Jaonary 18, 1872. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



59 



overtook us, aud iuquii-ed if the mountain before us was Mal- 

 gurdie, to which we replied in the affirmative. Were we going 

 to ascend it ? We were thinking of it. Would we accept his 

 company ? Yes. 



We started. The first half-mile or so was land pai-tly en- 

 closed, then nearly a mile of Grasses, Bents, aud Heather, aud 

 then we know not how many miles of Heather before we came 

 to the rocks which had tumbled down from the cliffs. Li the 

 ascent we took a short rest about every 500 feet, and these 

 rests, together mth suncb-y ckaughts of the Scotch beveriige, 

 enabled us to ascend with less fatigue. We met with four 

 Lycopods — Lycopodium Selago, L. selagiuoides, L. clavatum, 

 aud L. alpiuum ; also the Scotch Crowberry (Empetruni scoti- 

 cum) , which we here saw for the first time in its native habitat. 

 We now set about exploring the rocks, met with A^accinium 

 uhginosiun, and then Coruus suecica. Oar joy at seeing this' 

 iilpiue gem in situ, for the first time in our' lives, was almost 

 xinbounded. Then Pseudathyrium alpestre, Lastrua dUatata 

 alpiua, and the HoUy Fern in plenty. We shouted ■' Bravo ! 

 Bravo ! " The Least Willow, Salix berbacea aud S. reticulata, 

 wore both there; then the Sibbaldia procumbens, Rhodiola 

 rosea, and a host of other alpine gems which it would be 

 too tedious to detail. 



We lingered among these rocks till after the sun had set, 

 and if we had possessed the power of the sou of Nun his solar 

 majesty would have stood still on the western mouutaius for 

 mauy an horn'. It was quite dark before we got to the foot of 

 the mountain, and we had some difficulty in fiuiling the road, 

 aloug which we had to tramp in the dark to Killiii. We rdti- 

 mately arrived at our quarters a Uttle before ten o'clock. — 

 I Extracted from Mr. Stamjield's notes read before the Todmorden 

 Botanical Society.) 



(To be coatmued.) 



THE SUCCESSION AND COMPAEATIVE MERITS 

 OF LATE GEAPES. 



Is common vrMi most gardeners, I am much interested in 

 the discussion of the merits of the newer late Grapes, and 

 pleased to see Mr. Donaldson biingmg Mrs. Pince so well 

 forward. Mr. Freeman's remarks will assist in fixing the 

 position of Madresfield Court Grape. Both are gi'aud Grapes 

 and late ; but there ai'e late, later, and latest Grapes. 



Now, for late Grapes to ripen and be in plump condition 

 after the Hambui'ghs, I should prefer Muscat Hamburgh and 

 Madresfield Court, both with about the same consistency of 

 skin, the former the smaller aud better flavoui-ed, the latter the 

 larger, and keeping its flavour longer. Each is in season until 

 the 1st of Januarj- — the Matbesfield Court even later. 



Of later Grapes I put Alicante first, and accompany it 

 with Mrs. Pince ; both will bridge over February well. The 

 tirst-uamed is the better-looking for bloom and colour, aud 

 carries its bloom persistently. Mrs. Pince, however, echpses it 

 in flavour, and is also lai'ger in berry. It is rather amusing to 

 bring to mind that on its debut Mrs. Pince was represented to 

 be of the size of the Black Prince. 



The latest section must be filled up with Lady Downe's, 

 without any other black Grape. It has a pai'ticular merit of 

 its own, which, with its other qualities, strUdugly fixes it as being 

 the best of the latest kinds — namely, its quality of improving 

 in flavour' with age. 



The keeping properties of the thi'ee sections mentioned above 

 do not seem to depend on the amormt of the saccharine 

 matter which they contain, as has been attempted to be shown 

 — the idea, no doubt, being taken with much plausibUity from 

 the results of the confectioner's ai't — but upon the compa- 

 rative thickness of the skin. Indeed, one of the demerits of 

 Lady Downe's, in the estimation of those who have most to 

 do with eating the berries, is that the skin is too thick, but 

 its keeping qusdities quite make amends for that. We may say 

 of it in the words of the old song — 



" Some say its beauty 's but skin dtep. 

 Its skill's so thick 'twill always keep." 

 I have a late viueiy planted with a Vine each of Madi-esfield 

 Court and Muscat Hamburgh, three Vines each of Alicante, 

 Mrs. Pince, aud Lady Downe's, all with their roots entii'ely inside, 

 aud all in the rudest health, aud I think there is an excellent 

 opportunity for making a comparison of the sorts. By far 

 the largest hemes iu the house are on ilrs. Pince, mauy of 

 them being li inch long by 1 inch wide, the flavour excellent, 

 but they are deficient of eolom- about the stalks. It sets iJer- 

 Jectly, quite unlike the Muscat Hambiu-gh. 



The finest-looking for colour and bloom, and perhaps shape 

 of bunch, is the Alicante. The strong point iu tire Mathesfield 

 Court is its adaptabOity for late autumn. For flavour I turn 

 to the Muscat Hambm-gh, leavmg out of account three Viues 

 of Bowood Muscat in the same house. 



This reminds me of white Grapes. I should like much to 

 hear something about the White Lady Downe's, whether its 

 properties are indeed equal to those of the black. I think it 

 deserves a thorough, and it must have an extensive, trial to 

 prove it. — W. D. C. 



PEACHES AND DEYING FEUITS IN DELAWARE 

 AND MAEYLAND. 



I iLLDE a visit in company with a few friends through a 

 portion of these States, and saw large orchards, from one hun- 

 cbed to over one thousand acres each. The quantity of fruit 

 was so large that the growers received but a small amoimt for 

 theii' labour. We visited one orchard of over one thousand 

 acres where all the fruit was canned, between five and sis 

 himilred hands were employed. They canned fom- thousand 

 baskets per day, and kept seven waggons employed carrying the 

 Peaches to the house. The cans were made on the place, and 

 all the workers, half or two-thirds females, were lodged and 

 boarded on the premises, the men and women iu separate 

 houses. The skins or peelings, and the poor and refuse 

 Peaches, were distilled on the place into brandy, making about 

 forty gallons per day on the average. 



At one of the 1 3wus there is a drj-ing estabUshmeut on a new 

 plan by steam. It is simply t;iking out the water, leaving the 

 fruit with its good flavoiu-, aud when wauted for use, add water 

 and sugar sufficient to be palatable. It takes four hours to 

 diy the fruit, eight bushels can be lUied in an hour by one 

 machine. They had two set of hands, one for the day and one 

 at night. All kinds of fruit and vegetables can be dried iu this 

 way. They commence with Strawberries and Raspberries, and 

 continue on mth other fruits until Peaches are ripe, after they 

 are done. They finish off with Tomatoes, green corn, and 

 Sweet Potatoes. A bushel of Tomatoes or Strawberries can be 

 pressed into a space of 6 or 8 inches square, which makes it 

 convenient for the ai'my and navy, aud for travellers. — C. D. 



SANDEINGHAM HOUSE.— No. 1. 



A FEW weeks ago were centred on Sandi-ingham the fears and 

 hopes of England, aud not of England only, but of England's 

 wide dominions, and of all the English-speaking race. Now, 

 happily, the cloud which overshadowed it and us is passing 

 into suns hin e ; those fears which were of the darkest have 

 given place to hopes which are of the brightest, aud in 

 his return to health the Heu' Apparent wiU find himself the 

 most popular, the most valued man iu England. And the 

 sjTnpathy of all classes aud all creeds for the affliction of the 

 Prince, his amiable Consort, and his Royal Mother was so wide- 

 spread aud heartfelt that no one who had not mingled with the 

 masses of the people at the time could realise its fuhiess and 

 sincerity. Then Sandringham was in all men's mouths, then 

 everj'thing pertaining to Sandiingham was of keen interest, 

 and now that the danger is past we may mthout impropriety 

 give an account of a place of which the name wiU never be 

 forgotten iu om' generation. 



" What has been shall be again," was the utterance of an 

 old fortune-teller, who certainly had never heard the adage, 

 " Histoiy repeats itself." Sandringham is an illustration of 

 the two sayings, for this estate of the heir to the throne was 

 once the possession of Harold, King of England. When he 

 died on the field of Hastings, his conqueror bestowed Sandi'ing- 

 ham on his Norman follower, Robert Fitz-Corbon. 



It is named Saint Dersingham in the " Domesday Book," 

 and the name is compounded of Saxon and old British words, 

 sand; ((cr, water; i hi/, a meadow ; and /in hi, a dweUing — that 

 is, a residence in a sandy wet meadow. 



We will pass over various possessors until we come to WiUiam 

 Cobbe de Sandiingham, in the reign of Hemy VII., who by 

 will directed that his body be buried in the church of St. Mary 

 Magdalen of Sandiingham. It remained the property of the 

 Cobbes until about 1686, when it was sold to Sii- Edward 

 Atkins, Lord Chief Baron of the Coiut of Exchequer, from 

 whom it passed to the Hoosts and Henleys. In 1829, Hemy 

 Hoste-Henley resided here. Subsequently the estate passed to 

 the Hon. Spencer Cowper, and was purchased by the late 

 Priuce Consort shorily before his death. 



