in 



JOIFENAL of HOETICtJL'ftjEE ANt) dOffAGE GAUDENEE. 



[ Febniary 22, 1872. 



tories be early in ppriiig without a few jjlants of the Hoteia 

 japonica, with its gracehii snow-white inrtorescence, or with- 

 out that fexquisite little gem the Lily of the Valley ? 



Another Teiy useful subject, and a queen amongst herbaceous 

 JiUutsi is the Dielytra spectabilis. A class was specially pro- 

 vided for tins flower at the February meeting of the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society, and well deserving it is of a class all to 

 itself, for when well grown there are few more beautiful objects 

 than this ; several collections were staged at the meeting, but 

 all of them were far behind what the plant is capable of being 

 grown to. I well remember the fine plants of it which used to 

 be exhibited at a small provincial exhibition in Scotland some 

 fifteen or twenty years ago, each plant being furnished with 

 several dozens of gracefully-drooping racemes of its pendant 

 bright rose-coloured flowers. Perhaps Mr. Wemyss, of the 

 gardens, Springwood Park, Kelso, could tell us how they were 

 grown. Each of liis plants was a good load for a couple of men. 



The Dielytra is, properly speaking, a hardy herbaceous plant, 

 and to grow it successfully it should be treated as such. About 

 the first week in February is a good time to propagate stock. 

 The method of procedru'e is this : — Lift an old plant from the 

 open border ; it may have a score of crowns, more or less. By 

 this time they will have pushed 2 or 3 inches ; they should be 

 cai'efuUy divided with a sharp knife, a small portion of roots 

 being attached to each. The small plants may be treated in 

 two ways : they may either be planted out at once in the open 

 ground, or each crown may be potted separately in a small pot, 

 and placed in a cold frame, or they will root and grow more 

 freely if placed on a slight hotbed. After the plants are well 

 established and duly hardened-off, they should be planted-out 

 in the open ground. Previous to doing this, the ground should 

 be well trenched and enriched with a Uberal application of 

 manure, as the Dielytra is a gross feeder, and its fleshy roots 

 penetrate deeply into the ground. These plants will be useful 

 for flowering the following season in small pots. 



If the plants are required to attain a large size they should 

 remain undisturbed in the same position for three or four 

 years. They will flower beautifully in the open ground every 

 season in May or June. Being a native of Siberia, the Dielytra 

 is (luite hardy, and requires no protection whatever in winter. 

 I have seen it succeed equally well in light and heavy soils. 

 The best iiottuig material is a compost of four parts turfy 

 loam, one of leaf mould, one of rotted manure, with a small 

 proportion of silver or river sand if the loaru is heavy. In 

 forcing, the temperature should not be liigli until the plants 

 ai'e fairly stai-ted into growth, and they should be set close to 

 the glass ; if otherwise placed they are apt to become di'awn. 



— J. DOUOLAS. 



LATE GEAPES. 



Me. Donaldson's experience with Mrs. Piuce, and Mr. Free- 

 man's with Madresfield Court Grapes, have much interested 

 me, and no doubt all your gardening readers as well. The 

 difference of opinion which exists with respect to the keeping 

 qualities of these and other late Grapes has struck me as re- 

 markable. In some places the varieties named are highly 

 prized for their free setting, or freedom from small benies, and 

 sound late keeping, whilst in others small berries or unsym- 

 metrical bunches predominate, and the berries shrivel if left 

 on the Vines beyond the commencement of the new year. 

 What is the cause or causes of such a difference in the result, 

 experience alone can tell us, and I am therefore glad of the 

 observations of Mr. Douglas, Mr. Eecord, and of " W. D. C." 

 (page 59). It is very desirable that those having to supply 

 Grapes of last year's growth after January 1st should state the 

 varieties they employ and their opinioir of their keeping. 



My experience is not great, but I mil state it. I have a late 

 vuiery planted as follows from east to west — 1, Muscat of 

 Alexandria; 2, Black Hamburgh; 3, Muscat of Alexandria; 

 4, Mrs. Pince; 5 and 6, Gros Guillaume ; 7, Bowood Muscat; 

 9 and 9, Lady Downe's ; 10, Black Muscat of Alexandria (Mus- 

 cat Hamburgh) ; 11 and 12, Black Hiunburgh. The varieties 

 are not as contemplated ; what I wished for were — 1 , Mus- 

 cat of Alexandria ; 2, Madresfield Court ; 3,Trebbiano; 4, Mrs. 

 Pince ; 5 and (i, Gros Guillaume ; 7, Bowood Muscat, or Muscat 

 Escholata; 8 aud 9, Lady Downe's ; 10, White Lady Downe's ; 

 11, Black Muscat of Alexandria; aud 12, Alicante. I found 

 the Vines incorrectly labelled, and as tliey had evidently been 

 planted as ticketed, the Trebbiano, etc., were in an early house. 

 The latter, though ripened in July, is yet firm and crackling. 

 We did not commence cutting until the middle of December 



last, and all were jslump and sound then, without so much as 

 a damped or shrivelled berry. I do not consider, until we 

 have passed November, or until the leaves fall, that fire heat 

 affects the keeping of Grapes. The first Cirapes to show 

 symptoms of shrivelling were Muscat of Alexandria and then 

 Mrs. Pince, neither being presentable after Christmas-day, 

 Bowood Muscat could barely pass muster on New Yeai''s-day ; 

 Black Hamburgh, also Black Muscat of Alexandria, keep sound 

 until the close of January, the latter kind being the better of 

 the two. I am here referring to then' previous beha\iom'. 

 Judguig from my Vine of Mrs. Pince, the variety is not to be 

 compared with Black Hamburgh for keeping, nor is it nearly 

 so profitable, for it always has a majority of small berries. 

 It is, however, a fine-flavom-ed Grape. Lady Downe's keeps 

 sound and plump past March, aud Gros Guillaume is then by 

 far its superior as regards flavour and juiciness, being with me 

 the finest late Grape. 



For a supply of Grapes frojn the end of September to the 

 New Year no variety sm'passes Black Hamburgh, with Muscat 

 of Alexandria as a white Grape : but they should be grown in 

 separate structiu'es, for the Etamburgh requu'es less heat than 

 the Muscat. The Hamburghs should be thoroughly ripe by 

 the middle of September, and the Muscats of a deep yellow- 

 colour. It is weU known that unless Grapes are well ripeuedl 

 they will not hang for any length of time in a soimd condition- 

 It is questionable if there are any two Grapes equal to these, 

 taking into consideration certainty of crop and quality of pro- 

 duce. If a black Cirape with a Muscat flavour be wanted, Mrs. 

 Pince is a finer-looking one in bunch, size of berry, and colour 

 than Black Muscat of Alexandria, aud will suit those who like' 

 firm flesh. It also retains its flavour longer. Black Muscat 

 of Alexandria, however, is a valuable Grape, and will pass the 

 New Year in a sound state better Avith me thair Mrs. Pince, 

 which I find is the worst-setting of any ; yet I have seen 

 Mrs. Piuce very fine, and our Vine being young another seasou 

 may entirely upset prior conclusions. Madresfield Court I havo 

 seen very fine late in autumn, but I have no experience of it. 



Though agreeing to some extent with " W. D. C." that the 

 keeping quality of Grapes is not dependant on the amount. of 

 saccharine matter which they contain, it is certaiu that the 

 development of the saccharine matter is dependant on the 

 ripening, aud if this is not complete the prospect of the Grapes' 

 late-hanging is small. The saccharine matter is greatest in 

 the kinds that shrivel the soonest — namely, the Muscats, and 

 unless it is well developed they wiU not keep, but will soon 

 damp. AVheir the ripening of such kinds as Lady Downe's is 

 not very complete from want of sun in the autumn, or when 

 it is not finished till late, the thick slcin of the berries is not 

 proof against shrivelhng at the points of the berries, the part, 

 near the footstalk remaining plump and souird. 



" W. D. C." considers " the latest section must be filled upi 

 with Lady Downe's without any other ^)lack Cirape." It is 

 undoubtedly the latest-hanging of aU, yet I see in Ciros Guil- 

 laume merits which Lady Downe's does not possess — iramely, 

 very much larger bunches and berries, considerably more juice, 

 not nearly so thick a skin, aud flesh (as Mr. Eivers would" say 

 of the Pear) more melting ; Lady Downe's being so firm as to 

 be little better than iudiarubber. 



I consider we have five Cirapes that will hang quite long 

 enough. Those are black Lady Downe's, Alicante, Gros 

 Guillaume, White Lady Downe's, and Trebbiano, which is a 

 good match for Gros Ciuillaume, as Lady Downe's is for its 

 white namesake. In a house for fm-nishing Chapes from De- 

 cember to May I should plant these five varieties to the exclu- 

 sion of all others. I have seen the original Lady Downe's with 

 fine clusters of plirmp berries at the end of April. — Ct. Abbey.- 



THE MANURES FOR CARROTS. 

 By CiiinBEKT AV. Joknsox, F.E.S. 

 The amount of Carrots grown in our i.sland is haivQy so con- 

 siderable as the value of the root for feeding purposes would 

 lead us to expect. In the year 1870 there were in all England 

 only 13,832 acres grown, in Wales 351, and in Scotland only 

 1076 acres. For this very limited growth there are, probably, 

 one or two reasons. 1, CaiTots ai-e supposed only to succeed 

 on certain deep sandy loams ; and 2, It has been doubted 

 whether we well understand the best kind of manure for then- 

 growth. Some late researches cir this very considerable 

 question are, therefore, well worthy of the reader's careful 

 study. From the general results obtained from these most 



