490 Retrospective Criticism. 



pression whatever on the flowers. — T. M. Lindsay. High Clere Gardens, 

 June 1. 1835. 



Faulkner'' s New Scarlet Pine. — A remarkably productive and fine-flavoured 

 strawberry has been raised by Mr. Faulkner, of the Flora Tea Gardens, 

 Battersea Fields. It is of a particularly fine clear colour, high flavour, and in 

 productiveness, judging from the produce of a single plant which was brought 

 to us, we should say that it excels all others. We are confirmed in this 

 opinion of Mr. Faulkner's scarlet by no ordinary judge, Mr. Charlwood, 

 who, indeed, first directed our attention to it. We hope the public will, at all 

 events, give it a trial. — Cond. 



Art. III. Retrospective Criticism. 



Erratum. — In Mr. Errington's paper (p. 347.), for " stone pots," read 

 " store pots." 



The Coiling System of Vine Culture, (p. 362.) — When the system of coiling 

 the shoots of grape vines into pots, with the view of producing fruit the first 

 season, first suggested itself to me, I had to select them from amongst a num- 

 ber of shoots thrown promiscuously together, of many kinds ; and none of those 

 were by any means well suited for my purpose, being long naked shoots, 

 without any buds in a fit state to produce fruit ; but, as I had nothing better at 

 hand at that time, and was anxious to try the experiment, I coiled three of the 

 finest into pots proportionate to the coil, strength, and length of each shoot, in 

 His Grace's presence, and in the manner previously described to you. Each 

 of those produced a bunch of grapes the same season, and the sorts proved 

 to be the muscat of Alexandria, the black Damascus, and black Tripoli: they 

 all perfected themselves as well as I ever saw them under any circumstances. 

 From the weak state of the wood, the bunches were not large, but the berries 

 swelled off very finely, and ripened perfectly. 



Satisfied with the result of the first experiment, I was anxious for the ap- 

 proach of another season to prove it upon a larger scale, and made a selection 

 of the best possible shoots for my purpose ; as we were removing all the old 

 established vines at Welbeck, with the object of chambering the roots, so as to 

 keep them from being influenced by the cold, wet, clayey subsoil of the gardens 

 here, which has often been the unfortunate cause of failure in them, and other 

 crops. The first that I coiled last season was a Miller's Burgundy, which per- 

 fected fifteen bunches : they are as good and perfect as I ever saw of that 

 grape, and were the earliest ripened of any here. 



I coiled many others in the course of the early spring, and I believe that 

 none which I had confidence in disappointed me; and such as did not Q'uit 

 to my satisfaction the first season were, by a judicious attention, made certain 

 fruiters the second, of whatever kinds they were; and the fruit was as fine as 

 from longer-established vines. 



The muscat noticed above was planted on the border of the great stove 

 here last season ; and its second produce was fifteen fine and well-matured 

 bunches. This season I left only fifteen bunches upon it ; and they are as fine 

 bunches, and as regularly well-swelled berries, as I have ever seen upon mus- 

 cats ; and I believe that, had I left on double the crop, the vine would have per- 

 fected them, from the great degree of luxuriance which it exhibits. The black 

 Damascus of my first experiment produced four fine bunches the second 

 season ; and this season I left four on, which are now perfectly ripe, fine 

 bunches, and the grapes as large as sloes. In fact, none of the vines thus treated 

 will miss a crop under a judicious, and yet simple discipline; and they will 

 continue luxuriantly fruitful for years. 1 ought here to state, that the black Da- 

 mascus still remains in the pot, which is the reason of leaving so few bunches 

 upon it ; but I have others (black Damascuses) of lastyeai-'s coilers, with the 

 same crop of fruit, and equally promising. 



