Angnst 22, 1887. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORHOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



Ml 



GIUVFTING VINES. 



N fniit culture tliere is, per- 

 haps, no subject of inquiry 

 more interesting than the 

 influence of various stocks. 

 Most persons seem to think 

 tliat if a tree grows vigor- 

 ously it is a matter of little importance on what it is 

 grafted, but experience teaches us more and more how 

 desirable it is that every fact connected with this subject 

 should bo recorded. Take the Pear, for instance, how 

 singular it is that some lands grow well on the Quince and 

 some cannot be made to grow upon it at all, and that 

 amongst those wliich grow well some are much improved 

 by the Quince stock, and others do not appear to be altered. 

 VVould a microscopical examination of the size of the wood- 

 cells tlirow any light on this subject ? 



Again, how strange that several kinds of Plum stocks 

 should be necessary to the man who wishes to propagate a 

 collection of Peaches or Nectarines. Who can explain why 

 a BeUegarde and Royal George vrill not both gi-ow on 

 the same stock '.' or why a Black Diamond Plum will not 

 grow on tlic same stock as a Green Gage '.' It is true that 

 experience has taught much to the man whose business it 

 is to propagate fruit trees, but I think observation has been 

 too exclusively directed to the effect of various stocks in 

 growing trees, and that too little attention has been paid 

 to tlieir influence upon the size, flavour, and appearance of 

 the fruit. 



Tliis is, and must be, a difficult subject of inquiry. A 

 person who buys a healthy-looking fruit tree will rarely 

 ask on what stock it is worked, and if he has several of the 

 same kind on different stocks, and some do well and some 

 badly, he cannot trace the cause. The nurseryman seldom 

 has the opportunity of watcliing the effect of the stock wliich 

 he has used when the tree he has sold is ia a bearing state. 

 Of course if trees generally die or do well on a certain 

 stock the fact will soon be known, but I allude to those 

 less easily recognised effects on the sL;e and flavour of 

 fi™it which may be caused by soil, situation, or climate, 

 but which ni.ay be the effect of the stock. It is because 

 this is a difficult subject that I wish to direct to it the 

 attention of men who think and observe. I could not 

 imagine why .Vpricots called Moorpark differed so much in 

 quality till I discovered tliat many, if not most of them, 

 were budded on the Muscle Plum ; knowing that the true 

 old Moorpark would not grow on this stock, the fact was 

 explained. 



But the most singular instance of the effect of the stock 

 which has come under my observation is the case of the 

 Muscat Hamburgli Vine. Tliis is to me the most delicious 

 Grape when first ripe of any I have tasted — half Muscat, 



Ma. OM,-yoL. XIIL, Nsw SsBtzt. 



half Frontignan in flavour, with the texture and juice of a, 

 Black Hamburgh, when well grown forming large hand- 

 some bunches of beautifid thin-skinned black Grapes, and 

 appearing to me as near perfection as possible ; but, alas ! it 

 has the same fault as the Grizzly Frontignan and many 

 otlier fine kinds — it has tender roots, and many persons 

 fail to grow it satisfactorily. Mr. Thomson, of Dalkeith, 

 tried the effect of grafting it on the Black Hamburgh, and 

 was delighted with the result. I heard so much talk of 

 the wonderful bunches thus produced that I went to Dal- 

 keith to see them ; but Mr. Thomson, with his usnal 

 caution, remarked, " After all, it may only be the result of 

 gi-afting a young Vine on a strong old root." Soon after 

 this I met a Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 at Chiswick, and on asking the name of a black Grape, 

 was answered by one of the gentlemen present, " Why, do 

 you not know your favourite the Muscat Hamburgh ? " 

 My answer was, " If that is it. I certainly do not know it ;" 

 and I am afraid I said notliing would make me believe it 

 to be so. Dr. Hogg, Mr. Eyles, and several others assured 

 me they had tasted it the year before, and had no doubt it 

 was correct to name. 'Wliilst we were talking, I caught 

 sight of a Vine full of fiiiit within a few yards of the first, 

 wliich I had no difficulty in recognising, and exclaimed in 

 triumph, " Well, what is that ? " " Muscat Hamburgh," 

 said one of the gentlemen, evidently taken aback by the 

 different appearance of the two. " ^Vnd you want me to be- 

 lieve that those large Hambui'gh-Uke leaves, round berries, 

 and close bunches belong to tlie same kind as that deeply- 

 cut foliage, oval berry, and long tapering bunch?" " It is 

 very singular," said one of the gentlemen : • but call Mr. 

 Barron." Well, Mr. Barron came, and imagine my sur- 

 prise when he said he grafted the first from a shoot of the 

 second. Having a bad, late Spanish Grape he thought 

 it only fit to be grafted with a better kind, and this was 

 the result ; the foliage was quite altered, also the fruit , 

 and he added that it was a fortnight later in ripening, and 

 not nearly so good in flavour. There is an old saying, 

 '• Seeing is believing, ' of course it never is, but I thought 

 it is not always knowing. 1 have been confirmed in this 

 opinion since I saw the spectroscope. 



So interested was I in this subject that I thought it worth 

 further investigation. Ha\-ing a strong Sarbelle Frontig- 

 nan Vine which I thought hardly worth a place nnder 

 glass, I grafted it with the Muscat Hamburgh, and also 

 planted a young Black Hamburgh preriously grafted with 

 the same variety, there being already in the house a strong 

 Vine of this kind growing on its own roots from which I 

 have cut several times as much as 10 lbs. in a year. Now 

 for the result. The \ine growing on the Sarbelle Frontig- 

 nan gi-ows very strongly, but the fniit is inferior to that 

 growing on the old ungrafted Vine. The young plant 

 worked on the Black Hambmgh is wonderfully improved, 

 and eveiy berry set ; wliilst on the two others there are 

 many small berries. I think I have proved tliat Black 

 Hamburgh is a good stock for this kind, but there may be 

 a better one. 



Is it not possible other Vines may be capable of as 

 great improvement if we only knew what would suit them V 



Ko.sec,— TOL, XZSnU., old Szaise. 



