THE GRAPE-VINE FAMILY. S73 



Seedling or Cross-bred Grapes. 



Of course nearly all the Grapes in cultivation are either 

 seminal or cross-bred variations, but those named in the fol- 

 lowing list are interesting as having been raised from well- 

 known varieties in English gardens, and I give them here as 

 examples of what intelligent cross-breeding or even seminal 

 variation and selection will effect in a few years. Of late 

 years the greatest gain in the way of new Grapes has been the 

 late-keeping varieties. 



Abram Bass. A seedling raised by Mr Pearson of Chilwell, 

 from Mrs Pince's Black Muscat. 



BidwelPs Seedling. A black seedling Grape raised by Mr 

 J. C. Bidwell of Exeter, and sent out by Messrs J. Veitch & 

 Sons, who first exhibited it in 1858. 



Ascot Citronelle. Bunch 10-12 inches long, slightly shoul- 

 dered, the berries being white with a thin bloom, and the point 

 of the style persistent at the apex. It was raised by Mr 

 Standish between Blanc de Saumer and Muscat Citronelle, 

 and has a Muscat flavour. 



Chilwell Alicante. An oblong-berried black variety, raised 

 by Mr J. Pearson at Chilwell. It is a seedling from Black 

 Alicante, and first fruited in 1871. 



Dr Hogg. A yellow round-berried variety, raised by Mr J. 

 Pearson. It is a seedling from Duchess of Buccleuch, which 

 it resembles in flavour, but is much larger in berry (1872). In 

 reference to this now well-known and excellent Grape, the 

 raiser says : " I tried what the effect of crossing Ferdinand 

 with other Grapes would give, and raised a large batch of seed- 

 lings, some also from other crosses, which were all planted 

 together. Some of these were exhibited 6th September 1871. 

 From them the committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 selected one for a first-class certificate, and as the chairman, 

 Dr Hogg, appeared much struck with it, I named it after him. 

 I knew it was a seedling from the Duchess of Buccleuch, and 

 never could make up my mind what was its other parent, or if 

 it had been crossed at all. Knowing that all the race of Grapes, 

 comprising Muscat Muscadine, Chasselas Musque, Joslin's St 

 Alban's, which were the result of a cross between the Muscat 

 of Alexandra and Royal Muscadine, to which the Duchess of 

 Buccleuch belongs, were, though very high flavoured, dread- 

 fully subject to crack, I feared the same might be the case with 

 mine, and so never recommended it to any one." 



Duchess of Buccleuch. Bunch long and tapering ; berries 



