560 ■ THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



GOLDEN CHAMPION GRAPE. 



It is pleasing to learn that this fine Grape is holding its own 

 where cultivators have learned its requirements. But where there 

 is prejudice and absence of patience with those who have attempted 

 to grow it and have failed, this Goliath among White Grapes will 

 be shown no quarter ! 



Among those who have been successful with its culture, ]\Ir Fin- 

 lay, gardener to Colonel North, at Wroxton Abbey, in this county, 

 appears to be well advanced. In Mr Hibberd's report in * The 

 Gardener's Magazine,' of the last fine show held at Banbury, the 

 Golden Champion excited great admiration, Mr Finlay having 

 produced marvellously fine examples and exhibited them in his col- 

 lection of fruit. All his dishes are said to have been fine, but his 

 " Champions " out-distanced all others, and made quite a feature 

 in the exhibition - tent. What the preventive from spotting is, it 

 would be of great interest to learn. 



Dry air circulating through the Vinery while the fruit is finishing, 

 I can endorse as being a very important matter. Another thing 

 worthy of attention is to secure fibry roots instead of those very 

 fat white ones which must pump up large quantities of water into 

 the berries ; and we know that, when this is the case, there is an 

 absence of saccharine matter, hence the non-keeping quality of the 

 fruit. The Golden Champion is planted in two Vineries here (the 

 borders are comparatively new, and appear to have been made by 

 those who understood their work), and one lot of fruit ripened 

 early in June, and were sent to London along with Foster's Seed- 

 ling and Black Hambros. They were ripened when the weather was 

 dry and warm, a current of air passing through the house night 

 and day. The fruit all finished well, and the Champions were very 

 large in berry, of fine colour without a spot, and they appeared as 

 if they would have kept well. The wood was of moderate growth ; 

 the foliage large and firm. The other lot of Champions were ripened 

 in August ; the sun shining on them seldom for weeks together, and 

 almost continued rains, seemed to be much against the quality of the 

 fruit. These Vines were gross in wood and leaf; the berries were very 

 large, but did not colour well. They began to show black spots 

 as the process of ripening went on, and shortly after they were ripe 

 shrivelling began to appear. But the fruit were all sent to table 

 without loss ; and from the great size of the berries, and the refreshing 

 flavour, they gave great satisfaction. The results were very different 

 in these two Vineries, though a glass partition only separated the 

 Vines, and there were two months between the period of their ripen- 



