576 GENERAL REVIEW. 



Seedling, not crossed with pollen from any other variety, and 

 similar in nearly every respect except colour to the seed- 

 parent. It is one of Mr W. Thomson's seedlings raised at 

 Dalkeith. 



Royal Ascot. Similar in appearance and flavour to the Black 

 Frontignan. It was raised by Mr Standish from Bowood Mus- 

 cat, crossed with pollen from Trouveren, and is curious as 

 an instance of seminal ancestral reversion, it being a black off- 

 spring from white parents. 



In addition to the above, numerous other varieties have 

 originated from seed in this country; for example, we have 

 quite a race of seedlings from the Muscat of Alexandria, of 

 which Bowood, Tynningham, and Canon Hall may be named 

 as examples. 



Mr W. Thomson of the Vineyard, Clovenfords, who is well 

 known as one of the most successful raisers of valuable new 

 Grapes, has given me the following complete history of the 

 four varieties he has already distributed. Two of them 

 namely, Golden Champion and Duke of Buccleuch are the 

 largest - berried Grapes in cultivation. White Lady Downe's 

 keeps better than any other White Grape; and the Duchess 

 of Buccleuch, although perhaps not so large in berry as is 

 desirable, deserves a place in every vinery for its two excellent 

 qualities viz., fertility and excellent flavour. 



" It was always a subject of regret with me," says Mr Thom- 

 son, " that the exquisite Chasselas Musque Grape persisted in 

 cracking just as it became ripe, and I accordingly set about 

 raising a batch of seedlings, which I hoped would retain its 

 fine flavour, fruit in a moderate temperature such as it fruits 

 in itself, and be free from its defects. I began by using the 

 pollen of the Muscat to impregnate the Chasselas Musque, and 

 also used its pollen to impregnate the Muscat. Every seed- 

 ling I raised, of which the Chasselas was the female parent, 

 was distinct in shape or size of berry from it, and none were 

 so large. Amongst this batch, the only one I kept was the 

 Duchess of Buccleuch ; all the others had such radical defects 

 that I at once discarded them. The Duchess has what is 

 an unpardonable fault in these days of monster bunches and 

 berries it has a small berry ; yet few will dispute its being very 

 prolific, and it is of exquisite flavour. 



" Of the seedlings of whom the Chasselas was the female 

 parent, not one differed in any respect from it as far as its 

 defects are concerned. Some were smaller, and some might 

 be a shade larger, but all cracked and were discarded. 



" I after this made an attempt in another direction, crossing 



