 



