REMARKS ON VARIETIES SELECTED 33 



The grapes given in the above-mentioned lists will 

 be fit for use pretty much in the order in which their 

 names appear in the respective lists. 



DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON THE VARIETIES SELECTED 



A few remarks respecting the several varieties of the 

 grape vine mentioned above will not be out of place 

 here. Instead of taking the names alphabetically, I will 

 refer to them in the order in Which they were mentioned 

 in the last section. 



Black Hamburg is the best of all grapes for early 

 forcing and for general purposes. It is a free grower as 

 well as a free bearing variety, producing as a rule compact 

 bunches ranging in weight from one and a half pounds 

 to three and a half pounds, according to the vigour of the 

 individual vines and the number of bunches which each is 

 allowed to carry as a crop. A bunch of this excellent 

 grape weighing about twenty-one and three-quarter 

 pounds was exhibited at Belfast in 1874 by Mr Hunter, 

 gardener to the Earl of Durham, at Lampton Castle, 

 Durham. Berries large when well thinned, attaining 

 to between one inch and two inches in diameter, 

 sometimes roundish oval in shape, but generally round, 

 and when well grown hammered in appearance this 

 being one of the distinguishing marks of good culture. 

 Skin bluish-black and carrying a heavy bloom. Flesh 

 firm, melting, and full of flavour. 



Madresfield Court is a noble looking grape, the bunches, 

 consisting of large oval-shaped berries, being handsome in 

 appearance, broad-shouldered and tapering. The berries 

 attain to fine size when properly thinned. Foot-stalks 

 short and stout. Flesh firm, and excellent in flavour. It 

 is a black Muscat, and when coloured well is quite black 

 and covered with a dense bloom. Bunches, one pound 

 to three and a half pounds and sometimes five pounds in 



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