Transactions, of the London Horticultural Society. ^qq 



profitable cultivation of the vine was limited to countries having a mean 

 temperature between 50° and 60° Fahr., and not within 30° of the equator ; 

 whereas the whole of the six species adverted to are cultivated in Dukhun 

 (Deccan), East Indies, between the 17th and 19th parallels of N. latitude, 

 and longitude 73° 30' and 76° 50' east of Greenwich, at an elevation above 

 the sea, varying from 1500 to 1800 feet ; the mean temperature of the year 

 being from 77° to 78° Fahr., the mean temperature of the hottest months 

 (April and May) 81° to 85°, and of the coldest 66° to 71° in December and 

 January; the thermometer having been known to rise to 110° in a tent in 

 April, and to sink for a few hours as low as 37° in the winter months." 



The six vax-ieties cultivated in the Deccan, where they produce luxuriantly 

 and without any difficulty, are the following : — 



1. TheHubshee. An elongated, truncated, fleshy, black grape, approaching 

 a juicy plum in firmness, but infinitely sweeter, the finest of all the varieties. 



2. The Fukree. An oblong, musky, green grape, slightly fleshy, and not 

 nearly so large as the Hubshee ; it fruits abundantly. 



3. The Sahibee. A comparatively rare grape, yellowish green when ripe, 

 oval, flesh}', slightly astringent, and of a dry flavour, though sweet. 



4. The Be Dana, or seedless grape. Small, globular, yellowish green, thin- 

 skinned, and very delicious. It resembles the Kishmiss, from which the wine 

 of Shiraz is made. 



5. The Ahbee, or watery grape. Large, globular, thin-skinned, very juicy, 

 green, passing to yellow, and terminating into a brown Indian red on one 

 side. 



6. This kind Col. Sykes cannot at pi'esent describe. 



" The whole of the above grapes ripen during January, February, and 

 March, and they are occasionally seen for sale in all April. 



" The mode of treatment is diflTerent in dilferent vineyards ; the most usual 

 plan is to keep them low, but not quite so low as is done in France ; but 

 some gardeners grow them upon trellis work. The vines produce two fruit- 

 ings annually : the first, in the early part of the year, being sweet ; the second, 

 occurring in September, being acid." 



28. Upon the Culture of fhe Strawherry. By T. A. Knight, Esq., F.R.S., 

 Pres. Read May 2. 1837. 



" So much has been written upon the culture of the strawberry, and the 

 industry of the market gardener has been so much stimulated by the high price 

 of the fruit in the earlier part of its season, that its culture maj' be reason- 

 ably supposed to be scarcely capable of further improvement. The results 

 of some experiments in which I have been engaged during the last three 

 years have, however, led me to think that I am prepared to point out some 

 no very trivial improvements of management. 



" The gardener of the present time, in opposition to the practice of his 

 predecessors, usually employs plants, which are afforded by the runners of the 

 preceding year ; and such practice is perfectly successfid in warm situations, 

 and after warm and favourable seasons ; but it is important in such situations, 

 and still more so in situations wdiich are less favourable, to obtain plants as 

 early as practicable in the season preceding that in which they are to produce 

 fruit. 



" Every gardener knows that plants of Keen's seedling strawberry, which 

 have been forced early and properly in the spring, will aflbrd, if turned out of 

 their pots into the soil, and properly watered, a second crop in the autumn. 

 These plants have usually a good many runners attached to them, which 

 readily emit abundant roots, if placed in. close contact with the soil and 

 plentifully supplied with water ; and the plants which may be obtained from 

 these runners are greatly preferable to those which cannot be obtained till a 

 much later period. They occupy more perfectly the whole extent of the 

 pots in which they are planted, and acquire a much greater degree of strength 



