220 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



overrated, and we will take the liberty to quote Mr. Roberts's 

 own Eshton grapes in our support. He says, ' it may be in 

 your recollection, and in that of many of your readers, that a 

 collection of grapes was submitted by me in September, 1841, 

 to the Horticultural Society, which was the produce of young 

 vines. The borders in which they grew contained carrion, 

 &c., as detailed in my treatise, and, imtil I find the sjjeci- 

 mens then sent siqjerseded, I will still carry out and recom- 

 mend the use of carrion, when it can be had.' 



" We find that the weight of grapes exhibited on this occa- 

 sion, was as follows, one bunch in each case : — 



Canon Hall Muscat, - - 2 lbs. 3 oz. 



White Nice, - - - - 7 " 12 " 



Black Hamburgh, - - - 2 " 5 " 



Black Prince, - - - 2 " 15 " 



Black Damascus, - - - 1 " 11 " 



Black Morocco, - - - 2 " 7 " 



and the bunches were beautiful. But we have also before us, 



the following memorandum, to be found in the ' Journal of 



the Horticultural Society,' vol. 11, p. 303. 



" ' On the twenty-first of August, 1847, the vice-secretary 

 received from Mr. Abel L. Gower four bunches of grapes ; 

 one a Muscat of Alexandria, weighing two pounds nine ounces, 

 and the others Black Hamburghs, weighing, respectively, two 

 pounds nine ounces, three and a half pounds, and five pounds. 

 The Black grapes were rather deficient in color, but of very 

 large size, and excellent quality.' 



" JSTow it will be observed, that the smallest of these bunches 

 weighed more than Mr. Roberts's Black Hamburgh, and the 

 largest more than twice as much. And how did Mr. Hutch- 

 ison, the gardener at Castle Malgwyn, obtain them ? By car- 

 rion, or any such violent and disgusting materials ? Not at 

 all. He states that the compost ' used in the formation of 

 the border, was hazelly loam with its turf, three parts, and 

 one part brick, lime rubbish, and broken stones, with a little 

 rich old dung, the turf well rotted, and the whole well incoi*- 



