THE CULTURE OP THE GRAPE. 229 



and repacked twice, and then competed, successfully, amongst 

 the best fruit-growers of any county in England. 



" Between September 7th, 1841 and October 17th, 1843, 

 I was awarded, by the Horticultural Society of London, eight 

 medals, six for grapes exclusively, and two for exhibitions, in 

 which grapes formed the principal fruit. It appears Mr. 

 Cherry agrees with my practice of culture, with the exception 

 of carrion ; but, if he has not remade the borders at Eshton, 

 which I am persuaded he has not, are not the vines still en- 

 joying the remains of what I cautiously offered ?" Here fol- 

 low some particularly correct remarks relative to the border, 

 as described by E. F. G., page 225. As I have made my 

 own statement concerning the materials used in this border, 

 and tlie effect, as described, iipon the vines, and, as hi the 

 main we agree, it is unnecessary to quote them here. " In 

 making a tour, in the autumn of 1844, I called at a noble- 

 man's demesne. After an introduction to the gardener, we 

 entered a large vineyard, in which was a splendid crop of 

 Muscat of Alexandria grapes ; good bunches, with finely 

 swelled berries, and beautifully colored. I expressed my de- 

 light at the sight, and he stated the means employed to l)ring 

 about so desirable a result. The vine was worn out, and bore 

 little ; and, he added, ' being possessed of your Treatise, I 

 top-dressed, as recommended, and the result is what you see ; 

 they have been the admiration of all who have seen them.' " 

 — G-ardeners' Glcronicle, 1848. 



" We should not treat Mr. Roberts's letter on vines, in our 

 last Chronicle, with the consideration to which the indisputa- 

 ble skill of the writer is entitled, if we passed it over without 

 remark. We are also called upon to notice it by some of the 

 reasoning introduced into it. 



" Mr. Roberts first questions whether his carrion-fed vines 

 have been excelled by others treated to a less offensive diet. 

 That his grapes were excellent, we have repeated over and 

 over again ; they did the greatest credit to his skill, as his 

 work on the vine does to his intelligence and knowledi^e of 



