450 On the Rust in Grapes. 



some future time a remedy would be discovered for it ; but this was not all, 

 for, as soon as the berries began to colour, I discovered the stalks of many of 

 them, especially those at the end of the bunches and those at the end of the 

 shoulders, turning black, or, as 1 believe it is now termed, shanking. This was 

 at once attributed to the cold wet bottom on which the vines grew, but, for- 

 tunately for my argument, this, as I stated before, could not be altered. These 

 berries were of coui'se soon got rid of, as they made the bunches look bad. 

 I began now to look forward to the time when they should become black, 

 but here again I was disappointed, as many of them never got beyond red, 

 while many others did not even get to that, neither did they acquire that firm- 

 ness in the skin which they ought ; for, although large and sweet, they were 

 pale and soft. Having gone through all the various stages of one year's 

 growth, I could think of nothing short of fresh borders to remove the evil, till 

 towards the end of the summer I observed that at the upper end of the shoots, 

 where some of the buds had started and brought fruit, these bunches being 

 left to themselves, without thinning, and fully exposed to the opening of the 

 top sashes, had, notwithstanding this apparent neglect, become quite black, 

 firm-fleshed, and free from shanking or rust, though of course very small, as 

 they were not considered worth notice. Now, Sir, if the evil existed in the 

 soil, do you not think it would have affected the latter as well as the former ? 

 1 thought so, and therefore did nothing to the border beyond adding some 

 fresh loam to the top, and continuing to dress it every year or thereabouts 

 with rotten dung, making it a rule never to dig the border, but, previously to 

 laying on the dung, just break the crust at top. But to return : how long things 

 went on in the above way T cannot at this time remember, but, as it regards the 

 rust, it was suggested that probably the handling of the berries in thinning 

 might cause it. I therefore selected several bunches from various parts of the 

 house, and rubbed them all over j I then marked them and left them to their 

 fate, and I had the satisfaction to see that they were rusted beyond any T had 

 ever seen, and felt perfectly satisfied that for the future it might be greatly 

 prevented ; and since I have taken care that they should not be handled or 

 rubbed, 1 do not believe I have had any rust. 



I have recently seen something of tliis sort stated elsewhere, and contra- 

 dicted ; but, as far as my experience goes, I can assert that it is true. Having 

 got over this difiiculty, I began to think of getting over the others. By this 

 time, I had received a hint from some one (I think the late Mr. Knight) re- 

 specting night temperature and morning air. This seemed so reasonable that 

 I at once gave up the idea of keeping the thermometer so regular as before, 

 and since that time I have grown as good grapes as can reasonably be ex- 

 pected from the same vines, and have as good a crop as I would wish to 

 see. The house is about 60 ft. long, 15 ft. wide, rafters 17 ft., with one shoot 

 or shoots up each rafter, and the same up the middle of the light pro- 

 ducing about forty bunches to a light. Of course I do not mean to say 

 that vines thus situated and thus cropped will produce grapes like those on 

 prepared borders of modern times, but quite sufficient for the demands of 

 most families. 



These remarks have been occasioned by reading the various opinions on 

 the subject in different works, some of which seem to me to carry little weight 

 with them. Therefore, before any of your readers incur a great expense to 

 remedy the evil complained of, I would beg to advise them to try a more 

 natural method of growing them, if, like me, they have hitherto treated them 

 more tenderly than they require. Should these observations, coming from 

 this remote spot, prove acceptable to you or your readers, perhaps at some 

 time or other I may be induced to trouble you again. I hope you will excuse 

 what has been thus hastily thrown together by one who at that time never 

 thought of becoming a writer in the Gardcncr^s Magazine, and will, perhaps, 

 be thought by some, that it were better if he had still been turning the clods 

 of the valley. 



Middlesex, Ajml, ISiS. 



