Domestic Notices : — Scotlan d. 397; 



morning ; but that the average temperature of the brick wall, at that early 

 hour, is, during April, a degree colder. This brick wall, however, being 

 more porous, and retaining a greater quantity of heat, has shown, during May, 

 a considerably higher temperature than any of the others, owing to the in- 

 creased influence of the sun. At 1 o'clock p. m. the average temperature of 

 the sloping wall is 7° higher than that of the brick wall. The next warmest 

 at that hour is the dark-coloured or whinstone wall, which is only 3° lower 

 than that of the sloping wall. At the same hour, the freestone is 5° colder 

 than the sloping wall, or 2° inferior to the whinstone. At 6 o'clock p. m., 

 the sloping wall is 2° warmer than the freestone and the brick walls, and 5° 

 warmer than the whinstone wall, which last, at that time, is the coldest of 

 all the walls. The results will be more satisfactorily ascertained when the 

 fruit of a cherry tree, a vine, or a peach, trained on the sloping wall, have 

 been compared with that of one of the same kind placed against the perpen- 

 dicular freestone wall. When hoar-frost forms, the sloping wall becomes the 

 coldest during the night, by 2° or 3°, or perhaps more. To render it effec- 

 tive, therefore, it will be indispensable to have a covering of thin canvass 

 drawn over it during the night. 



A Straiuberry Wall, on Mr.Byers's plan (V. 438.), has been formed, and placed 

 in the direction of north and south, on a surface declining to the horizon, 

 at an angle of about 250°. For this reason the water furrow along the crest 

 or ridge of the wall has stops at various places, to allow the water to be 

 equally absorbed. The advantages anticipated are, increased surface for the 

 plants, and an earlier crop of clean fruit, easily gathered. 



Of Grapes, between twenty and thirty sorts have been proved, and their 

 description, by Mr. Barnet, will be useful in the preparation of a new edition 

 of the Horticultural Society's Fruit Catalogue. The following sorts appear 

 to us the newest, or the most worthy of notice : — 



Fruit luhite, oblong; leaves obtusely lobed. — Savagnien Blanc. Clusters 

 small, compact ; berries transparent, light green, of a rich musky sweet fla- 

 vour ; leaves dense, downy beneath. This variety was presented to the So- 

 ciety by John Robison, Esq., who kindly procured a collection of the finest 

 table-grapes from Bordeaux. The fruit, being produced in the peach-house, 

 has probably not been properly ripened, for want of sufficient heat. 



Loudon , s Seedling. A large showy variety ; clusters large, and much 

 branched, the branchlets being divided ; berries large, oblong, of a greenish- 

 yellow colour; seeds small; flesh firm, juicy, sweet, and high-flavoured; 

 leaves large, slightly lobed, slightly serrated ; a great bearer ; readily produces 

 a second crop, especially when grown in a pine-stove. Raised from seed in : 

 the garden of H. Menteith, Esq., of Carstairs, by the gardener, Mr. Robert 

 Loudon. [Should our namesake see this, we will thank him for a cutting.] 



Malvoisie. This is a small grape, and seems to set sparingly; the clusters 

 and berries small, oblong, and pointed at the ends ; of a bright light green, 

 transparent ; flavour rich and pleasant ; seeds large, but, from being grown 

 in the peach-house, evidently not in perfection ; the leaves are small, round, 

 slightly lobed, with large coarse serratures, of cucullated form. This is one 

 of a collection received from Bordeaux by John Robison, Esq., as noticed 

 above. 



Black or Red, fruit oblong. — West' 's Saint Peter. Clusters large, long, and 

 not much branched; berries middle-sized, oblong, approaching to round, of 

 a deep bluish-black, with a glaucous bloom; footstalks short; flesh firm, juicy, 

 with peculiar rich light flavour ; seeds middle-sized ; skin thin ; a great bearer, 

 and ripens late ; the fruit hangs on the plant a considerable time without 

 shriveling; and the plant retains its leaves, which are of a deep green colour, 

 slightly lobed, sharply and doubly serrated ; footstalks and leaves slender ; 

 the leaves are stained with red towards decay. The best late grape that has 

 come under my observation. 



Franlcenthal: Clusters large and branched; berries large, round, or ap- 

 proaching to oblong, of a shining black colour; glaucous; seeds small; flavour 



