JoJy 3, 1873. 1 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



IBW YC 



UOTANVC 



OARDE 



JULX 3—9, 1873. 



Average Tenioera- | Kainin 

 tare near Louaon, 43 yeai-s. 



Dogf days be^. 



Oxford and West of England Rose Shows. 



West Kent Horticultural Show. 



4 Sunday apter Tkinity. 



Meeting of Entomological Society, 7 P.M. 



Wolverhampton and Stamford Horticultural 



Boyal Botanic Society's Show. [Shows. 



Day. 

 74.0 

 7fi.l 

 77.1 

 7G.0 

 7S.7 

 74.0 

 74.1 



Night, i Mean. 



50.2 

 50.a 

 .'■.0.2 

 .50.8 

 60.8 

 50.0 

 49.4 



62.1 

 63.2 

 f>.'3.7 

 63.4 

 62.2 

 62.0 

 61.8 



Days. 

 19 



15 

 17 

 19 

 22 

 20 

 18 



Sun 

 Rises. 



m. h 

 51al8 

 51 3 



Sun 

 Sets. 



m. b. 



17 at 8 

 17 8 



^Moon 



'Kises. 



m, h. 



after. 

 2 



Hoon 



Sets. 



m. h, 

 morn. 

 6 



Moon's 

 Age. 



Days, 

 9 

 10 

 11 

 12 

 IS 

 14 

 15 



Clock Day 

 tefore of 

 Sun. Tear. 



3 55 

 i 6 



4 16 

 4 26 

 i 36 

 4 46 

 4 54 



184 

 185 

 186 

 187 

 188 

 189 

 190 



From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day t c-mperature of the week is 7-'>.3" ; and its night temperature 

 50.2^. The greatest heat was 97^ on the 5th, 1852 ; and the lowest cold 33^, on the 9th, 1863. The greatest fall of rain was 0.82 inch. 



EVENING MUSINGS FOE PLAIN PEOPLE.— No. 6. 



VINE CDLTUEE. 



[N continuation of the musings on the ques- 

 tion of sLmphiying Grape-culture, so that 

 all who have means may " gi'ow their own 

 Grapes," a sort of protectionist whisper sug- 

 _ „ ^.. gests another matter, "What are the trade- 



'/L'^'''C~^''h gi'owers and fi-uiterers to do ? Fu'st, the 

 \^P% fruiterers sell but few Grapes to those who 



have gardens, and the trade-growers will 

 find customers for all they can produce 

 amongst those who have not gardens. I 

 have always obser\'ed that those having gardens, and 

 fruit happening to be scarce, are in the habit of pui'chas- 

 ing a supply very begradgingly. It is, after ah, only 

 natural that this should be so, as entering on a phase of 

 housekeeping which had not been taken into account in 

 their calculations. As a rule, a person having no garden 

 will, according to his means, invest freely in all kinds of 

 fruit, including Grapes, and eat and enjoy it without the 

 slightest compunction ; but depend upon it, if a person 

 ■who might have a vineiy, and yet lacks this useful struc- 

 ture, happens to purchase a few Grapes, they may be 

 remarkably good, but they are almost siu'e to have an 

 unwelcome fruit- shop smack about thena, and a nasty 

 after-taste of perhaps 5.5. to 10.5. per pound to destroy 

 their reUsh. No, this class will not buy Grapes, but 

 scores may grow them who have not yet thought to do 

 so, and if they have, they are only to be deterred by 

 some subtle mysteries of culture, or haunted by pre- 

 conceived or instilled notions of ruinous expense. Con- 

 sidering the mystei-y a myth, and the frightful cost non- 

 existent, I with a clear conscience advise all who have the 

 means of doing so to grow Grapes. It is urged on every 

 point on the owner by possession of them for his own 

 use, and a possible ihsposal of any smplus in his district 

 market, and thus pro'viding the public with that uf which 

 they will be glad to avail themselves at a reasonable 

 cost, lea\'ing the liigher-class produce of skilled market- 

 growers for the demands of those able and willing to 

 supply themselves at its higher worth. 



A more extensive adoption of plain simple Grape- 

 Crowing would be benefit to many and injury to none. 

 The tons of foreign produce imported every season arc a 

 sufficient proof that there is room for all that can be 

 grown at home, and grown, too, at a cost remunerative 

 to the vendor and reasonable to the purchaser. The 

 practice is steadily grovring for clergymen, professional 

 men, and farmers to go into fnut-gi'owing as a means of 

 recreation and enjoyment, and it is all the more pleasurable 

 if it p.tys its way. This is a hopefiil sign. Some of them 

 are turning their attention to Grapes, and the more who 

 follow suit the better. A clergyman can preach no worse 

 nor be less zealous in liis important duties, a fanner farm 

 no ■worse, a professional man be less active and useful, by 

 engaging in a pursuit so pure and, shall I add, humanis- 

 ing? as any horticultural exercise. Experience, however, 

 proves that such pursuits act beneficially as healthy 

 No, CIO.— Vol. XXV., Nsw Siaizs. 



stimulants, assisting to a better and more cheerful fulfil- 

 ment of the sterner duties and purposes of life. 



There is one obstacle in the way of these pursuits being 

 more freely and generally entered on. It is true it is only 

 sentimental, but is yet in a certain degree formidable. 

 We have the best authority as to one who could not dig, 

 and to beg was ashamed ; and there is not the slightest 

 doubt, that in the matter of fi-uit, there are many who 

 cannot give, and to sell they are ashamed ; but strong- 

 minded, clear-headed, and good-hearted men are break- 

 ing down such paltry barriers, and indeed it is time they 

 did, and save the tons of fruit, that cannot be given, from 

 rotting in the stores. There is nothing strained or ima- 

 ginative here, but it is all hard and veritable fact ; yet in 

 saying this it is as fi'eely admitted that there are many 

 who can give and do give, many who have both the 

 means and the will to do so. All honoui-to such men, and 

 may then- numbers increase ; but of those who have the 

 means to give or sell, and where selfishness forbids the 

 one and pride the other, the sooner they are " educated " to 

 a better and more reasonable course of action the better. 

 Nothing can be more proper and legitimate, more reason- 

 able and right, than that a clergyman, for instance, should 

 turn to the best account the means at his disposal — that 

 he should, if his inclination disposed him, eke out his, 

 in many cases, scanty income by selling his surplus fruit. 

 Many a one of his class would find a house of Grapes a 

 source of profit and congenial occupation to himself, and 

 would also confer a favom- on his district by bringing 

 this dehcious home-grown fruit within the reach of his 

 neighbours. 



Not long ago a clergyman invited me to confer with 

 l.iim on his garden — a garden of fine sod. My advice 

 was, Grow fruit freely. His reply was pertinent to the 

 present subject. " That is just what I should hke. I 

 should enjoy it as a nice employment, but what am I to 

 do with tile fruit ? I know what I should like to do, I 

 should like to give some away — distribute it about where 

 it might be needed or valued — and sell the rest to pay 

 expenses. But, then, if I give to one I must give to all, 

 not where I hie, but where they like, or I shall not have 

 peace, and if I sell it I shall get further wrong still, so 

 am in a dilemma, and cannot decide what to do." I have 

 given his words as literally as memory allows. Now, I 

 have a very strong opinion, had the case been my own, 

 that I should feel to have done ample justice to the position 

 by considering it five minutes at the utmost, and then 

 have gone on planting ; but I am not a clergyman, being 

 made, perhaps, of ruiler stuff. However, ho has planted, 

 and I hope will live to cat, a«d give, and sell bis fruit in 

 peace. Among,st tb.e rest ho has planted Vines, and ought 

 to plant more ; ho planted them just in the ordinary soil 

 with evident misgivings, as he could not think they would 

 grow in that way when everybody else carted soil and made 

 borders ; but he has had "proof of the pudding," and is 

 satisfied now. The gi-owth of theso Vines is as perfect as 

 one need wish to see, being remarkably stout and short- 

 jointed, and with pith at a minimum. Not a vcstigo ot 

 turf, manure, bones, or other stimulant forms any part 



No. 1292.— Vol L.,0i.d Series. 



