THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



333 



-GRAPE GROWING FOR MARKET, 

 IN BELGIUM. 



Any horticulturist who may chance to visit the 

 beautiful capital of Belgium should not miss seeing 

 the immense vineries at the village of Hoeilaert. 

 This village is situated about 8 miles south-east from 

 Brussels, and is easily reached. You take the train 

 from the " Station de Luxembourg " for a small 

 station called Gronendael, which journey occupies 

 only from ten to fifteen minutes. The remainder of 

 the journey can easily be made on foot, and the walk 

 between the latter station and Hoeilaert is exceed- 

 ingly pleasant, the road running for the greater part 

 ■of the way through a beautiful forest of Beeches, 

 which throw their branches across the roadway, 

 making an agreeable shade. The country here is, 

 I think, the prettiest in the environs of Brussels 

 being gently undulating and finely wooded. In 

 passing from Brussels to Gronendael you see a neat 

 village which is known by the name of " La petite 

 Suisse" from its fancied resemblance in miniature 

 to a Swiss hamlet. 



The village of Hoeilaert is also prettily situated, 

 and, as an example of a Flemish village, is worth 

 a visit even without the attractions of the vineries. 

 When the village is reached it is a most interesting 

 and curious sight to look round upon the immense 

 ranges of glass, with the sun's rays reflected in 

 dazzling gleams from their glittering surfaces. 



In this country we are accustomed to see glass 

 structures situated in enclosed areas, but at Hoeilaert 

 they are simply built in the open fields, without walls 

 or fences round them, the situations being chosen 

 more with regard to the suitability of the soil than 

 anything else. You can walk off* the public highway 

 across a field and straight into a vinery, without 

 having to pass any barriers whatever. 



In 1865 the Brothers Sohie started the first 

 Vine-growing establishment in Hoeilaert, and now 

 there are no fewer than sixty following in their 

 footsteps, the system of culture employed, and the 

 style of house being, as a rule, similar with all. The 

 usual form of house is a span-roof, in the Dutch 

 style. Almost the only exception to this are the 

 original ranges built by the Brothers Sohie, which, 

 being on a somewhat steep slope, are half-spans, 

 which form of house accommodates itself much 

 better than a full span to the fall of the ground, 

 the ranges rising one above the other, like a series 

 of terraces. 



In the establishment which I looked over there 

 was one block of twenty-four houses, each house 

 75 feet long, 30 feet broad, and 10 feet high. A 

 second block, separated from the former by a road- 

 way, was composed of ten houses of the same 

 dimensions, and there were in addition three or four 

 detached houses, placed at right angles to the main 

 blocks, for the culture of Peaches, &c. 



There is a wood framework, which forms the 

 skeleton of the house and supports the iron astragals 

 and glass. The astragals are of light T-iron, and 

 are carried right over the ridge from wall to wall 

 in one piece. Ventilation is obtained by sashes 

 hinged to the ridge-piece, these being lifted by a 

 simple iron rod. In each house there is a large 

 circular concrete tank into which is carried the water 

 off' the roofs. 



The heating apparatus is of the most primi- 

 tive and simple description, being composed of 

 flues of large glazed drain-pipes, placed on the 

 ground, the chimney or chimneys also of pipes 

 generally passing through the glass in the centre of 

 each house. I certainly did not admire the system of 

 heating, it seemed so clumsy, there being in the 

 large houses four furnaces, two at either end, which 

 must entail enormous labour and trouble, when one 

 thinks of the very great number of fires required in 

 a large block. 



A little more ingenuity might also be exercised 

 with regard to the positions of the chimneys, as I 

 ■could not but think that a more suitable place min-ht 

 be got for them than the exceedingly makeshift- 

 looking expedient of pushing them right through the 



centres of the roofs. As yet no one seems to have 

 tried to step from the beaten track and make a new 

 departure on the system of heating, as in all the 

 establishments it is the same. 



The vineries, however, are well built and sub- 

 stantial, being put up on the simplest and least 

 expensive way consistent with efficiency. Very 

 little attention is given towards keeping them tidy, 

 which detracts considerably from their appearance. 

 No time seems to be available for tidying up, 

 economy in this as in all the other details being 

 rigorously practised. The Vines are planted in 

 four lines, at about 3 feet between the plants. 

 Heavy cropping is the rule, the bunches averaging 

 about .!- lb. in weight. The berries are well 

 coloured. 



Until quite recently, the chief, indeed the only 

 variety grown, was the Black Frankeuthal, but now 

 some of the new houses are being planted with 

 Black Hamburgh, Black Alicante, &c. 



In some cases the Vines have been planted in 

 position two years before the vineries they were 

 destined to fill were erected, the houses being built 

 over them — rather a change from the usual process. 



In a pamphlet published in the beginning of the 

 present year by M. Ch. Joly, of Paris — La Culture de 

 la Yhjne sous Vcrre — a description is given of the 

 vineries at Hoeilaert and of the famous establish- 

 ment of the Messrs. Thomson at Clovenfords, near 

 Galashiels. The vineries at Hoeilaert, like those at 

 Clovenfords, are certainly very important commercial 

 establishments, but there is little or no similarity 

 between them with regard to the system of culture, 

 or to the construction of the houses. 



Any one who visited first the vineries at Clovenfords, 

 and afterwards compared this magnificent establish- 

 ment with the vineries at Hoeilaert would get a very 

 great surprise. At Clovenfords one sees large and 

 handsome houses heated with hot-water on the most 

 approved principle, the whole culture of the Vines 

 being of the highest excellence, and the result being 

 Grapes which for size of bunch and finish compare 

 favourably with the highest class Grapes from any 

 private establishment. 



At Hoeilaert, on the contrary, you have a diffe- 

 rent state of matters — rough houses and a very 

 rough-and-ready system of culture, with a result of 

 small bunches and berries. In truth, the Belgian 

 establishments should not be named vineries, as we 

 understand the term, but a vineyard under glass. 

 When I visited Hoeilaert, at the end of May, a large 

 part of the Grapes were rapidly colouring, a second 

 series were just set, and a third showing the bunches. 

 These Grapes are sent to many of the large cities, 

 the principal being London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, 

 and Amsterdam. 



In addition to the Vines, Peaches are also grown 

 to some extent, the chief varieties being Madeleine 

 Rouge. Strawberries form another auxiliary pro- 

 duct, considerable quantities of these being grown, 

 some in pots and others planted out in beds on the 

 inside vinery borders. The chief Strawberry grown 

 is Marguerite Lebreton. James Wilson, Jun., Greenside 

 Nursery, St. Andrews, N.B. [A vinery constructed and 

 heated as above described was figured at p. 275 of 

 our issue for March 3 last. Ed.] 



Vegetables. 



CHOU DE BURGHLEY. 



Much has been said and written for and against 

 this; but those who have done the latter little know 

 how useful and valuable it is, as those who have con- 

 demned or found fault with it must, I think, have 

 had it in use at the wrong time, if that be possible, 

 for during late autumn and in winter Cabbages and 

 Savoys are quite out of it, and will not compare with 

 Chou de Burghley in any way for delicacy of flavour, 

 and for the seasons mentioned I am of opinion that 

 it ought to quite take their place. Again, if we turn 

 to the spring, we all know that Cabbages cannot be 

 had fit to cut very early, but with Chou de Burghley 



sown towards the end of July, or before, and planted 

 out in good soil as soon as the plants are fit and 

 large enough, they are ahead of Cabbage, and no 

 epicure can find fault with them if properly cooked, 

 as they eat like the tender heart-leaves of a Broc- 

 coli or Cauliflower, and nothing else on this head 

 need be said in their favour. Here we have them in 

 all the different stages, and shall not be without a 

 supply from the end of October till April or May, 

 when Chou de Burghley will be succeeded by Ellam's, 

 Veitch's, and Etampes Cabbages, which are my 

 favourites, as they are early and quite large enough. 

 J. Sheppard. 



The Bulb Garden. 



BLIND NARCISSUS POETICUS. 

 I have followed the correspondence on this sub- 

 ject with considerable interest, as the opinions 

 expressed vary so greatly. The theory about shal- 

 low planting I do not consider to be tenable, as 

 the growth of the bulbs I have in my garden dis- 

 proves it. I referred a few weeks ago to the fact 

 that the bulbs in my brother's garden on a similar 

 soil, and only a few yards away, though taken from 

 my stock, always go blind, whilst I have hardly an 

 instance of such failure. If shallow planting were 

 the cause of the mischief, the condition would be 

 reversed, as mine are the shallower of the two ; 

 indeed, during the winter I had serious fears that 

 their being so near the surface — some barely covered 

 with soil — would be detrimental to their growth and 

 flowering this season. The result proves that prac- 

 tically it has had no such effect. The border where 



1 flower my bulbs has full exposure to the north- 

 east winds, and is rarely protected by snow, owing 

 to the wind sweeping through an adjacent gateway, 

 and it does not get the early morning sun, as on the 

 south-east it is flanked by a low Laurel hedge, from 



2 to to 3 feet high, so that during the winter and 

 early spring it gets no sunshine until lOor 11 o'clock. 

 On the other hand the non-flowering bulbs in my 

 brother's garden have exposure to the sun during the 

 early morning, and also through most of the day, and 

 are sheltered from the north and east by walls. I 

 am unable to hazard an opinion as to the real 

 cause of this blindness, but am satisfied that the 

 shallow planting and frost theory is not the true 

 solution. D. J. Yco. 



LlLIOM CANDIDUM. 



This Lily in many places refuses to grow, or is at 

 best difficult to keep, as not only do some soils seem 

 to disagree with it, but the plants are subject to a 

 kind of fungus, and this, when it attacks them, 

 soon sweeps them all off. Of remedies to stop or 

 cure it there appear to be none known at present, 

 — at least I have not heard or read of any — but if 

 there are, those who have knowledge of them would 

 do a good service to many by stating them, as it is a 

 real loss to any garden to be without such an old 

 favourite. [Try sulphate of copper.] Here, and in this 

 district, no one has the least trouble with it, as not 

 only does it succeed well in our borders, but it may be 

 seen in those of almost every cottager, and in some 

 in such strength and luxuriance that the stems run up 

 to a height of 5 or 6 feet, and bear a great number of 

 flowers. As to the bulbs, it seems to be a struggle 

 with them as to which shall keep possession of the 

 ground, for so thick and crowded do they become 

 that they lift and push one another out, and it is 

 quite common to see many lying bare on the surface 

 if the clumps are not frequently divided and re- 

 planted, and in doing this it is always advisable to 

 give them a fresh place or new soil. 



The land about here is light and sharp, and as the 

 bottom is gravelly or sandy, it drains quickly, and 

 this may be the whole secret of the success of this 

 Lily, as most bulbs that remain continually in the 

 earth need dryness when at rest, and Lilies, perhaps 

 more than others, require that condition, as they have 

 so much surface exposed owing to their numerous 

 scales, and moisture is very apt to lodge between 



