1 1 6 Fruits and Fruit- Trees. 



large and oval. These are brought principally from 

 Almeria, in Spain, Portugal, and Sicily. The round- 

 berried "black" ones, not so common, but very good, 

 are mostly from Hamburg. 



The magnitude of the bunches often produced in 

 English hot-houses is sometimes prodigious. At the 

 International Fruit Exhibition, held in the Manchester 

 Botanical Gardens, at the close of August, 1881, there 

 was shown a cluster of "Black Hamburgh" from Lambton 

 Castle, Durham, the weight of which was 13 Ib. 4 oz. It 

 recalled to mind the famous bunch brought from Eshcol 

 by the spies, with their other samples of the products 

 of the Promised Land, and which was borne "on a staff 

 between two." From these words we must be careful 

 not to infer more than is really meant. There is no 

 need to exaggerate in the way that has often been 

 done in pictures. The two men slung it, in all likeli- 

 hood, not because the weight taxed their strength, but 

 to prevent damage and bruising, simply anticipating 

 the precautions adopted by all modern gardeners and 

 fruit-dealers. Huge bunches, after all, are objects more 

 for wonder than desire. They are not so satisfactory 

 as good medium clusters. The grape-grower's triumph 

 consists in a nice evenly-finished and well-ripened crop, 

 free from anything sensational. A bunch of inordinate 

 size cannot have a portion removed without the appear- 

 ance, if the whole be not just then wanted, being 

 spoiled; two or three comparatively small bunches, 

 side by side we speak of dessert give a far pleasanter 



