GRAPE-VINE.l 



PKACTICK OF HORTICULTURE. 



[aUAI'£-VINE. 



medium elevation the Kibstou pippin will do 

 well in this situation ; for tliough it will not 

 come to such perfect maturity, it will yet be 

 better than most other fruits, and the tree will 

 prDve more healthy than it usually iloi-s on the 

 bi'st wall. A jarixonello pear, in the like cir- 

 cumstances, may be not unsuccessfully tried ; 

 and in lower situations, failing the extent of 

 wall, a variety of the finer sorts of ai^jiles and 

 pears may be raised in this way. The less 

 favourable aspects of the espalier rows must, 



of course, bo fitted up with such as aro 



coarser and more hardy It 



may be remarlicd that none of the stone 

 fruits do well for training in the es- 

 palier mode, save cherries, which bear for 

 a number of years on the old wood ; but 

 though they admit of the protection of a 

 net as well as on tho wall, yet this method 

 is in other respects less eligible, as tho young 

 wood cannot bo laid in to tho uaino ad- 

 vautaee." 



CHAPTER VI. 



PRELIMINARY ; THE GRAPE-VINE ; THE FIG ; PEACH ; APRICOT ; PLUM ; CHERRY ; PEAR ; APPLE ; 

 STORING PEARS AND APPLES ; QUINCE ; MEDLAR ; SERVICE-TRKE ; MULBERRY ; CURRANT ; TUB 

 GOOSEBERRY; RASPBERRY; STRAWBERRY; CRANBERRY; ALMOND TREE ; HAZEL-NLT; WALNUT; 

 CHESTNUT. 



PRELIMINARY. 



In passing to particulars from the generalities 

 into which our treatment of the fruit garden 

 has, to some extent, necessarily led us, we 

 will commence with the more delicate or 

 tender sorts of fruits, and restrict the lists which 

 we shall give to selections from the very best 

 descriptions in present cultivation. It is in 

 the forcing garden alone, however, that many 

 of the finer sorts of fruits can be brought to a 

 state of perfection. To that department we 

 must, therefore, refer the reader for whatever 

 details we give of these, as it is there that, in 

 this country, the artificial processes of vege- 

 tation are pursued upon the principles of ex- 

 perimental science, and with a view to attain 

 to the highest results. 



THE GRAPE-VINE. 



This plant is generally considered to bo a 

 native of Persia ; thence passing into Egypt, 

 Greece, and Sicily. From this island it was 

 carried into Italy, Spain, and France; and, 

 ultimately, by the Eomaus into Britain, but at 

 what period is uncertain. That there were vine- 

 yards in England in a.d. 280, is certain, if the 

 authority of the venerable Eede is to be be- 

 lieved. But, however this may be, wherever 

 it is now cultivated in England, it is absolutely 

 F 



necessary that it should have a good aspect ; 

 and to the north of York, a dessert of grapes 

 cannot be produced without the assistance of 

 a hot wall. It is said that, in the extreme 

 south-west districts of England, grapes, suit- 

 able for tho manufacture of wine, perhaps 

 equal in quality to those grown in the north 

 of France, might be produced on dwarf stand- 

 ards. Of this we entertain no doubt, unless 

 the climate has greatly changed for the worse, 

 as there is abundant historical testimony-, 

 shoving that productive vineyards once existed 

 in that part of the island. In the catalogue 

 of the London Horticultural Society, 197 

 kinds of grapes are enumerated. Some of 

 these, however, are of indifferent quality, and 

 some are utterly worthless. We will, there- 

 fore, select the names of a few of those which 

 are considered to be most deserving of the 

 attention of the cultivator. 



Black Damascus, Black Hamburg, Black 

 Lombardy, Chasselas Musqud, Frontiguan, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Eoyal Muscadine, Nice 

 or AVhito Nice, Barbarossa, Black Prince, Es- 

 perione, or Turner's Early Black, the Syrian 

 Grape, Slillward's Sweetwater, or Chasselas 

 Precorce, Trobbiaua, tho Yerdellio, and White 

 Sweetwater. 



The Black Damascus is a late variety, and 

 does not set well ; but its bunches are large, 



953 



