February 3, 1876. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



03 



vegetables, Buoh aB Onions, Leeks, and Celery; while not a 

 few who can raise a glaas honee, however small, make the 

 Vine a special object of culture. I have known tradesmen, in 

 the midst of a thickly populated town, sarronuded by high 

 brick walls, with only space at command for a house 10 or 12 

 feet square, and a few feet outside for a border, who have 

 produced Grapes both in f ize and finish that would grace the 

 table of a duke. 



A short time ago I saw the splendid crop of Grapes in the 

 gardens of the Eev. H. Oottingham, Rector of Heath, near 



Chesterfield, and I can safely say that scarcely finer Grapes 

 could b3 found within a radius of 100 miles. Mr. Cottingham 

 is an amateur in the strictest sense of the term, not employing 

 any skilled labour ; but he is an amateur of no mean order, 

 and I place this instance of sucoess on record to stimulate 

 those who have hitherto failed in the culture of the Vine, and 

 to encourage those amateurs who would be pleased to grow a 

 few Grapes but dare not embark in their cultivation. 



The village of Heath is pleasantly situated on the brow of a 

 lofty hill, about U miles from Chesterfield and 7* miles from 



Fig. 2^— TliC RET. II. COTTINGHAM's GB.ArEH. 



Rfanafield. It 'n a neat agricultural village, and the church is 

 a handsome stone building, and has a tower surmounted by a 

 fine spire and set of bells. From the drawing room and flower 

 garden of Mr. Cottingham we obtain charming views of Hard- 

 wick Hall and the park, with its venerable Oaks. Turn in 

 which direction we may the whole scene is full of interest. 



Adjacent to the drawing-room is the well-kept lawn, and at 

 convenient distances from the windows there are fine specimens 

 of Cedrus Deodara ; also groups of golden Yews and variegated 

 Hollies. These, as the late Sir Joseph Paxton used to say, are 

 the chandeliers! of the pleasure grouud, and truly they give 

 beauty and interest to the garden at this dull season, when 

 the deetrnotiye Ice King has laid prostrate all its floral 

 treasures. 



It was, however, the vineries I went to see and the magni- 

 ficent Grapes. The Vine-houses at Heath are not of large 

 dimensions, both together being 60 feet in length, with a glats 

 partition in the centre. Tbey are 1:3 and 10 feet high, niid 

 heated with hot water. One house was built and planted 

 twelve years ago, and the other was added and planted two 

 years later. The border for the first planted Vines is on the 

 outside of the house, and the latter planted Vines had a border 

 both ineide and outside. It i3 worthy of remark here that 

 those Vines planted in the border outside have always been 

 j very much superior to those planted in the inside border. 

 This is rather damaging to the theory of many of our cele- 

 brated writers on the Vine, who recommend so strongly that 

 Vine borders should be made within the;.house in this our vari- 



