( '54 ) 



Among other remarkable fruit-trees may be 

 reckoned a vine belonging to the late Sir 

 Charles Raymond at Valentine-houfe, near 

 Ilford in Eflex. It was planted, a cutting, 

 in the year 1758, of the black Hambrugh. 

 fort ; and as the fruit of this fpecies will not 

 eafily ripen in the open air, it was planted in a 

 hot-houfe j tho without any preparation of foil, 

 which is in thofe grounds a ftiff loam, or 

 rather clay. The hot-houfe is a very large 

 one, about feventy feet in front ; and the vine, 

 which I underftand, is pruned in a peculiar 

 manner, extends two hundred feet, part of it 

 running along the fouth wall on the outfide 

 of the hot-houfe. In the common mode of 

 pruning, this fpecies of vine is no great bearer j 

 but managed as it is here, it produces wonder- 

 fully. Sir Charles Raymond, on the death 

 of his lady in 1778, left Valentine-houfe ; at 

 which time the gardener had the profits of the 

 vine. It annually produced about four hundred 

 weight of grapes ; which ufed formerly (when 

 the hot-houfe, I fuppofe, was kept warmer,) 

 to ripen in march : tho lately they have not 

 ripened till June; when they fell at four 



{hillings 



