548 
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CHRONICLE. 
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APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
MEETINGS. 
yal Hortieultural Socie 
TUESDAY, APR, Zu al, and Scientific, TA * Floral, 
and Narcissus Committees, 
SHOWS. 
National Auricula Societ bem 
TUESDAY, ^ APR. 264 Ne ection) at South Ke aito 
FRIDAY, APR. 29 in Royal ко апа rm of 
SATURDAY, APR, жыр eu Society. 
SALES, 
MONDAY, APR. 25 { paported ОША» at Protheroe & 
TUE:DAY, Арг, 26 { woo Ры їп ebrio at Protheroe & 
Hardy Plan я and Bulbs, rted 
and Established Orchids, = 5000 
WEDNESDAY, APR, 27 E دیل ا‎ Ал, from Japan, at 
Има 8, , Roses, Ri. , 8t Protheroe & 
rris’ Rooms. 
gt A Mage from Mr. F. 
ee vnd from 
of ase] Niemand" s Nursery, 
Bra ае b; € 
APR. 284 Bettridge, at 1, Newell Street, B 
The First P Portion of the Stock of Or- 
chids of the New Plant and Bulb 
Company d 1 Liquidation, at "S 
theroe & s' Rooms. 
TavUESDAY, 
IN spite of all that has been writ- 
ten on the shanking of Grapes, the 
lady remains as prevalent as 
ever, and its causes as perplexing to those un- 
familiar with plant life, When a diversity of 
causes is assigned, and a multiplicity of remedies 
Shanking in 
Grapes. 
e man dines on beans, another on bacon, a th ird 
combines the two; the focd-supplios are different 
in each case, but the ultimate result—the nutri- 
find our text-books and calendars assigning this 
that, and the other cause for shanking, th 
sity of alleged causes offers in itself no argument 
against their validity. 
e disease in question is evidently a conse- 
quence defective nutrition, and —— arrest 
of growth of the berry. Common observation 
shows that this results from the nivel and 
drying up of the stalk, and that in consequence 
‘Bat hithert nutritive fluids to the berry is stopped. 
No one has done more than conjecture 
how and why the stalks shrivel, and therefore no 
one as yet has been able to su t an effectual 
remedy, "The actual shrivelling is occasioned by 
the conversion of the cells of the stalk into cork. 
When a cutting is made or a wound inflicted this 
— of. ork x» general, The iei gas 
goach ge, the ulti- 
mate result of which is the formation je cork, 
which may be easily detected by appropriate re- 
agents under the microscope even when the quan- 
tity is small It is a layer of cork cells which 
effects the shedding of the leaves in autumn, 
which severs the twigs of the Oaks and Arbor- 
vitees, and which liberates the ripened fruit of 
the Pear or Apple. The layer or sheet of cork- 
cells descends gradually from above downwards 
like an iron shutter toa shop window, and cuts off 
all communication of air or fluid from either 
side. This same process occurs in the shanking of 
Grapes—the cells of the stalk become converted 
into cork, and just as a cork stops the flow of 
liquid from a bottle so the cork-cells formed in 
the stalk of the Grape prevent the circulation о 
air or fluid, and bring about the shrivelling of 
the stalk, The object of this corky formation is 
a beneficent one so far as the plant is concerned. 
It prevents waste of food material; it is an 
adaptation to circumstances, an endeavour to 
i or loss, a ВРУТ 
wound. Dut what we want to 
know now is imi are the causes which lead 
to and necessitate this cork-formation, But 
here we are driven to vague generalities. We 
attribute it to faulty nutrition—to a process of 
indigestion, in fact, and that is true, but it does 
not afford any erilightenment as to “whether the 
indigestion is the result of too much, too little, 
unfitting, or unseasonable food, whether the dis- 
order is merely a functional derangement, or 
whether it is the result of more serious organic 
change. From this latter point of view we may 
say that we, like others, have often suspected the 
operations ae a a predator ry fungus, but such a 
parasite has not been seen, A writer in the 
Bulletin de тайну ы, des Anciens Eléves de 
Vilvorde shows that in shanking the starchy 
material, the food in fact, is not present in the 
ied-up. stalks, while it is ven abundant in the 
healthy stalks. 
So far all is clear, The food supplies are dimi- 
nished, then cut off, the be 
grow, and remains sour. 
question assumes that they are, but he does not 
attempt to prove that they are so except in the 
case of the stalk. If he can show that in the 
leaves or in the bark of a Vine subject to shank- 
ing there is a deficiency of food-material the case 
would be clearer, Assuming, however, that 
there is a deficiency in the quantity or quality 
of the food supply that defect may, of course, 
be readil i i 
that is, ‘starchy material, in the leaves, i its 
age in the bark 
certain degree of temperature, and a sufficiency 
of water are all demanded. If any of these fail 
Ве quantity of food formed will be less than it 
light, and moisture are equally prejudicial. 
Miro. ae it tmay happen that leaf-action under - 
nutritive matter (starch) may be sufficient, but = 
means of conveying it to the growing parts of 
“the ее erry is most wanted, шау be de- 
ficient. It will be remembered that starch is 
solid and not very soluble, and that in order that 
E: his is effected 
be imperfectly 
the starch into sugar, and the transport of the 
latter «cain be properly accomplished. A soil 
too cold or too dry, or one laden with stagnant 
moisture, а bring about this result. Again, 
as pointed o ut by the writer of the article above 
mentioned, the leaf surface or food-forming area 
may be disproportionately small as compared with 
the requirements of the consumer—that is, of the, 
bunches to be nourished. This might happen 
from too severe pruning, or from want of 
adequate thinning of the bunches 
Such is the philosophy of sha nking, so far as 
down. 
upon the particular circumstances as 
and upon the sagacity and experience of the 
cultivator, 
THE LINDLEY LIBRARY.—Owing to the death of 
Mr. Tuomas Moors, the number of trustees (other 
than the official ones connected with the Royal Hor- 
ticultural Society) had become reduced to two, 
viz., Dr. Hoce and Dr. Masters, the only survivors 
of the be ies seven, Under these circumstances it 
became, in the words of the trust deed, *a moral 
obligation " to fill up the vacancies. This has 
accordingly been done, by the election of three new 
S GS ; and Hart 
J. VEITCH, Esq. s The official 
trustees are the а and Secretary ofthe Royal 
Horticultural Society for the time being Though 
connected in a measure with the fortunes of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, the Library is үттек ап 
independent institution, and is open to eneral 
publie as well as to Fellows of the ибт e 
proper regulations, and under certain conditions 
books are allowed to be borrowed. The funds at 
the disposal of the trustees are, iri too 
m 
time donations of books or of fu 
thankfully welcomed by the trustees. 
т Kew "BULLETIN."—The April number 
contains articles on Manilla Hemp (Musa textilis), 
which yields an excellent fibre, the supply pne. 
derived from the Philippine Islands. It y be 
grown where and in the same way as the common 
ana, and its cultivation ud therefore be taken 
into consideration in our t — but only 
where labour is cheap and dinini where the 
best methods of preparation can be mhi out. Mr. 
Monazis gives details as to the best method of culture 
d preparation, but, on the whole, the culture does 
not seem to be very promising, although the price 
per ton of fibre is as high as £36, or even £45—two- 
thirds more than the ordinary Plantain 
fib receives attention in this Bulletin. 
Plantain-fibre might be utilised for paper-making. 
