CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 



509 



to the Duke of Newcastle, at Clumber 

 Park, as foreman of the forcini,^ depffrtment, 

 I used to visit "Welbeck, Willersley, Chats- 

 worth, Shobdon Court, and other places, 

 where vine cuhure in pots was carried on 

 systematical!}', and can assure Mr. Dougal 

 that, although that mode is successful in a 

 high degree, yet amateurs, and practical 

 gardeners, have been led to expect too 

 much from it, particularly as detailed in 

 Mearn's Treatise on Vines in Pots. The 

 system of Mr. Patrick Flannigan, late 

 gardener to Sir T. Hare, Stow Hall, Nor- 

 folk, for the production of early grapes, I 

 should decidedly recommend, in preference 

 to Pot Culture. When houses are estab- 

 lished on his plan, they have the merit 

 of answering, equally well, as the pot sys- 

 tem ; and being permanent, vineries now 

 exist at the above mentioned place which 

 were planted 30 years since by the late P. 

 Flannigan, and are still producing splendid 

 crops of fruit, and ripening them in March. 

 In the eastern counties of England, this 

 plan is universally followed, particularly at 

 the Bracondale horticultural establishment 

 of Mr. Bell, the most extensive grape cul- 

 tivator in Great Britain, where tons of the 

 finest fruit is produced, and a supply all 

 the year is kept up. 



Should this meet with your approval, I 

 may, at some other time, give an outline of 

 the above method ; but perhaps something 

 like it may be detailed in Mr. Allen's trea- 

 tise, that you have noticed, which I have 

 not had the pleasure of seeing. 



Tiie following varieties I am inclined to 

 recommend, as most suitable for pot cul- 

 ture, after having tested all the varieties 

 extant, with the exception of what may 

 have made their appearance in the last four 

 years, viz : Chasselas Precoce, Royal Mus- 

 cadine, Black Hamburgh, Black Damascus, 

 (true,) Black Prince^ " Clay Hall Seedling,'" 



(half the berry white, half black, — this is a 

 superb grape ;) New Dutch Sweet Water, 

 Cambridge Botanic Garden, and Grove End 

 Sioeet IVater. The Frontignans — Black, 

 White, and Grizzly, do very well. Last, 

 but not least, let me say a word of the 

 " Cochin China." This grape was intro- 

 duced into England by Sir Ousely Gore, 

 Bar't, British ambassador to the Persian 

 court at Ispahan, by whom it was sent to 

 the Earl of Egremont, at Petworth House, 

 in Sussex. Two 3'ears ago, it was only 

 grown at Petworth, Lord Wharncliffb's, 

 Wortley Hall, Yorkshire, and at Stradsett 

 Park, the seat of Wm. Bagge, Esq., M. P., 

 Norfolk. It was not in the possession of 

 any one else, not even in that of the Londoii 

 Horticultural Society, in whose Catalogue 

 the Cochin China is described as a black 

 grape; whereas, this is a white one, and, 

 when fully ripe, it assumes a beautiful am- 

 ber colour. It has a long bunch, well 

 shouldered up; the berry is of a long oval 

 shape; the flavor is of first quality. The 

 Cochin China, in short, is one of the earli- 

 est grapes known, and as prolific and hardy 

 as a Black Hamburgh, if not more so. It 

 sets well, in a very low temperature, where 

 the Black Hamburgh will not ; and when 

 it comes to be known, it will become as 

 universal a favorite as the Black Ham- 

 burgh now is. This new variety is now in 

 the hands of Mr. John Smith, nurseryman, 

 5th and Buttonwood-street, Philadelphia, 

 and one of the best " practical demonstra- 

 tors" of vine culture in the United States ; 

 as was exemplified by him, when gardener 

 to the late Nicholas Biddle, Esq., Anda- 

 lusia, Bucks county. Pa. Mr. S. will have 

 it in bearing year after next, permanently. 

 Last j-ear he fruited a plant in a pot, to test 

 it, and was so well satisfied of its superi- 

 ority, that he inarched it on a fine vine of 

 the Zinfindal variety. This plant stood in 



