January 14, 1889. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



27 



The fruit gets more Run and more sap, and must be improved, 

 unless the tree worked ia too old to bear the operation, or was 

 unliealtby when grafted. — J. E. Peabson, CluliieU. 



THE MERITS AND DEFECTS OF TRENTHAM 

 BLACK GRAPE. 



I HAVE fruited Trentbam Blaek Grape four seasons, both in 

 pots and planted-out in the vinery, trained to the rafters in the 

 usual way. 



For the latter purpose it is well adapted, and is quite dis- 

 tinct from any other black Grape with which I am acquainted. 

 Its fruit will hang on the Vines as long as that of the Black 

 Hamburgh ; I cut the last bunch on the 3rd of the present month, 

 and it was quite ripe on the iOth of August, but most of the 

 bunches were used in December, and at Christmas very few 

 decayed berries had been cut from them — certainly not more 

 than were cut from the Hamburgh. 



The berries always colour of a jet black, and, compared with 

 the Hamburgh, they are much more juicy than that variety — so 

 much so, that on laying a large bunch down on a dessert-plate 

 numbers of the berries burst, owing to this and the very thin 

 skin. I have found the berries have a tendency to crack at 

 the insertion of the stalk when they are at the point of colour- 

 ing, and an amateur, who is also a successful Muscat-grower, 

 told me he had discarded it on that account alone. I have not 

 lost a berry in that way for the last two seasons. 



I admit plenty of air, and maintain a dry atmosphere by 

 keeping the hot-water pipes warm during the whole period of 

 colouring. The Lady Downe's in the same house seems to 

 require the same treatment, as the bunches of that variety now 

 hanging are very fine. It requires the same treatment as 

 Lady Downe's in setting — viz., a rather high and dry tempera- 

 ture, yet not too diy, as I damp the house twice a-day, but no 

 water is allowed in evaporating-troughs, or to fall on the hot- 

 water pipes. 



As a pot Vine I find it a very shy bearer, I have had it on one 

 or two occasions tolerably good, but it is so uncertain that I 

 have discarded it for that purpose altogether. I think it will 

 be a good stock for grafting weakly-growing sorts upon, at least 

 I intend to test its merits for that purpose during the ensuing 

 season. I have the hope that Eoyal Ascot will be a better 

 Grape, as it does not seem to require so much care to ripen it, 

 or to preserve it afterwards. — J. Douglas. 



PLANTING THE THAMES EMBANKMENT. 

 On the evening of the last day of the past year, the first of 

 the line of trees wa.^ planted that is to ornament the Thames 

 Embankment between Westminster Bridge and the Temple. 

 This line consists entirely of Planes (Platanus acerifolia), and 

 the trees, being of good size, already produce a marked effect. 

 They are from 12 to 1.5 feet high, with stout, clean stems, and 

 heads, which, when the leaves are on, wUl even during the 

 first summer furnish a line of " greenery " pleasing to the eye 

 of Londoners. The work has been entrusted to Mr. Alex. 

 McKenzie, the skilful designer and Superintendent of the 

 Alexandra Park, and the common sense which prompted him 

 to choose the Plane, in the face of many suggestions he re- 

 ceived from those who fancied they knew something about the 

 subject, will meet with general approval. There is no tree for 

 large towns at all to equal the Plane. Those who are ac- 

 customed to traverse London have evidence of this every day ; 

 and if an example were needed of the rapidity of its growth in 

 one of the most crowded of localities, and the most circum- 

 scribed of spaces, we could not furnish a better instance than 

 that magnificent specimen now growing in Stationers' Hall 

 Court, a region known only to the pure cockney and the " Row 

 boys." That tree was planted by the present Mr. Greenhill, 

 of the Stationers' Company, when he was a lad, and is little 

 more than forty years old. Everybody should see that tree. 



A VINE FAILURE. 

 A Black Champion Vine was planted in the centre of a row 

 of thirteen, with their roots inside, and all were planted at the 

 same time. While the others have done well, have strong 

 wood, and have borne good fruit plentifully for two years, that 

 Black Champion continued in a weak sickly state, did not 

 make the least growth, and produced only a few leaves. Think- 



ing that there was something at the roots that prevented growth, 

 I carefully removed the soil, but I found nothing to cause sus- 

 picion beyond this, that I found the roots were the same as 

 when I put them in, which certainly cleared up the mystery off 

 to the cane not growing, but the cause of the roots not grow- 

 ing I could not make out. I found the soil in good condition. 

 There were no water spouts near to make the ground at all 

 saturated. I afterwards planted a Black Hamburgh, in tho 

 hope of filling up the vacancy, and used a fresh compost for its 

 roots ; but to my great surprise and disappointment, this Vina 

 is going just the same road as the Black Champion. — H. W. T. 

 rWill any of our readers help to explain the seeming ano- 

 maly ? One Vine out of thirteen refusing to grow would not 

 have puzzled us so much, as there are many circnmstanceg 

 that tend to impair the vital energies of plants just as there are 

 among animals, and for which no valid reason can be assigned ; 

 but it is strange that a second Vine should share the same 

 fate in similar conditions. There must surely be something 

 singular about the position.] 



PLANTS IN FLOWER IN DECEMBER. 



ACKLAM HALL, MIDDLESBEOUGH-OS-TEES. 



Enclosed is a list of a few plants in flower during the month 

 of December. For the last few days we have had winter in 

 earnest here. On the 31st of December the thermometer 



stood at 10°. 



Dec. 5. Rhododendron hirsntum. Dae. 10. 

 .laaminum nudiflornm 

 Mule Pink 

 Mathiola annua 

 Hesperis matronalis 

 Asperula odorata 

 Bellis perennia 

 Veronica syriaca 

 Primroaes, Double Lilac, „ 16. 



and Crimson 

 Gazania splendens 

 Sedum dentatum 

 Viola tricolor 

 Pyrethrum partbenium 

 Viola odorata 



German Wallflowers „ 19. 



Pblos aetacea 

 Omplialodes verna 

 „ 10. Erica camea 



Daphne laureola 

 Arabia alhida 

 Arctotis breviscapa 

 Erica ramentacea 

 Pentstemou Shepherdii 

 Potentilla alba 

 Chryaanthemums 

 Linaria purpurea 



— M. H., Aclclam Hall, MiddlesbrougJi-on-Teeg. 



Viola latea 



Pentatemon coccineum 

 Phloxes 

 Gilia tricolor 

 Gypsophila elegans 

 Fuchsia coccinea 

 Lonicera periclynaenam 

 Rose Fab\-ier 

 Antirrhinums 

 Veronica apicata 

 Hepatica triloba 

 lies aquifolium 

 Lupinua albo-coccineaB 

 Eelleborua niger 

 Marigold 



Calceolaria Ruby Bicolor 

 Campanulas 

 Polyanthus 

 Rose Monthly China 

 „ Crimaon China 

 Schizoatylia coccinea 

 Ceraatium Bieberateinf 

 Centranthus ruber 

 Malope grandiflora 

 Nigella hispanica 

 Calandrinia umbellat.T 

 Anchusa sempervirena 



RAINFALL IN DECEMBER AT THE HENDRE, 

 MONMOUTH. 

 It wiU be seen from the following table that there were only 

 five days on which rain did not fall, and that the total fall was 



nearly 7 inches. 



GARDENING IN TOWNS. 

 Having a few leisure hours these long evenings, I thought I 

 could apply them in writing a few lines for your numerous 

 amateur readers who are fortunate enough to possess a piece 

 of spare ground in our large towns. I have had about thirty- 

 seven years' experience in the situation I now hold, and this 



