iSyi.] LARGE BUNCHES OF GRAPES. 313 



cess by which we force the smaller-bunching varieties of Grape-vines 

 to produce enormous bunches, surely it did not require such a big 

 list of big vegetables and big fruits to prove that I had made a big 

 mistake. The Codling-and-Crab question might have sufficed to settle 

 the point. I will answer it by asking Mr Simpson if he is aware of 

 any process — except the natural one of cross-breeding — by which nature 

 can be bent so far out of her track as to make the Crab assume the 

 size of the Codlin. Will Golding's manure, the extension system, cor- 

 don training, or any " horrid practices we horticulturists are up to," 

 lead to that result 1 



That the hybridiser has assisted nature in giving us improved var- 

 ieties of vegetables and fruits, both as regards size and flavour, is too 

 well known to need mentioning. But nature received only assistance 

 in a path she already was disposed to go ; had she refused her co-opera- 

 tion, art could never have subdued her " into such obese types of 

 race." Does Mr Simpson consider obeseness in fruits and vegetables 

 of more importance than flavour 1 Is it not a fact that large coarse- 

 grown vegetables are inferior in flavour to those of medium size 1 It 

 would appear that rabbits — and they are not very particular as to what 

 they eat — reject coarse herbage for that of moderate growth. Does 

 not strong-grown Celery lose the nutty flavour so much prized in 

 that vegetable ? 



Is it not a violation of natural laws to force, by any cultural process, 

 medium-sized types of race into obese types 1 Do we not lose some 

 important natural quality for the sake of superabundant fatness, 

 which I take to be the meaning of obeseness? The very word sounds of 

 bad flavour. To come to the big-bun ch-of-Grapes question ; would 

 Mr Simpson prefer a bunch of Syrian to a bunch of Muscat of Alexan- 

 dria for dessert? or suppose a Black Hamburg cane 14 feet long, having 

 upon it 30 lb. of Grapes, would he prefer that weight represented by five 

 bunches 6 lb. each, or by ten bunches 3 lb. each? and would he prefer 

 the former to the latter for general purposes? and, keeping in view the 

 longevity and continued fruitfulness of the plants, does he consider 

 the former the better system of cropping ? I prefer the latter, for this 

 reason, medium-sized bunches generally swell finer berries both in size 

 and flavour : they keep better than the large bunches ; they are more 

 handy when they come to be dished for dessert ; they look better on 

 the dining-table ; and, finally, the Vines will continue to produce them 

 without becoming exhausted for a longer period. J. H. 



[The question at issue between our correspondents is one of importance, and 

 well worthy of temperate discussion. — Ed,] 



