I873-] THE GRAPE VINE. 513 



we have tried surpasses old Amplexicaulis for effect ; indeed it is the 

 only variety that claims special observation. I was surprised on being 

 informed recently it had been discarded in some districts, as where it 

 does well, as it certainly does here, I consider it a most telling variety; 

 and if the plants are judiciously arranged, their massive spikes of 

 bloom impart tone to a whole border. Golden Gem is also well worthy 

 of a place, being evidently capable of doing its part in the roughest 

 weather. A bed of it has for some time been a thicket of bloom, and, 

 from the continual appearance of buds, appears to be but beginning. 

 The crimson and dark sorts, such as Ambassador, Garibaldi, and others, 

 we reserve for pot-culture, as they were not found to be satisfac- 

 tory for bedding, on account of the damage they sustained in stormy 

 weather. Probably I may already have made too great inroads on 

 your valuable space, and may send notes on other bedding plants here 

 with your permission on a future occasion. D. Mackie. 



ISLAY. 



THE GRAPE VINE. 



VINERY FOR LATE GRAPES. 



Having shown that a lean-to vinery facing due south is the best 

 form for early forcing, under this head I have no hesitation in saying 

 that for the same reasons that I have recommended the lean-to for 

 winter forcing, when the sun is only a short time above the horizon, 

 the span-roofed vinery running north and south is best for the ripen- 

 ing of Grapes, say after the middle of July. A span-roofed house in 

 this position gets the benefit of sunshine longer in summer than does 

 the lean-to. The east side gets the morning sun, at noon the 

 whole roof is exposed to it, and on till late in the evening the west 

 side is exposed to the sun, when it would merely be shining on the 

 end of a lean-to. Besides this, a span-roofed house, from 20 to 24 

 feet wide, encloses a larger volume of air than a lean-to of the same 

 width, and this is of much importance in Vine-culture. In large airy 

 houses Grapes are better flavoured, are more fleshy, and consequently 

 hang better through the winter. After considerable experience in 

 Grape-growing in lean-to houses, ranging from G feet wide to what 

 may be termed large airy vineries, I unhesitatingly recommend that 

 they be built large and roomy. Besides the reasons already named, 

 large vineries can be fired to a given temperature more steadily than 

 small ones, because a large volume of air is not so easily influenced by 

 external variations of temperature, just the same as a thin wedge of 

 iron is sooner heated and sooner cooled than a thick one. Fig. 18 re- 

 presents a span-roofed vinery of the dimensions I recommend for ripen- 



