44 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 20, 1876. 



Raphael, crimson ; noble truss. Very brilliant. 



Alaric, rich claret; very free and very fine. 



Mrs. John Glutton, white and yellow ; a superior and charm- 

 ing variety. 



Ptirity, somewhat similar to the above ; excellent. 



James Bateman, crimson, white stamens ; noble truss. Very 

 handsome. 



Alexander Dancer, rosy crimson ; very beautiful. 



Mrs. T. Waine, purplish rose ; free and fine. One of the best. 



Madame Masson, white and yellow ; a charming variety. 



Album Triumphans, somewhat like the preceding ; very good. 



Omentum, rich lake ; splendid. 



Standish's Perfection, white and yellow; an excellent and 

 telling variety. 



The above are a few of the best varieties which were flower- 

 ing in Mr. Mcintosh's rich and extensive collection. They 

 may be considered as possessing sterling merit, and worthy of 

 being added to all collections not containing them. Bhodo- 

 dendrons are grown at Duneevan in great perfection. The soil 

 is naturally light, and the subsoil is moist. Water is " laid 

 on," and is given to the beds as they require it, and there is 

 no spoiling of the plants by crowding. The grounds are in the 

 most perfect order imaginable, not a blade of grass being out 

 of place, or a daisy, stray leaf, or weed to be seen on lawn, 

 border, or walks. It is indeed a model garden, owned by a 

 liberal and appreciative possessor, and in the care of an indus- 

 trious and able gardener, Mr. Taylor. 



On the occasion of a former visit the extraordinary terms of 

 confidence and friendship which existed between Mr. Mcintosh 

 and his feathered friends was noticed by the robin picking the 

 crumbs from the mouth of its protector, following him about 

 the lawn, ever on the watch for a kind word and a dainty 

 morsel. The same good feeling continues to exist, and almost 

 similarly familiar is a thrush, a bird usually so timid and mis- 

 trustful ; but what may not be accomplished by kindness and 

 perseveranoe ? — J. W. 



THE COLOURING OF GRAPES. 

 From what I have both seen and read I fear that brown and 

 red Grapes are unusually prevalent this season. It is not easy 

 to account for this ; in fact, in all eases it is impossible to do 

 so, but I have a strong suspicion that much of the evil is due to 

 insufficient support at a critical period. I suspect that many 

 are afraid to water their Vine borders when the fruit iB ap- 

 proaching ripeness. That, above all others, is the time when 

 the Vines especially need support. For some time the sun has 

 been very powerful and the air dry, transpiration from the 

 foliage has been extreme and possibly excessive — that is, the 

 fruit has been deprived of the support necessary to perfect it in 

 obedience to the demands of a dry atmosphere and a dispro- 

 portionate amount of water to meet those demands, and to pro- 

 vide a surplus as it were of nourishment for the full and due 

 support of the Grapes. 



It is sometimes, if not frequently, forgotten that the fruit of 

 a Vine or any other tree is almost solely dependant on what 

 may be termed a surplusage of support to perfect it. If the 

 supply of nourishment is on a limited scale the fruit does not 

 have priority, and have the " first cut " as it were, leaving the 

 " crumbs " for the extension and general sustenance of the 

 Vine ; but first of all the structural wants of the Vine must be 

 attended to, the demands of a dry atmosphere must be met, 

 and evaporation and transpiration must and will go on, even if 

 the fruit is deprived of necessary support. It may be urged 

 that the primary object of a tree is to perfect its fruit, but t'hat 

 dictum can only be admitted by acceptance of the important 

 point that the tree must be a perfect tree before it can produce 

 perfect fruit. 



In the matter of Vines when the Grapes are imperfect it is 

 simply an expression of the imperfect state of the Vine pro- 

 ducing them. The structural parts of the Vine — its construc- 

 tion and extension — have, with the extraordinary demand of a 

 dry and highly heated atmosphere, required all the support 

 that the root3 could supply, leaving an insufficient surplusage 

 for perfecting the fruit. That is the great and main cause of a 

 deficiency of colour in Grapes. The deficiency may appear to 

 be traceable to other causes, as the sudden and violent removal 

 of foliage, checks arising from sudden variations of temperature, 

 &c, but in reality the cause is the same — a deficiency of sup- 

 port at a critical period. 



An uncoloured Grape is an imperfect Grape. It may be 

 juicy, of full size, and even of good flavour, but it is still im- 



perfect, lacking something that it ought to have had, account- 

 ing for its deficiency. The skin of an uncoloured Grape is 

 defective, being deficient not only in colour but also in sub- 

 stance, and these deficiencies arise from the same cause — 

 inadequate support. This is plainly shown in the case of over- 

 cropped Vines. That is the greatest cause of the non-colour- 

 ing of Grapes; yet some Vines, which are apparently not 

 heavily cropped, do not produce perfectly coloured Grapes, but 

 that in general means that the constitution of the Vines is 

 weak, and though they are not apparently heavily cropped 

 they are so in reality, and the Grapes do not receive the sup- 

 port which they need to carry them to perfection. 



Very frequently Vines are deprived of much support by some 

 mismanagement at the time of colouring. Common it is that 

 as soon as the Grapes show colour to keep the air of the house 

 as dry as possible. Not a plant must be watered in the house 

 or a drop of water spilled on the paths, the border containing 

 the roots receiving at the same time an extra supply of water. 

 It is only Vines that are in full vigour and lightly cropped that 

 can colour their Grapes under that practice. The drier the 

 air of a house is kept the greater is the demand of the foliage 

 for moisture from the roots. Transpiration is then increased 

 to a considerable extent, and it is not until the foliage is 

 satisfied and has exhausted itself in attempts to satisfy the 

 thirsty air that material support can be afforded to impart 

 substance and colour to the skin of the Grapes. Where a dry 

 atmosphere is produced extra water must always be supplied to 

 the roots of the Vines, to meet the necessarily greater demand 

 for moisture which the foliage and the air require. But while 

 the air of vineries is frequently kept dry during the colouring 

 period it is not by any means the rule to give extra water to 

 the roots, and consequently the fruit is deprived of support at 

 the very time that extra support is needed, and imperfectly 

 coloured fruit is the natural consequence. 



It is not necessary or advisable to keep the atmosphere of 

 a house perfectly dry at the time the Grapes are colouring ; air 

 cannot be admitted too freely, but the atmosphere should also 

 be in a moderately moist state. If we look at Vines which are 

 grown in the open air, we note that they generally colour in 

 the most perfect manner under the heavy dews and frequently 

 heavy rains of autumn. A thirsty atmosphere does not at 

 that period exhaust the Vines, but they hold in store suffi- 

 cient support to be appropriated by the fruit. The fruit also 

 colours at that period even in dull weather, and when daylight 

 is neither intense nor of long duration. This suggests that 

 glaring light is not a requisite of black Grapes at the colouring 

 period. Cultivators should therefore be cautious in removing 

 laterals at that time, or more light may be admitted than is 

 needed, and at the same time a check be given to the flow of 

 sap. 



At the colouring period above all others there must be no 

 check by any cause. Instead of withholding support by pro- 

 ducing a dry atmosphere, extra support should be given. 

 Moisture in the atmosphere may be reduced when the Grapes 

 commence colouring, but an additional supply must be given 

 to the roots to meet the increased demands of the Vines, which 

 must necessarily follow when the air is kept drier than it has 

 been heretofore. It is an excellent plan as soon as colour is 

 seen on the Grapes to give a soaking of tepid manure water to 

 the borders. That is just the time when support is specially 

 needed, not only because the crop just then exerts the greatest 

 exhaustive strain on the Vines, but because a drier atmosphere 

 is calling aloud and must have its share of moisture, which 

 would otherwise be appropriated by the stems and fruit. 



In colouring Grapes there are three points worthy of being 

 kept in mind. There must be no checks by a sudden removal 

 of laterals, a free circulation of air is essential, and an adequate 

 supply of water (especially to the roots) is indispensable. — 

 A Northern Gardener. 



GLORIOSA SUPERBA. 



Manx years ago this plant was grown in a garden in which 

 I was a very youthful helper, and I remember admiring its 

 singular form and attractive markings. It was much valued 

 as affording cut flowers, of which too many of them could 

 never be produced. The plant was grown in a Pine pit, 

 starting the roots in spring, and keeping the pot plunged 

 in the tan of the pit. I left that place when still a youth, 

 and for a quarter of a century never once saw a plant or 

 flower of the Gloriosa. It was, however, firmly impressed on • 

 my mind, and I was delighted to recognise my old favourite 



