August 1, 18S7. ] 



JOUKNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAIiDENEB. 



75 



wooks afterwards. The trees shoulJ be taken up very carefully, 

 unnailing the branches, of course, and when out of the hole liU 

 it up, and plant them on the surface, spreading out the roots, 

 and covering these not deeper than 3 inches with chopped 

 turf, placing also a thin layer under them. A good watering, 

 and freijucnt sprinklings of the foliage, will encourage speedy 

 rooting. Lifting is best performed during showery weather. 

 The surface should bo mulched with i inches of littery manure 

 when the leaves full. I find trees moved in September, aud up 

 to the second week in October, are now covered with fruit like 

 strings of Onions; but those moved in Kovemberhavo dropped 

 most of the fruit that set. and their growth is meagre, wbilst 

 the others, notwithstanding the fruit, have made plenty of 

 wood. 



The Apricot does not succeed against a low wall, as it is im- 

 patient of the close cutting of the branches, and this must be 

 done upon a low wall, unless root-pruning is extensively prac- 

 tised, and the roots are restricted. ,\pricots should have a wall 

 12 feet high, or one not less than 9 or 10 feet in height, but the 

 higher the better. Against a U-foot wall 27 feet is not too great 

 a distance to plant tho trees apart ; on a lOfeet wall '25 feet 

 may be allowed ; on one of 11 feet, 23 feet ; 12 feet, 21 feet ; 

 and 2 feet closer for every additional foot in the height of the 

 wall. Against walls more than l(t feet in height, a standard 

 should be planted midway between the dwarfs. 



The principal varieties are — 



Large Early.— GooA, and tho best of all the enrly vnrioties. 



Kaia/ux.— A good bearer, richly flavoured, and earlier than tho Moor- 

 park. 



BerMkfrk. — Good in every respect ; one of the very best. 



Royal. — Not equnl to the Moorpark, but tho tree is not bo liable to lose 

 its branches by dying off. 



Moorpnrlc. — \Vt;il known, tree very subject to die off by limbs. 



MtL^eh-iTtiitch. — Very prodnctivo in li«ht and chalky soils, but on hea\-y, 

 wet soils a bad bearer, and tender. Kruit small, of a line rich flavour. 



Shipley's. — A Rrcat bearer, but of no use except for preserving. 



Breda. — Small, and moderately rich-flavoured. Tho treo requires 

 plenty of room, and is a shy bearer whilst young. 



Oranoe. — Its earliness and productiveness are its only recommendations. 



Turkey. — A fiuo sort for preserving. 



The first five are the best for dessert, and to them may be 

 added the Orange, on account of its earliness. 



The Koman is the only kind succeeding well as a standard, 

 but has no other merit. — G. Abbey. 



JUDGING GRAPES. 



In common with Mr. W. Thomson, I think it very desirable 

 that the Fruit Committee of the Koyal Horticultural Society 

 should turn their attention to this subject, with a view to 

 " draw up and publish a set of rules for judging Grapes." I 

 think this may be satisfactorily done if every one of experience 

 will join in the endeavour, by contributing simple aud faith- 

 ful accounts of any striking instances bearing on this particular 

 point that have come under personal observation. 



Mr. Thomson does not say in his article (page .37), wliether 

 or not he would consider the colour of Grapes a true criterion 

 to judge the flavour by, or whether he considers it requisite on 

 all occasions to taste them, which I conclude he does. I take 

 for granted that he merely mentions tho instance of finding 

 the brown Grapes the finest in flavour and the jet black ones 

 sonr, to show the great mistake of judging of the flavour in 

 proportion to the different degrees of blackness, and not that 

 he would set up the brown as the standard colour to be 

 relied upon as a true indication of the greatest excellency in 

 flavour, and jet black as a true indication of sourness. It is 

 very desirable that Mr. Thomson should state definitely his 

 ideas on this point. 



In the meantime I may mention a circumstance bearing 

 upon this subject that occurred at the fruit table at the National 

 Exhibition at Manchester, referred to by Mr. Thomson, con- 

 cerning those very same two lota of Grapes — viz., Mr. Mere- 

 dith's and my own. 



I had noticed at the lime of removing the fruit that there 

 had been three or four berries taken from my bunches, and 

 also from those of Mr. Meredith, but took no further notice 

 of the circumstance ; but at a recent horticultural exhibition 

 in this county I met and entered into conversation with an 

 eminent gardener who had been ofliciating as judge. He told 

 me that during a very warm controversy respecting tho re- 

 spective merits of the two exhibitions in question, it was 

 decided upon, for the satisfaction of a reporter to a Nottingham 

 paper (if I recollect aright), to taste them. I should Uko cither 

 the gentleman in question or some other eye-witness to state 



what were tho results ; but as none of them may be inclined 

 to come forward, I may mention that I was informed that it 

 was decided that tho blackest Grapes were found to be superior 

 in flavour as compared with the others ; so that this particular 

 instance referred to by Mr. Thomson would tend rather in 

 favour of the black than the brown hue. I mention this 

 circumstance just to induce amateurs to pause before they jump 

 at any conclusion on this subject. 



If we aro to understand Jlr. Thomson merely to mean that 

 he does not consider the colour of the Grape a true criterion 

 by which to judge of the flavour, then I agree with almost 

 everything he says, though my experience differs from his ; 

 because by far the finest-flavoured Grapes that I ever tasted 

 had a very much finer colour and bloom than any ether Grapes 

 I ever saw. Other competent judges said the same. 



As a rule. Grapes ripened by full exposure to the sun's rays 

 are deficient in blackness, especially if acted upon by a sudden 

 flash of bright, hot, sunny weather when about half coloured, 

 or snatched up quickly, as it is termed ; yet it is full exposure 

 to the sun's rays, with a free circulation of air, that is indis- 

 pensable to ensuring sweetness and flavour. The Grapes 

 to which I refe;rred as possessing the finest flavour combined 

 with the greatest perfection as regards colour and bloom, were 

 ripened by full exposure to solar influences in the house in 

 which they grew. They were shaded by rather more foliage at 

 ono end, besides being shaded by a large Sycamore tree outside. 

 The Grapes at that end of the house were quite equal in point 

 of colour, but not in bloom and flavour. 



Other instances besides this have come under my observa- 

 tion, impressing mo with the necessity of attaching more im- 

 portance to the bloom than Mr. Thomson expresses himself to 

 do. I propose that bloom shall have the same number of 

 points as colour and size of berry ; hut I consider bloom of 

 more importance than either colour or size of berry. A bunch 

 of jet black Grapes without bloom is nothing to compare in 

 appearance with Grapes covered with a thick coat of bloom. 



I also consider bloom a greater indication of flavour than 

 colour. I would give it two marks if not three, for bloom is 

 the same to the eye as flavour is to the palate. 



Grapes combining flavour, blackness, and bloom possess a 

 vinous flavour which I never found to exist when the colour 

 was any shade of red or brown, but I do not think such Grapes 

 ever surpassed some brown ones I have tasted for mere sweetness. 



As regards the size of the berries, I have found that when 

 they go above a certain size they are generally deficient in 

 colour ; and in cases where odd, very large berries occur in tho 

 same bunch with ordinary-sized ones, they will be deficient in 

 colour but not in flavour. Nevertheless, the largest berries I 

 ever saw wore quite black ; they were exhibited at the 1866 

 May exhibition of tho Liverpool Botanic Society, and carried 

 off first, second, and third prizes, although Mr. Meredith and 

 tho Earl of Derby competed in tho same class. I saw nothing 

 to compare with them for size of berry, and nothing to surpass 

 them for colour, even at the International Exhibition at London 

 in the same month. They were exhibited by Mr. Pilkington, 

 of Kccleston Hall, near Prescot. 



The next largest in size of berry I ever saw, yet perfect in 

 colour and bloom, were at Mr. SJeredith's, in the vinery at the 

 east side of his residence. These in size of berry, size of 

 bunch, blackness, and bloom combined, surpassed anything I 

 ever saw before or since. 



Ono more instance which I may mention as showing flavonr, 

 blackness, and size of berry combined I know Mr. Thomson is ac- 

 quainted with — namely., a large old Vine in the large middle 

 vinery at Wrotham Park, Herts. This Vine had stood in the 

 same position ever since tho house was first pknted, I believe ; 

 but all the other Vines were new. Mr. Thomson gives a full 

 account of removing all the old ones and renew^ing the border 

 and Vines in this house, in his excellent work on the cultiva- 

 tion of the Vine — a work which no one ought to be without. 

 This old Vine, during the two years that I had charge of it, bore 

 larger berries, jet black, and "of finer flavour, than any other 

 Vine in the house. 



These four instances are quite faithful, and tend to convinoo 

 me that, after all, the very best Grapes are those largest in 

 berry, finest in bloom, and blackest. As I said before, they 

 possess a vinous flavour of which the brown ones are destitute, 

 yet it is (juite true that a cool shady atmosphere is more con- 

 ducive to the blackening of Grapes than exposure to the sun ; 

 still Grapes that aro (luito black, yet fully exposed to the son 

 and air, must be the very best Grapes. Yet I do not think this 

 can be accompUahed more than three or four years together 



