May 30, 1865. ] 



JOCRJfAL OF nORTICULTUEE ANT) COTTAGE GAUt)ENEE. 



41X 



is, because the young leaf on the second joint is very fre- 

 quently injured if the point of the shoot is pinched out as 

 soon as the second joint is made ; but if left a few hours 

 longer the point of the shoot can bo pinched out without 

 doing any injury to the leaf on 1 he second joint. The two 

 first leaves that are formed ab^ > re the fruit joint must not 

 on any pretenoe wliatever suH'.r any injury by mutilation 

 or otherwise, as they are the main lungs through which the 

 Vine receives its atmospheric food, which is immediately 

 conveyed to the bunch. In a few days after the first stop- 

 ping, the shoots will throw out laterals or side shoots, these 

 should be stopped at the first joint. By this time the 

 Grapes, if all go on well, will bo in flower. If the weather 

 is favourable give all the air you can to disperse the pollen. 

 If it is too cold to give air you must create a current arti- 

 ficially ; the best mode of doing this is to use a thin piece of 

 board about 2 feet long, and a foot or 18 inches wide, and 

 by waving this to and fro the pollen is easily scattered 

 about. In giving air always avoid direct currents, unless 

 the air outside is very mild, and the wind not too high. 

 Always open your front and back lights alternately. If they 

 are opened opposite each other a sharp current of air passes 

 through the house, which often rusts the young Grapes, and 

 gives them a severe check, from which they do not soon 

 recover ; in fact, this often disfigures tliem for the season. 



Thinning the Fruit. — This is a delicate operation, and 

 should be performed with great care. In the first place see 

 that your scissors are sliarp at the point. Secondly. Be 

 careful not to rub the berries with the scissors, the points of 

 which should not be wider apart than is necessary for taking 

 hold of the fruit-stalk. Commence the operation of thinning 

 as soon as the fruit is fairly set ; the berries that ought to 

 be cut out are every day impoverishing those that should 

 remain. In thinning the bunch endeavour to carry in your 

 mind's eye the size the berries will be when ripe, and thin 

 accordingly. Leave the berries all over the bunch regularly 

 distributed, so that the bunch when ripe will be filled out, 

 having no open spaces, but every berry in its proper place. 

 With a little practice and proper attention this may be done 

 at the first thinning ; in fact, there ought to be but one 

 thinning. After the operation of thinning is finished, and 

 the young Grapes are about the size of Peas, all the lateral 

 shoots that are made above and below the fruit joint should 

 be pinched out, so that the whole force of the Vine may be 

 directed towards the fruit. The Vines should not be 

 syringed after the bunches are formed. Proper directions 

 for this will be given in some future paj)8r on pruning and 

 starting the Vine into growth. The syringe must only be 

 used for sprinkling the floors and stems. After the Vine 

 has set its fruit, the next operation will be 



ShoxMering the Bunches. — This is done by fastening small 

 strips of matting to the shoulders of the bunches, and draw- 

 ing them slightly away from the main part of the bunch, 

 and fastening the other end of the strip of matting to the 

 trellis or any convenient spur of the Vine, this allows the 

 air to circulate freely through the bunch, and if this opera- 

 tion is performed judiciously, the shape of the bunch will 

 be improved, it also acts as a support, especially when the 

 bunch is large. Prom the time of thinning the Grapes till 

 they begin to form their stones or seeds, the temperature of 

 the house should never be lower than 60^ by night, and 

 from 70° to 75° by day. If the temperature rise to 80" or 

 90° with the sun, it will do no harm, providing there be 

 plenty of air on at the time. Siiut tlie house up about 2 or 

 3 P.M., in bright weather, earlier if it is dull and cold. Pay 

 great attention to giving air, and sliutting it oil; for in- 

 stance, if the sky become cloudy suddenly, partly shut up 

 the house, and if the sun come out again soon afterwards 

 open the lights as soon as possible. Fine Grapes cannot 

 be grown unless proper attention is paid to this particular 

 and most essential part of the work connected with Grape- 

 growing. — J. Wills.] 



(To be continued.) 



VEGETABLE VAEIATIONS. 

 " T. G. H." sent you, a short time since, an extract from 

 the "Naturalist," on a " curious eifect of grafting," which 

 has since been illustrated by " E. S." A very curious case 

 in point came under my notice last summer. 



In the garden of a friend in the neighbourhood of Batbj 

 are two Laburnum trees, the pink variety, with short full 

 racemes. In both of these trees were sundry branches of 

 pure yellow blossoms, and all over the trees were bunches 

 of blossom containing one long yellow raceme in the midst 

 of short pink racemes, and vice versA. 



But the strangest fact remains. High up amongst the 

 branches were tufts of quite a different Broom-like plant 

 with pink blossoms. They were tou high for me to ascertain 

 the genus and species to which they behmged, but they ap- 

 peared of a more prickly character than any Broom with 

 which I am acquainted. 



The trees were old ones, and my friends were unable to 

 throw any light on the manner in which they had been 

 grafted or budded, it having been done by a former in- 

 habitant ; but for the ten years they resided in the house 

 the characteristics of these trees have been constant. — 

 Ella. 



EOTAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SHOW. 

 Mat 24Tir. 



The first great Show was held on Wednesday last, and 

 well did it sustain the high reputation which the Begent's 

 Park Esliibitions have long maintained for that freshness 

 and brilliancy which nowhere else esist in an equal degree. 

 Indeed, it may safely be said that for extent and general 

 effect it has never been surpassed by any show at the same 

 season. Not only were the stove and greenhouse plants 

 most worthily represented, but there were gorgeous Orchids, 

 gigantic Azaleas, Koses such as have been rarely equalled, 

 and wonderful Pelargoniums, whilst the lofty Palm and the 

 lowly Fern helped to swell the train. 



Stove and Gbeehiioijse Plants. — Many good collections 

 were shown, but the plants were nearly of the same kinds 

 as those which have appeared at our exhibitions for the last 

 three or four years, and this constant repetition becomes 

 wearisome. It is higli time that other species should be 

 added to the somewhat limited list of those at present 

 grown for exhibition purposes. In collections of sixteen 

 Mr. Peed again showed his fine AJlamanda grandiflora, a 

 large Erica depressa, a flne bushy plant of Ixora i-iriffithi, a 

 fine Chorozema, and two good Pimeleas. Prom Mr. White- 

 bread came AUamandas, Aphelexes, Azaleas, Heaths, the 

 showy scarlet Glerodendron splendens, Eondeletia speciosa, 

 and a good Stephanotis ; and from Messrs. Lee a fine Acro- 

 phyllum venosum, a large bushy Erica depressa, Ixora coc- 

 cinea, a fine Shephanotis, and Aphelexis macrantha pur- 

 purea, very bright in colour. Mr. Baxendine sent a Hoya 

 Paxtoni,^ a pretty plant, but from the drooping habit of the 

 flowers it does not show to advantage unless the pot be 

 tilted. Glerodendron Thomsons and Ehyncospermum jas- 

 minoides were also shown in the same collection; but of the- 

 former by far the finest specimen in the show was that from 

 Mr. Eraser, though it was not fully out, being in this re- 

 spect surpassed by one from Mr. A. Ingram, in which the 

 scarlet corolla formed a beautiful contrast with the snowy 

 white calyx. A magnificent plant of Prostanthera lasianthos, 

 measuring some 5 feet high by as much in diameter, was 

 also shown by Mr. Praser, as well as good plants of Ade- 

 nandra fragraus and Erica Bergiana. A fine bushy Ebyn- 

 cospermum was also shown by Mr. Ingram, and in other 

 collections we remarked several good Aphelexes, AUaman- 

 das, Heaths, Combretum purpureum, and Ohorozemas. In 

 mixed collections of flowering and ornamental-foliaged plants 

 Messrs. Lee again exhibited their fine Alocasia metallica, a 

 noble plant of Cibotium prinoeps, Theophrasta imperialis, 

 and Oordylme indivisa, very fine, and the variegated Ana- 

 nassa sativa which, bearing a fair-sized Pine Apple with 

 a variegated crown and several offsets from the base of the 

 fruit, had a remarkable appearance ; Mr. Williams's collec- 

 tion comprised Azaleas, Heaths, Crotons, Golocasia albo- 

 violaeea, tlie stalks of the broad foliage having a violet 

 tinge with yellowish variegation; the pretty purple and 

 white Statice profusa, and a beautiful plant of Gleiohenia 

 semivestita. Prom Messrs. A. Henderson came a fine plant 

 of Medinilla magnifica, a basket of the showy red and black 

 Clianthus Dampieri, Vincas, a large Caladium, and fine 

 plants of Crotons, Rhopala De Jonghi, and Alocasia ma- 

 ororhiza variegata, the leaves largely splashed with white. 



