Aa^st 22, lSt7. ] 



JODBNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



139 



" Deer Down Bottom." Here there is a pond, and the remains 

 of two avennes meet at right angles. At the intersections of 

 these avenues are five more large Oaks, the boles of which, 

 with the exception of one tree, measure over 20 feet, the 

 largest being the " Queen Elizabeth's," spoken of before. The 

 " Amphitheatre " is a circle of trees within a fence of palings 

 that lies in a northerly direction. These trees are Spruce Firs 

 from 8i to 14 feet in girth, and averaging 120 feet in height ; 

 also a Larch in girth 9} feet. Returning southward by the 

 right-hand side of the clump of Yews and several more pollard 

 Oaks, all remarkable for the immense size of their stems, and 

 bandsome heads of foliage, Cowdray Lodge is now at no great 

 distance. On the lawn are fine specimens of Rhododendrons : 

 a Rhododendron ponticum covers an area of liS yards. Several 

 plants of other ornamental trees and shrubs are also worthy of 

 remark. There are two large trees of Cedar of Lebanon each 

 14 feet in girth, and a Silver Fir Vi feet, once of prodigious 

 height, from which a length of nearly 50 feet was blown off in 

 the great storm of November, 1837. 



A few more remarks, now, about the " close walks," already 

 noticed. They are in a small wood adjoining the wharf, and 

 quite separated from the park by the river. They are fenced 

 in, and the gates are kept locked, bo they can only be visited 

 by making application to the head gardener, who has the sole 

 privilege to admit those he thinks proper. On entering the 

 gate, the right hand walk should be taken, and very soon the 

 avennes are reached. There nre four of them, joined so as to 

 form a square, with circles of Yew trees in the centre, inter- 

 spersed with other trees bearing lighter foliage, and the effect 

 JB singular. On the top of a mound here is the spot where 

 Queen Elizabeth dined at a table 24 yards long. The wood 

 also contains a chalybeate spring. 



The common, which lies on the west side of the river Rother 

 and Cowdray Park, is very extensive as well as picturesque. 

 It almost reaches to the foot of the hills, which rise to the 

 BOuth-west and west ; and the wooded heights of Harting and 

 Opp Park are clearly visible on that side, whilst on the other 

 those of Cowdray raise their stately heads. The common is 

 also valuable for the peculiar richness of its Heath, as there 

 are so many varieties, even a white one, which I believe to be 

 very uncommon in this country. It is not a variety though, as 

 erroneously called by some; but, like the white wild Hyacinth, 

 Bugle, &c., a sport, and cannot well be accounted for : however, 

 it is an exceedingly pretty Heath. 



The noble owner of Cowdray very kindly allows the public to 

 visit the ruins and avenues of the park; and it is pleasing 

 to add, in the interest of my brother gardeners, all who are 

 desirous of seeing the private grounds and gardens will, I am 

 snre, find ili. Spring, as I did, as kind and courteous as he is 

 intelligent ; to him I feel much indebted for his efforts to 

 gratify me with interesting information regarding Cowdray 

 Park. — Georc.e Newlyn, DaniiMein. 



BRIAR vF.nsi-s MANETTI STOCKS FOR ROSES. 

 Pray do not let the Rev. Mr. Radclyffe mislead amateur 

 Rose growers by condemning the Briar as a stock. I contend 

 that for Rose soils — that is, strong rich loams — tho Briar will 

 produce better and more enduring plants than the llanctti. 

 My experience also teaches me that ninety out of every hundred 

 of the flowers staged by the best exhibitors of the present day 

 are cut from plants budded on the Briar. I like the Manetti 

 stock very well ; all I have to say is. Do not be persuaded to 

 abandon the Briar for it, excepting on poor light soils. I hope 

 Mr. Radclytfo will bo able to class me among the favoured few 

 worthy of being called rosarians. — Benjamin R. Cakt, St. John 

 Street Nursery, Colchester. 



GRAPE-JUDGING. 



The various opinions expressed upon this subject in your 

 columns are undoubtedly very interesting, and I have no doubt 

 quite requisite for tho thorough discussion of the subject, but 

 are they calculated to accomplish anything definite ? Taking 

 it for granted that the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society will interest themselves in the matter with a 

 view to settling the question, I think they will not like to work 

 from the mere opinions of other men ; and as the season is 

 fast advancing, I consider that it would be well to set to work 

 in some practical form as soon as possible. I therefore beg to 

 offer the following Buggestione — That the Frnit Committee be 



solicited to take the subject in hand ; that persona wishiiig 

 to render assistance should state their views in as concise a 

 manner us possible, and send samples of Grapes calculated to 

 support those views to the Committee ; and that every meeting 

 of the Committee be open to receive such contributions until 

 this time next year, so that Grapes of all seasons may be 

 tested. This mode of proceeding would simplify the duties of 

 the Committee, and assist them in arriving at a correct con- 

 clusion respecting flavour and colour. 



This dilliculty, I may here observe, seems only to exiet in 

 the case of the Black Hamburgh. No person seems to ventore 

 to assert that Lady Downe's, Alicante, Barbarossa, or Black 

 Prince is better when not so black ; and it is singular that 

 the Black Hamburgh should be an exception to the rule, as 

 everything seems to indicate that black is its natural colour, 

 the same as in the case of the others. I have long been con- 

 vinced of the justice of the remark made by Mr. Temple and 

 others, that Black Hamburghs of the finest quality are quite 

 black and apparently ripe a considerable time before they are 

 ready for the table, but they have been exposed to the fuU in- 

 fluence of sun, to a free circulation of air night and day, and to 

 the light. I have also proved the truth of the statement made 

 by Mr. Thomson and others, that it is possible for Grapes to be 

 perfectly black, yet never acquire a fine flavour, remaining 

 sour ; but it is when grown in a cool shady atmosphere, and 

 without the action of the agents above alluded to. It is this 

 fact that makes me think it is better on all occasions to taste 

 Grapes. I do not think that any reasonable gentleman or gar- 

 dener would object to it. 



I would also strongly recommend Mr. Thomson's ten points 

 of excellence to the due consideration of the Committee ; they 

 will in all cases give flavour and colour combined a great influ- 

 ence, but the other points will prevent the value placed on 

 colour exercising any undue influence when not combined with 

 flavour. 



I cannot see how Mr. Alliston can make it appear that 

 according to this rule the Frontignans would beat the Black 

 Hamburghs. Take for instance the Black Frontignan, which 

 from its peculiar qualities is the most formidable. Supposing 

 each variety to be equal as to merit of cultivation, they would 

 stand thus : — Black Hamburgh — flavour, 2 points ; colour, 2 ; 

 size of berry, 2 ; size of bunch, 1 ; shape of bunch, 1 ; bloom, 1 ; 

 total, 9 points. Black Frontignan — flavour, 3 points ; colour, 2 ; 

 size of berry, 1 ; sizeof bunch, ; shape of bunch, 1 ; bloom, 1 ; 

 total, 8 points. This, even by allowing the Frontignan an 

 equal number of points for form of bunch, still gives the Black 

 Hamburgh an advantage of one point. The Red or Grizzly 

 Frontignan would be still farther behind, as it would have no 

 points for colour. Perfect specimens of Muscat Hamburgh are 

 the only Grapes from which, according to Mr. Thomson's rules, 

 the Black Hamburgh would suffer, and this would be perfectly 

 consistent. I should like to induce that gentleman to give one 

 more point to bloom. — Tuomas Dixon, ]i'aterduk, St. Helen's. 



VINE MILDEW. 



A GAEDENEE's life is a constant warfare against insect and 

 vegetable enemies ; but, perhaps, there is nothing more 

 thoroughly disheartening than the first severe attack of Vino 

 mildew. A gardener who has once suffered from this scourge 

 is quick to perceive indications of the pest. In the first in- 

 stance he may, and generally does, aUow it to become thoroughly 

 established, when it is next to impossible to save the crop of 

 fruit or prevent injury to the Vines. 



There is no doubt that a damp, sti'J atmosphere — that is, a 

 want of heat and ventilation, is a predisposing cause, but I feel 

 convinced that there are other and more powerful causes in 

 operation. I think I have proved that planting Vines in a soil 

 that is unsuited for them will render them liable to mildew, 

 and that if from any cause their root-action is impeded they 

 will be very likely to be attacked. 



My Vines never sutTered from mildew till I potted several 

 hundreds in some nice-looking soil, which I afterwards found 

 was full of protoxide of iron. These Vines did not grow at aU 

 as I could have wished, and were soon attacked with mildew. 

 Being ill in bed, and my men never having seen mildew before, 

 it became so thoroughly established as to render the Vines 

 quite unsaleable, and I was strongly advised to throw them all 

 away. These plants were cut down and potted in good sandy 

 turf in the following spring, grew strongly, and never showed 

 a trace of the disease. 



Again. I have seen a Vine growing in » first-rate border 



