236 Metj'osjpective Criticism. 



of grapes, by Mr. R. Errington, in which, I think, he misrepresents the article 

 by me in p. 43.; and, presuming that the Magazine is open for mutual discussion 

 upon gardening topics, I take this opportunity of forwarding a few remarks 

 on Mr. Errington's paper, as far as it relates to mine. In the first place, he 

 states that Mr. R. Wilson " has had a vinery, in which, whilst the atmo- 

 sphere in the house was West Indian, the roots were at the same time under- 

 going all the rigours of a Siberian winter." Now this I do not mean to deny, 

 but I would like to know what Mr. Errington would have done if he had been 

 placed in similar circumstances. Let him suppose himself at the foot of the 

 north side of the Carter Fells, a range of hills, or rather mountains, which 

 divides the counties of Northumberland and Roxburgh, with a large vinery 

 just on the point of coming into flower, which he had to attend to during a 

 truly Siberian-like winter night. In such a manner I was situated in March 

 1837. The previous month was very mild and fine weather, as was all the 

 spring, taking it in a general view ; but, if Mr. Errington will take the trouble 

 of referring to the several meteorological journals for March, 1837, he will 

 find that there were eight days of continued frost in London, commencing on 

 the 19th. Now, let him think what it would be in Scotland, where nature 

 does not bless us with such mild winters as you have in England. I find on 

 comparing my journal with the article by me in the Magazine, that I have 

 made a mistake in stating that the external thermometer stood at 13° ; it was 

 at 18° upon the 24th of March, 1837 ; and I mentioned it only as an evidence 

 against Dr. Lindley's opinion quoted by W. H. Mr. Errington, after alluding 

 to the Siberian winter which he says our vine roots were undergoing, adds, 

 alluding to me, " now this he has done three successive years ;" but, if he will 

 take the trouble to examine my paper, he will find that I never so much as 

 alluded to such a thing. I said that we never had a shriveled grape during 

 the three years I was at Edgerston. Mr. Errington afterwards states that 1 

 said that by these means I obtained the medal at the Jedburgh Society ; this 

 also is erroneous; and, in making the assertion, he has fallen into just the very 

 error that he complains of your Cotswold correspondent committing, namely, 

 jumping at conclusions, which, by the by, I think he ought not to have men- 

 tioned when we take his own conclusions into consideration. I had it not in 

 my power to take medals ; as I was at the time alluded to, in 1837, foreman 

 under Mr. Thomas Weir, who is allowed to be one of the best forcing gar- 

 deners in the South of Scotland. As I am upon the subject of the 'shriveling 

 of grapes, which certainly is an important one, I may be pardoned for giving 

 my opinion on it once more. As I stated before, I do not think that it pro- 

 ceeds from coldness of the outside border ; that, of course, will have a ten- 

 dency to weaken the vine, but it has nothing to do with shriveling. Nor do 

 I acquiesce with W. H. in supposing that it proceeds from the richness of the 

 border. 1 have seen a good many vineries, where I considered the vines over- 

 luxuriant, in different parts of the country ; and, when such is the case, the 

 vines are generally long-jointed and unfruitful ; but, in my humble opinion, in 

 many such instances, even that might be obviated by proper pruning, and 

 ripening the wood well in the autumn. In any house under my charge, I 

 should not like to be tied to either one or two modes of pruning, which, I 

 presume, ought to depend entirely upon the habit of the vine. In fact, I do 

 not believe there is one case out of ten, where shriveling proceeds from the 

 border at all. In most instances it is the want of proper attention to heat 

 and air, at that particular period of the growth of the grapes when they com- 

 mence colouring j and, where there is a miscellaneous collection of vines in 

 one house, that period is attended with no small risk. What strengthens my 

 opinion is, the disease is not so prevalent in Scotland as it is in England, and 

 consequently artificial means are to be the more relied upon, such as fire, &c. 

 In fact, by superior growers, the fires are never dropped at all, applying either 

 less or more, until the fruit is all cut, and the wood well ripened ; so that the 

 atmosphere is always dry, which is so essential to the proper culture of the 

 vine, as soon as the grapes commence colouring. Of the vineries that I alluded 



