JannuT 21, 1867. ] 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



these houses, No. 1, which I shall first describe, is on the west 

 side of Mr. Meredith's dwelling. Not a gleam of sunshine ever 

 falls on this house earlier than 2 p.m. ; and as the house is 

 principally devoted to late Black Hamburgh, Alicante, and 

 West's St. Peter's Grapes, these being kept back as much as 

 possible till late in the spring, we may safely assume that very 

 little sun ever shines on the house during the most critical 

 period of the crop, which I consider to be from the time the 

 berries commence stoning tiU they change colour. The Vines 

 in this house, as in most of the others, are planted inside, and 

 about 2 feet apart. The front rests on pillars. The border is 

 raised to within about 2 feet of the glass in front. There are 

 no front lights, but there are some ventilators 2 feet by 10 inches 

 along the front wall ; and the border, both outside and inside, 

 is built up above these, leaving merely a square hole outside, 

 the size of the ventilator. Through these openings the air is 

 admitted to the house. The border outside is about 12 feet 

 wide, that on the inside about 5 feet, and it is intended to add 

 another piece. 



I cannot too forcibly remind those who contemplate making 

 Vine borders that one of the most important precautions to 

 insure success is making the border by degrees. I would make 

 a section of the border complete, and plant the Vines in their 

 proper position the first year, then add a yard or so to the 

 border outside, and thus proceed every year till the full width 

 had been attained. By these means the roots would take firm 

 hold of the border as the Vines grew in strength ; and at the 

 end of three years the roots would occupy every inch of the 

 border, and would have thoroughly established themselves, and 

 be in a condition to produce splendid crops of fruit. At the 

 time of my visit (October), the Vines in this house were clothed 

 with abundance of fruit and foUage, not a yellow leaf was to 

 be seen ; and the Grapes, though not ripe, were as black as 

 Sloes. Here were to be seen splendid bunches of Black Ham- 

 burgh, Black Alicante, and West's St. Peter's. 



On this side of the dwelling-house is situated the dining- 

 room, and from it a glass door opens into the vinery. The 

 effect when sitting in the room is very pleasing. The green 

 and healthy foUage, and the clusters of jet black Grapes, are 

 seen to great advantage by the subdued light. The Vines were 

 planted in August, 1857, and were then young plants in a grow- 

 ing state. 



After leaving this house we pass round the north side of the 

 dwelUng. Here are two small lean-to's filled with greenhouse 

 plants ; the small squares of thin glass which cover the roots 

 and ends remind one of the time when horticulture in general 

 and Grape-growing in particular were in their infancy. Passing 

 through these houses we arrive at the east side of the dwelling, 

 where we enter No. 2, or what Mr. Meredith calls the east 

 house. It is of the same dimensions as the west house, and is 

 filled with Black Hamburgh Vines, from which have been cut 

 the marvellous bunches that have astonished every one at the 

 metropolitan and other shows for the last four or five years. 

 The Vines were planted in June, 1857. The house is built 

 and the borders made just in the same way as in the case of 

 No. 1. 



From this house was cut the bunch of Black Hamburgh 

 weighing lb. 5J ozs., exhibited by Mr. Meredith at the Ediu- 

 burgh International Fruit and Flower Show last September 

 twelvemonth. WUl " Vitis " ever cut a bunch like this from 

 any Vine grown in his shallow inside border ? At the last 

 Edinburgh Show another bunch, cut from the same house, and 

 weighing lbs., was exhibited. There are twenty-six Vines in 

 the house ; the number of bunches borne by each every year 

 will averagQ eight, and their mean weight will be about 3^ lbs. 

 The Vines from which the large bunches were cut had four 

 and five bunches on at the same time. The length of the canes 

 in this house is about 12 feet. This shows the fallacy of the 

 report that has been spread abroad by persons who have not 

 seen the Garston Vineyard — that Mr. Meredith only grows one 

 bunch on a Vine for exhibition purposes. He told me he once 

 tried the one-bunch system, but that it proved a complete 

 failure ; and the particulars about it are, as nearly as I can 

 recollect, as follow : Noticing on one or two occasions some 

 extraordinary shows on some of his strongest Vines, he was 

 induced to leave only the one bunch, thinking he would cause 

 the Vine to throw its whole energy into that bunch, and by 

 these means he fancied the berries would be swelled out to 

 an enormous size. The laterals were duly pinched out, and 

 the Vine treated just like the others growing in the same house. 

 The result was that the bunch shanked and the berries refused 

 to colour, whilst all the other Vines in the house produced a 



large and well-finished crop of fruit ; and such single bunches 

 were the only ones that shanked, or that did not colour. The 

 result was nothing more than one might expect, if we take into 

 considerition the strength of a Vine in the most luxuriant 

 health, with all its energies concentrated on one bunch. Had 

 there been four or five more bunches left on the Vine, or only 

 two besides the selected bunch, it is probable it might have 

 realised Mr. Meredith's expectations ; as it was, the strength 

 of the Vine was absorbed by the foliage instead of by the single 

 bunch. 



The sun leaves the house to which I am referring about 

 1 P.M., and when we take into consideration the wet and sun- 

 less season of 1866, it seems almost impossible that such 

 splendid results in Grape-growing could have been obtained 

 from houses whose aspect in both cases, one would think, is so 

 at variance with the law laid down by gardeners up to a very 

 late period — namely, that the aspect for a vinery must be due 

 south. These houses and another facing the north, which I 

 shall describe in the course of my ramble through the Garston 

 Vineyard, will abundantly prove that any aspect will suit the 

 Vine, and that a large amount of light is not absolutely neces- 

 sary to give Grapes a good colour and fine finish. 



Here, then, is comfort for the amateur and those whose sites 

 for vineries offering a southern aspect are few in number and 

 very much Umited as regards extent ; for they may have their 

 vineries in any back yard, provided it is not too much hemmed 

 in with other buildings and not shaded by trees, if they will 

 make their borders according to the instructions I have given, 

 and treat their Vines liberally ; but on no account must they 

 foUow up the once-a-month system of watering, recommended 

 with such confidence by "Vitis." 



I was astonished to see no covering of any sort on the out- 

 side borders. I was more astonished when Mr. Meredith told 

 me there had been no covering of any kind on the borders 

 throughout the summer, and that the Vines had absorbed 

 their share of the enormous quantity of rain that had fallen 

 in 1866. What shall we say after this, about confining our 

 Vines to inside borders, and subjecting them to the severe or- 

 deal recommended by " Vitis ?" 



And now a word about the expensive style of Vine-border- 

 making that "Vitis" bo sternly condemns. Supposing the 

 material and labour for making the border of the vinery above 

 described to have cost Mr. Meredith £50 ten years ago, let us 

 see what the produce of the house has been for the last six 

 years. I have stated that there are twenty-six Vines in the 

 house, that the average quantity of bunches produced by each 

 Vine was eight, and that the mean weight of the bunches 

 was 3} lbs. I think that the average price per pound for the 

 quality of Grapes would be 5s. at the season they are ripe, 

 which is from July to September : we find, then, that the 

 twenty-six Vines would produce in six years -1,368 lbs. weight 

 of Grapes, and that the commercial value at os. per lb. would 

 be £1,092. I have no authority from Mr. Meredith for quoting 

 the above figures, I only do so to show that it is worth while, 

 even in a commercial point of view, to make a Vine border 

 thoroughly, and that it is better to allow Vines to properly 

 establish themselves before fruiting. " H. S.," near Staines, 

 would do well to take a hint from this, and not be in a 

 hurry for the half ton of Grapes, but wait a reasonable time 

 before he expects such a large return for the small outlay. The 

 Vines in the house I have just been describing are in perfect 

 health and vigour, and there is no doubt if Mr. Meredith is 

 spared to superintend their management, that they will present 

 the same appearance in twenty years' time. Of course every 

 year they will want a larger amount of food in the shape of 

 liquid manure, with annual surface-dressings of bones. The 

 Vines are pruned back to the last eye at the base of the shoot 

 every year. It would do a Vine-grower's heart good to see the 

 condition the Vines are in, and if he minutely inspected them 

 he would see large numbers of dormant eyes starting near the 

 base of each shoot. 



In describing what I saw at Mr. Meredith's vineyard, I can- 

 not help making comments as I proceed. If, however, I may 

 be thought wrong in any of the ideas I may have formed, I am 

 at all times open to correction, and shall always feel grateful 

 for any information that .any of the correspondents of The 

 JouKNAL OF HoRTicuLTUEE may be disposed to give in an open 

 and friendly manner 



The houses numbered 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all span-roofed, and 

 are in a line with the house last described. They are used in 

 the early part of the summer and spring for growing on young 

 Vines. They are now fUled with a fine, healthy stock of Indian 



