42 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I January 18, 1877. 



to be ; they are not Bociety Koses, but garden Roses — Roses 

 of and for home, and not for arranging in formal rows in some 

 great city hall or gigantic marquee. 



I have not enumerated all the Koses which are suitable for 

 this free and enjoyable mode of adornment, but only a few 

 which are immediately under my notice. There are others of 

 these old climbers which are possibly worthy of mention, and 

 which are doubtless admired in many places, where they form 

 great natural wreaths over some rustic fence, some old wall, 

 some precipitous bank, or some venerable edifice. It is in 

 Buoh places where they are most " at home," where they 

 flourishiiu their own semi-wild beauty — their charming simple 

 gracefulness. Are there not places some such as these in most 

 villages and in many gardens? then cover them with these old- 

 fashioned climbing Roses. — A Parson's Gaedenee. 



MKS. PINCE'S BLACK MUSCAT GBAPE. 



" A GRAND Grape when well grown " is a very general remark 

 made in reference to this variety. The experience which has 

 been recently recorded in the Journal teaches that cool treat- 

 ment or, in other words, a short season of growth, is not suffi- 

 cient for the requirements of Mrs. Pinee's Muscat. That it has 

 been " well grown " iinder what is termed " cool treatment " 

 is certain ; so has Muscat of Alexandria by Mr. Taylor at Long- 

 leat, also by other growers in other places. But cool treat- 

 ment, it should be remembered, must not be connected with 

 late starting of the Vines, or the season of light and a genial 

 temperature becomes unduly limited. It is not only not un- 

 usual but very common to retard the starting of late Grape 

 Vines to the utmost possible moment — firstly, becanse of the 

 preservation of the late-hanging fruit, and secondly because 

 of the erroneous, but as yet not quite exploded, notion that 

 late starting and late ripening are essentials to long keeping. 



When Mrs. Pinee's and other Muscats finish well when 

 grown under " cool treatment " it is generally when the Vines 

 have been started early, and kept steadily growing under a 

 moderate artificial temperature throughout a long period of 

 light. Mrs. Pinee's Muscat I have found to ripen perfectly 

 under that treatment, but I have not found it to do so when 

 started late and grown as coolly as possible through a neces- 

 sar^ly short season. Evidence has recently been afforded that 

 thi§ Grape has been improved by growing it in a higher tem- 

 perature than had previously been the case, affording it a 

 longer period of growth. My experience quite coincides with 

 that of other cultivators on the advantages resulting from this 

 change of treatment. 



Having noticed that Mrs. Pinee's Muscat ripened well with 

 a low temperature I grafted it on a Black Hamburgh Vine in 

 a house in which Vines were grown, principally for the purpose 

 of affording shade for Ferns, Orchids, etc., after the bedding 

 plants had been removed from the house at the end of April or 

 early in May. For the sake of the bedding plants the house 

 was kept as cool as possible, and the growth of the Vines was 

 retarded to the utmost, and they were afterwards grown with- 

 out the assistance of fire heat. In this house Black Hamburghs 

 ripened perfectly, but Mrs. Pinco was far from being perfect. 

 The Grapes were fairly good in flavour, but their appearance 

 was almost repulsive from their greenish-brown skins. The 

 Vine was continued in the same house for four years, but 

 during that time did not perfect one really satisfactory bunch 

 of Grapes. It had what it was said to require, " cool treat- 

 ment," but it was wrong treatment. I referred to the early 

 reports of this Grape, which were generally so favourable, and 

 here I found, what many persons besides myself had forgotten, 

 that the Grapes first exhibited in such fine condition had been 

 ^Town under what was termed a "cool treatment," but the 

 Vines had bei>n " started early with the assistance of a little 

 fire heat." Many remembered only the " cool " part of the 

 conditions, having overlooked " early starting " and the "little 

 fire heat" assistance — forgetting, in fact, by far the most im- 

 portant part of the question. 



By way of following more exactly the mode of culture origin- 

 ally described as successful I trained my unsatisfactory Vines 

 through the glass division and into the next compartment, 

 where the Vines were started in February. This house was 

 also managed on the " cool treatment " system — that is, the 

 fruit was set at a mimiuum temperature of 50", and 60° was 

 never exceeded by fire heat alone. The principle of manage- 

 ment adopted was for the fire to do as little as possible, and 

 the sun as much as the Vines could endure. It was still " cool 

 treatment" according to the general acceptation of the term, 



but was sufficient for Mrs. Pinee's Muscat, which now produced 

 Grapes more highly esteemed by their owner than any other 

 variety. The Grapes which the same Vine formerly produced of 

 a reddish-brown colour now became black, especially on those 

 laterals which were not overcropped and which carried a large 

 proportion of foliage, say four to six leaves beyond the bunch. 

 I had written thus far when the Journal arrived, and where 

 I note that further testimony is given of the importance of 

 affording Mrs. Pinoe more heat and a longer period of growth 

 than has been customary. I am satisfied that if this plan is 

 carried out (of course in conjunction with good and well- 

 managed borders) less complaints will be heard of the failure 

 of what I believe to be one of the best late black Grapes in 

 cultivation, for Mrs. Pinee is undoubtedly a " grand Grape 

 when well grown." — A Retired Gardener. 



SELECTIONS OF SEEDS. 



I NAME only those kinds that are always reliable, and so far 

 as I know the best, taking quality and quantity into con- 

 sideration. 



Peas. — Early: *William I., and a few days later Alpha. 

 Dwarfs : Blue Peter and Unique. General crop: *Dr. Maclean, 

 G. F. WUson, and *Cnlverweirs Prolific Marrow. Late : *Pre- 

 mier, Ne Plus Ultra, and as a dwarf * Omega. Broad Beans, 

 — Early Longpod, 'Seville Longpod for early ; Monarch Long- 

 pod and 'Windsor Improved for main crop. Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans. — For early and forcing Osboru's New Forcing ; and 

 main crop, 'Canadian Wonder and Nfgro Longpod. Running 

 Beans. — 'Scarlet Champion. Mont d'Or Butter Beans are by 

 some very much esteemed. 



Borecole. — 'Dwarf Green Curled and Cottagers' Kale. Broc- 

 coli. — iVinter : Snow's Winter, preceded by 'Veitch's Self- Pro- 

 tecting Autumn. Spring : Veitch's Spring White, Cooling's 

 Matchless, 'Leamington. Late: 'Lander's Goshen and Sutton's 

 Perfection. It is presumed that Broccoli (Cauliflower) are 

 demanded from November to June. Brussels Sprouts. — 

 'Scrymger's Giant. Cahhage. — 'Hill's Dwarf Incomparable, 

 •Wheeler's Cocoa-nut, Nonpareil Improved, and Wheeler's 

 Imperial. Red Dutch for pickling. Savoy. — 'Drumhead, 

 Dwarf Green Curled. Spinach. — Round for summer, prickly 

 for winter. Cauliflower. — Early: Dwarf Erfurt Mammoth. 

 General : 'Waloheren. This is usually classed as a Broccoli, 

 but how is unintelligible. 



Celery. — 'Leicester Red (Major Claike's Solid Red), Williams' 

 Matchless Rd, 'Sandringham Dwarf White, Williams' Match- 

 less White. Chicory. — 'Large-rooted, not that I can see inferioi 

 to Witloof, and like it (if there is any difference) occasionally 

 having the " blanched " leaves splashed with brown like a 

 spotted Cos Lettuce. Very desirable for winter salads. Com 

 Salad. — Broad-leaved Italian sown in August is a good addition 

 to salads in autumn, winter, and spring. Cress. — Cnrled. 

 3Iustard. — White. Endive. — 'Batavian Improved Ronnd- 

 leaved and Green Curled. Lettuce. — Cabbage, for summer : 

 'All the Year Round and Neapolitan. For autumn sowing 

 to stand winter : Stanstead Park. For frames : Early Paris 

 Market, All the Year Round, and Commodore Nutt. Cos : 

 Alexandra (a selected Paris White), 'Hick's Hardy White. 

 For autumn sowing: Brown Sugar-loaf (Bath), 'Brown (Bath), 

 black-seeded. For frames : Hick's Hardy White and Brown 

 Sugarloaf. 



Cucumber. — Duke of Edinburgh (Munro'e), first-rate for 

 frames; Tender and True, and 'Telegraph. Out-door: Stock- 

 wood Ridge. Melon. — 'Read's Scarlet-flesh. Green-flesh : 

 'Eastnor Castle and Meredith's Hybrid Cashmere. Wliite- 

 flesh : 'Cox's Golden Gem and Queen Emma. 



Onion. — 'Reading, White Spanish or Portugal, Danver'S 

 Yellow, Brown Globe, and 'James's Keeping. For drawing 

 young : White Lisbon. For pickling : Silver-skinned. For 

 autumn f owing : Giant Rocca. Leeks. — 'Carentan and Mussel- 

 burgh. Beet. — 'Dewar's Dwarf Red and Pine Apple Short- 

 top. Carrot. — For forcing and warm border for early : French 

 Forcing. Forsummer: Early Horn. Winter : 'Red Surrey and 

 James's Intermediate. Turnip. — 'Early Snowball, White Stone 

 or Six-weeks, the last with 'Golden Ball for winter. Parsnip, 

 — 'Hollow-crowned Improved. Itadish. — 'French Breakfast, 

 Scarlet Short-top. For winter : China Rose. For forcing : 

 French Breakfast and Wood's Frame. lianipion. — A desirable 

 winter accompaniment of salad ; used like Radish. Salsafy and 

 Scorzonera both have roots that make a desirable dish. 



Seakale for raising plants for forcing, to which I will again 

 revert. Asparag'.is. — Connover's Colossal. 



