216 THE GARDENER. [May 



doubtful, and far from conclusive. J. S. quotes next from the Statistics of 

 the Scottish Meteorological Society. It will be seen at a glance that these quot- 

 ations are the greatest extremes he could cull over a number of years, and are no 

 criterion whatever of what the climate can produce. But after all, while it 

 would be gratifying to know the circumstances under which Vines succeed abroad, 

 it is no sure criterion for the British horticulturist, as the Vines under his care 

 are home-raised, and inured to forcing ; and it has long been our opinion that 

 hothouse Grapes, as they are generally termed, owe (to a great extent) their 

 superior excellence to the artificial and comparatively equable temperature in 

 which they are grown, secure from extremes and vicissitudes, to which those in 

 the open air everywhere are exposed. It will be observed that J. S. has mod- 

 ified his statements considerably in the April number. His argument is, as he 

 states it : I am not going to quote it in full, it can be referred to. He sees no 

 reason why Vines should be injured by a minimum temperature of 50° or 45° in 

 certain circumstances. In the December number he predicted that if Ijis reas- 

 oning was correct, if they were not allowed to fall to the above temj)erature, 

 the end woidd be in the aggregate failure, ruin, and death. The only stage he 

 referred to in his former paper was when Muscats were in bloom. In the April 

 paper this is modified to the early stages of forcing, or "up to" the setting 

 period. Now this is the period where both the night and day temperature are 

 kept at their highest during the whole forcing season, and Muscats are, and have 

 always been, recognised as the Vines that require most heat. 



It will thus be seen that J. S. made his first attack on the very stronghold of 

 forcing. He has been beaten back now behind the setting period. It will also 

 be observed that he contents himself now by holding that he recommended a 

 minimum of 50° for Vines, Muscats not being specially mentioned on the last 

 occasion. If this means anything, it means that J. S. is retreating as quietly as 

 possible out of the position he took up in December. 



This will be more apparent when we take a glance at his treatment of the 

 vineries under his charge with which he has been kind enough to favour us in 

 his last paper. He says, "Our early vinery is allowed to fall to 50° or 55° 

 before sunrise in clear frosty weather up till the setting time, and our maximum 

 night temperature for Muscats is 65°, often falling to 60° before morning. In 

 mild dull weather this practice is modified considerably ; the temperature is 

 neither so high by day nor so low at night : " which means most likely that in 

 mild dull weather his minimum temperature may range from 5° to 10° higher. 

 This is pretty near the practice of all judicious cultivators of the Vine, and we 

 think forms a very good reason why he is not prepared to haul out his boilers 

 and pipes. This is the nut cracked, and lo ! it is nothing but an empty shell. 

 J. S. asks for conclusive statements. What could be more conclusive than 

 that a man proposes a system to others which he does not adopt himself ? 

 Nothing could be more conclusive than that the practice above referred to is 

 pursued by every successful Vine-grower of the day; and if the article written 

 by J. S. in the December number had passed unchallenged, many employers, who 

 trust more to what emanates from these periodicals than to the judgments of 

 their gardeners, would be apt to think that their gardeners were wasting their 

 coals, their Vines, and their money to no pixrpose. 



No gardener need be told that early forcing is deteriorating to Vines ; but 

 there are many instances in the country of Vines that have been forced early for 

 a very considerable number of years, and still come up to time with a very tidy 

 crop. I had a house at one time under my charge that had been started in 

 December for weU-uigh fifteen years. The first fire was put on on the 1st 



