May 20, 1875. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



3'J3 



•'It ia found growing on the Blopes of thd Sierra Nevada, 

 near tlie sources of the Stauialaas and San Antonio, in 

 Upper California, in sheltered valleys, at an elevation of abont 

 6000 feet. It ia quite hardy and grows rapidly." 



SETTING-UP GRAPES FOR EXHIBITION. 



Grapes are very often seen inefficiently set up for exliibi- 

 tion, and are consequently not seen to the best advantage. 

 This is especially the ease at some of what may be termed 

 country shows. I have therefore thought that fig. 90, taken 

 from a photograph, would serve to show exactly what is gene- 

 rally considered by exhibitors of Grapes the best way of carry- 

 ing and setting-up Grapes for competition. The bunch, it will 

 be observed from the figure, is resting on a slanting board. 

 The board ia first covered with a thin sheet of cotton wadding, 

 and then covered with a sheet of soft white paper. The bunch 

 is out with rather more than an inch of the Viuo adhering to 

 each side of its stem. Apiece of narrow tape is fastened to the 

 piece of Vine, and passed through a hole near the top of the 

 back perpendicular board, and securely fastened there. To 

 keep the bunch firmly 



its place, a piece 

 narrow soft tape 



ia worked with great 

 care between the ber- 

 ries near the middle of 

 the bunch with a long 

 needle, and each end 

 of the tape is passed 

 through holes previ- 

 ously prepared on 

 each side of the main 

 stem of the bunch and 

 tied underneath. The 

 bunch is thus fixed so 

 that it can neither 

 slip down the slanting 

 board nor roll about. 



When more than one 

 bunch is set up, the 

 Grape-board must be of 

 proportionate length. 

 But it is not desirable 

 to have them longer at 

 any time than will hold 

 three to four bunches, 

 with sufficient space 

 between each to let 

 them be properly in- 

 spected. 



It is always best to 

 fix the bunches just as 

 they are cut from the 

 Vines, always laying 

 them on their flattest 



Bg.96. 



side. In doing this it is never desirable to lift a bunch after it is 

 laid on the board, for it cannot be easily done without more or 

 less disturbing the bloom of the Grape. When all are fixed in 

 their places, fit what I shall call the exhibition platform into a 

 square box just wide enough to take it in, and deep enough to 

 clear the fruit when the lid ia screwed on ; then put a couple 

 of screws through the box from the outside into the back 

 board of the platform, and they cannot move. In conveying 

 them care must be taken to keep the box level, and not to jolt 

 it severely. 



PACKINQ ORiPES. 



The packing of Grapea to be sent long distances by rail and 

 other conveyances requires to be carefully managed. There 

 are many ways of packing them. I have seen each bunch laid 

 on a thick stiff sheet of paper, and folded up sufficiently tight 

 to prevent the bunch from moving about in the paper. They 

 are then packed closely in boxes sufficiently deep to admit a 

 layer of paper shavings under and over them, so that when 

 the lid of the box ia fastened down each parcel was held se- 

 curely in its place. The stifi'ness of the paper is supposed to 

 come in contact with the bunch at fewer points than when 

 wrapped up in more flexible paper, and on that account to 

 better preserve the bloom. There is, however, at the same 

 time room left for the oscillation of thoae berries not in im- 

 mediate contact with the paper, and this is objectionable. In 

 sending Grapes to a distance I have never adopted this mode 



of packing, but have either wrapped each bunch in a sheet of 

 tine tissue paper, and packed them on a firm bed of paper 

 shavings aa close as they would lie, with just sufficient wadding 

 between each to fill up "the irregularities of the outline of the 

 bunches. When the box is thus filled a sheet of wadding is 

 spread regularly over the bunches, and over all a layer of paper 

 shavings, so that when the lid is shut down they are subject to 

 as much pressure aa prevents their moving. At other times, 

 when only sending a few bunches in one compartment of a 

 box, I have spread a sheet of paper over the shavings in the 

 bottom of the box, and laid all the bunches as nicely fitted 

 into each other as possible on it, then put another sheet of 

 tissue paper over them, then some cotton wadding, finishing off 

 with a layer of paper shavinga. In this way I have always 

 found them go quite aafely. When a quantity has to be sent 

 in one box it should be divided into compartments, so that 

 when the box happens to be set down standing on end or side, 

 the Grapes at the lower part of it cannot possibly be subject to 

 much pressure from the top end of the box. I do not know of 

 any way of sending them to preserve their bloom, for unless 

 some person ia sent with the box Ihtre must be packing 



material on the upper 

 bide of the Grapes. 



Those who grow 

 drapes extensively for 

 !Ue fruit market, and 

 have to send tbem in 

 large quantities by rail, 

 pack differently from 

 nuy of the methods 

 described above. In- 

 deed, they use next tu 

 no packing material 

 whatever. They place 

 a few flexible paper- 

 shavings in the bottom 

 of a nearly oval-shaped 

 wicker basketwitU slop- 

 ing sides. The Grapes 

 are cut and laid in lay- 

 era round the sloping 

 side of the basket, and 

 layer after layer ol 

 Grapes are laid on 

 without any packing 

 material, until the 

 basket is finished with 

 a bunch in the centre. 

 In this way they are 

 packed firmly to pre- 

 vent oscillation, and it 

 is astonishing how lit- 

 tle the bloom is tar- 

 nished. The baskets 

 are then put into wood- 

 en boxes, generally two 

 storey deep, and sent by passenger train. The fruiterer or sales- 

 man meets them at the terminus. Tons of Grapes are thus 

 sent hundreds of miles to market with the greatest safety. 

 The only danger of damage is from the upsetting of the boxes 

 or any severe concussion. — D. TnoiisoN (in The Ganleiier). 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



It has been arranged to hold an International Fruit and 

 Flower Show at the Alexandra Palace on the 2nd, 3rd, and 

 4th of September next. A liberal schedule of prizes will be 

 issued in a few days. 



We are sorry to learn that the Keiqhlkt Aoriocltdbal 



Assoclation's Show has to be abandoned this year in conse- 

 quence of the prevalence of small pox in the town and neigh- 

 bourhood. 



The Croydon Meeting of the Bath and West or 



England Society, commencing on Monday, May 81st, and ex- 

 tending over the four following days, promises in all respects 

 to surpass any of its predecessors. The showyard, thirty-six 

 acres in extent, is situated at Waddon, about half a mile dis- 

 tant from the Croydon railway station ; and the entries in all 

 departments are large and important beyond all precedent. 

 The Poultry Show will be the largest ever held by the Society, 

 and remarkable far the numerous entries of birds best adapted 



