Janaary 11, 1877. J 



JOURNA.L OF HORTIOCLTURB AND COTTAGE GAUDKNER. 



formation of a wired trellis np the front and roof lights upon 

 which to train Vine branchlets, Eomewhat lilca a garden wall- 

 fruit tree of pyramidal shape, broad at the bottom and gradn- 

 ally tapering upwards uiitil at the top of the Vines spurs or 

 twigs only grow. My Vines were planted and trained ac- 

 cordingly, and need it bs said have grown as a tree onglit to 

 do, stout in the stems and branched as pyramids from bottom 

 to top, each branch being allowed to carry three, two, and one 

 hunch of frnit ae its length and strength mny indicate suffi- 

 cient. The Vines are planted 5 feet apart, thuu having 2 feet 

 6 inches branch space on each side of every Vine. Ttie wood 

 is clear nut-brown, and the eyes stand out like po many horse 

 beans on the branchlets, which I shorten-back to about six, 

 four, and three to two eyes, progressively upwards when 

 pruned. Laterals are stopped as is usual, but not at less than 

 two, three, or four leaves beyond the fruit, or if not a fruit 

 lateral, four to five leaves from thoir base, jnst as fancy may 

 incline for ontUne and necessary foliage. This system appears 

 to answer my purpose, that of a medium fstoaeion. The 

 frnit along the front lights from the Buu'd rays beiog more 

 oblique there than upon the roof lights, is not so highly 

 finished as under the latter lights, yet is large and plump and 

 fnll-flavoured. I am only an amateur growing halt a score of 

 Vines, and copying Dame Niiture; but I have no doubt that 

 this copy under ''A Nobthekn Gaedenee's " hands would 

 prove a BUC3es3, perhaps initiate a new era in Vino culture. 



Tour correspondent S. M. L. Cakin, at page .557, may try 

 Duchess of Buccleuch, or Graham's Muscat Muscadine, or 

 Chasselaa Mueqne de Silhry (Golden Frontiguan), the last 

 one of Mr. Kivers's choice Vines, as a white or yellow Grape, 

 and better graft or inarch, &e., than plant a young Vine: so, 

 I think, Mr. W. Thomson, author of " The Grape Vine," recom- 

 mends. 



Very likely the Lady Downe's and White Frontiguan Grapes 

 have shrivelled for lack of moisture or nutriment in an inside 

 border not mulched with horse manure, or fed with manure 

 water sufBoiently. Vine roots aro the bettor for a run into an 

 outside border for air and rain in proper season. — Keadek. 



WELLINGTONIAS. 



The inquiry of " What is the height and circumference of 

 the outside branches of the largest Wellingfonia ?" ought to 

 evoke some interesting commuuioations on the rapid growth 

 of this remarkable mammoth tree, for its introduction to this 

 country is of so recent a dats that there cannot ba any trees 

 planted that are past the memory of the present generation. 



When I was in the gardens of Poltimoro Park during the 

 years of 1861-5 there were growing in these princely grounds 

 two Wellingtonias. The heights of these trees were not less 

 than .SO feet — they might have been more, and were looked 

 upon as remarkably fine and well-furnished spncimeus. One 

 of them by some cause lost its leader, when the topmost shoot 

 was tied upright to a stick, and when on a visit to Poltimore 

 last autumn the leader was in no ways wanting; in fact the 

 tree referred to was the better-grown spscimen of the two, and 

 I could not help admiring the symmetry and stateliness of 

 both; and I made a note iu my pocket-book at the time— 

 *' CO feet or over." I had no means of asoertainisg their exact 

 heights. My impression was that they would po'sibly measure 

 70 feet in height, or even more. They aro perfect specimens 

 and well furnished to the ground ; but it appeared to me that, 

 owing to the excessive drought of the pist summer, they had, 

 in common with other trees, made less growth than usual, yet 

 receiving no iujury. 



I have read somewhere that the raising of plants from part of 

 the first introduction of the Welliugtonia seed was at the late Mr. 

 Yeitch's Exeter Nursery. This being so, and Lord Poltimore's 

 grounds being in cloEe proximity to thesp nurseries, and in 

 which grounds all choice and rare Coniferm found a good home, 

 I think it more than probable the specimens alluded to were 

 ■of the first batch of plants raised and planted in bis lordship's 

 gardens by the late Mr. Manning, who was for more than 

 twenty years gardener there. 



I have been told that the discovery of the first germination 

 of seed ia Mr. Veitch's Ei^-tor Nursery was on a Christmas 

 day, and that the first Welliogtoaia planted out in this country 

 was near the rockery iu these nurseries under the direction of 

 the grandfather of the present representatives of this firm. 

 Whether this specimen ii still to be found there I am unable 

 to say. Perhaps some of your Exeter correspondents can 

 supply this information. Although this might have been the 



first tree planted out in this country, it is not therefore neces- 

 sary it must be the largest or tallest, as different soils may 

 make a difference in growth, a cool clayey bottom apparently 

 sniting the Wellingtonia beet. 



I hope shortly to be able to give fuller information of these 

 trees, as also several other fine specimen Conifeife which adorn 

 the noble grounds of Poltimore. — J. W. Moorman. 



Ik ansv/sr to your correspondent we have here eome fine 

 Bpeoimcns of the Wellingtonia gigantea. The finest is over 

 50 feet high and 90 in circumferecce, and 12 feet 4 inches in 

 girth of the trunk. 



I have enclosed a seed of the Araucaria imbrieata, of which 

 I have several seeds. Cau you inform me if it is usual for the 

 above tree to bear seed to perfection in this country ? We 

 have trees here which have coned for several years. One tree 

 is showing at this present time a hundred blooms. — Edwaed 



COVENEY. 



[Trees at Strathfieldsaye have conod freely for several years. 

 Mr. Gordon ia his " Pinetum" says that the seeds ripen at 

 the end of March. — Ens ] 



VENN'S BLACK MUSCAT AND DUKE OF 

 BUCCLEUCH GRAPES. 



" An Aspibinc. Amateur " (see page 553 of last volume) 

 will do well to keep his aspirations in check iu the matter of 

 Venn's Black Muscat Grape; at least he should not aspire (o 

 plant it as a late Grape, for moot assuredly it does not belong 

 to that class. We have here three sturdy Vines of it, two of 

 which have borne good fruit, the last having been sent to table 

 early iu December, but very badly shrivelled. Indeed the 

 fruit began shrivelling before I thought it ripe; and this could 

 not have been owing to bad treatment, as other kinds, such as 

 Gros Oilman, Burchardt's Princo, Trebbiano, Mrs. Pinoe, and 

 Gros Guillaume, growing in the same house and border, were 

 in every way good, and kept quite plump and fresh to the last. 

 Venn's Muscat is a free grower and fruiter, a rather shy setter, 

 but of the most exquisite flavour; and from my first season's 

 experience of it I should say that it is best adapted for plant- 

 ing in an early house, but amateurs of limited experience had 

 better have nothing to do with it. 



Duke of Biicclfiich. — This was also fruited in the same house, 

 and was ripe at least a week before Venn's Black Muscat, BO 

 that I am inclined to set the Dake down as the earliest Grape 

 in commerce. The frnit was every way maguifioeat, some of 

 the bsriias measuring over '1 inches in circumference; but it 

 will not keep— at least it did not with me — more than three 

 weeks after being fully ripe. So that this also must be classed 

 as not adapted for an amateur, but it is the Grape for a market 

 grower who is certain of a customer the moment the fruit is 

 ripe. I may add, that though evidently it is a near relative 

 of Golden Champion, it possesses a better constitution and is 

 not liable to bo affected with spot ; fit least it was not so here, 

 as Golden Champion always was.— W. Wildsmith, lleckfield. 



In reply to " An Aspiriiio AiiATEnK," I bought a Vine of 

 " the Duko " when it firtt came out, and planted it in a vinery 

 iu which there are eleven other Vines. The first season I did 

 not expect a Grape. The Vine was pruned at the usual time, and 

 I sent the top to a friend as something special, and he raised 

 from it two strong canes. The following spring aiy Vine brofie 

 strongly, but not a Grape was pio.iuced. In the summer I 

 called on my friend and inquired alter the Du'ko, and there 

 saw the two canes which had been forced with several others 

 for first crop, but not a Grape was on either rod. We agreed 

 to grow it on. The new wood was shortened to four eyes. It 

 broke very strongly last spriug, but did not show a single 

 bunch. In July I again called on my friend to inquire of his 

 success with the Duke, and his answer was, "Not a Grape, 

 and I have turned it out." I allowed the two leading rods to 

 grow, and in the autumn one was shortened to three eyes and 

 the other was cut back to the last plump eye, leaving about 

 5 feet of well-ripened wood. I have again started the house, 

 with what, result I wait to learn. I find that the Dake requires 

 slightly shadiug, as the sun scalds or burns its leaves. — Geo. 

 W.'Gbeenhill, WhiH House, Afliford, Kent. 



"An Aspiring Amateur" asks for experience on the Pake 

 of Buccleuch Vine. I have not had much personal experience 

 with the Duke, but I have seen it as grosn at Clovenfords. 



