September 21, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBriCOLTUfiE AMD CO iTA JE GABDENEB. 



259 



what plant is meant by Salvia patens than by Eglantine, Hare- 

 bell, or Culverkeys, all of which have lately been madeBubjeots 

 of inquiry. 



I was led into this train of thought by reading the " Aspects 

 of Nature" in p. 188. In my younger days I rambled much 

 over the three kingdoms botanising, and met, no doubt, many 

 Eambling Widows, but I do not recognise the plant so named, 

 which the authoress found at Broadetairs. Perhaps you will 

 favour your readers with the name, not in plain English, but 

 in plain Latin, and then they can refer to any botanical cata- 

 logue for particulars of the plant. — G. S. 



[It is desirable to state both the botanical name and the 

 popular name of a plant. Probably " Bambling Widow " is 

 the Bamping Fumitory, Fumaria capreolate.] 



NEW BOOK. 



The Grape Vine. By Joseph Meeedith. London: George 

 Philip, Son, & Nephew, 82, Fleet Street. 



Me. Meeedith has been such a successful grower of Grapes 

 that a record of his practice cannot but be useful and reliable. 

 This practice he now places before the publio in a small and 

 handsome volume. We have glanced through this volume, 

 and, as we anticipated, have found nothing particularly new 

 or startling. Mr. Meredith has achieved success in culture 

 by the adoption of means which are at the command of a 

 majority of Grape-growers. Attention to small details, and an 

 intelligent appreciation of the nature of the Vine and its re- 

 quirements during its different stages of growth, are the prin- 

 cipal elements which have contributed to the success of which 

 this little book is the outcome. 



The volume contains figures of vineries, with hints on con- 

 struction, heating, and the general management of the Vine 

 under different systems of culture. The chapters are short 

 and plainly written. Their nature will be best understood 

 from a few extracts. On border-making Mr. Meredith states — 



" The deeper the borders are made, the more care is necessary 

 in forming them. Where there is plenty of good composition to 

 be had, and other necessary materials for drainage, a border may 

 be made to the depth of 5 or 6 feet with advantage. As a rule, 

 "I recommend borders to be made about 3 feet deep. Shallow 

 borders I do not advise, as they are apt to get too dry. Where 

 hot- water pipes or fermenting materials are used in chambers or 

 vaults underneath the Vine borders they require careful watch- 

 ing, as they sometimes get very dry, especially when hot-water 

 pipes are applied. Tney do not require watering so often where 

 the fermenting materials are made use of for bottom heat. 



" Where it is convenient, I recommend the construction of 

 Vine borders nearly altogether above the level of the garden 

 walks. They may adjoin the range of vineries, and be made to 

 assume a terrace-like appearance, more especially in cold and 

 damp situations. I have done this many times, and with great 

 success. The majority of Vine borders are on a level with the 

 walks, while many are even below it ; in the latter case they 

 form a sort of cesspool for draining the land around them. 

 Where the Eubstratum is a cold, wet swamp, the houses and 

 borders should not be on a low level. Where the formation is 

 chalk or gravel, the borders may be made about three parts 

 below the level of the walks, which will prevent evaporation 

 going on too rapidly." 



On the packing of Grapes for long journeys the author 

 writes — 



" There are several ways of packiDg Grapes for travelling. I 

 recommend that very large bunches should be packed in very 

 dry sweet wheat bran. Smaller- bunches may be packed in stiff 

 cartridge paper, as closely as possible without squeezing the 

 berries. After tying each buueh neatly, pack the bunch or 

 bunches tight together in a box with clean, dry, chopped wheat 

 straw, taking care to fill up every crevice, which may be done 

 with the fingers ; and before putting the lid on, the chopped 

 straw Bhould be gently pressed down, so that if the box does 

 happen to get knocked about on the journey the Grapes will 

 not often get injured, and will arrive at their journey's end with 

 nearly all the bloom on." 



On the destruction of insects the following practice is de- 

 tailed. For destroying red spider — 



" As soon as the Grapes have nearly finished stoning, I mix 

 unslaked lime with sulphur of the best quality and water, in the 

 following proportions: — One medium-sized lump of lime to a 

 bucketful of water and 2 lbs. of sulphur ; stir and mix it all to- 

 gether, making it the thickness of paint; then with a whitewash 

 brush paint about two-thirds of the surface of the hot- water 

 pipes or flues. I have adopted another plan with success — viz., 

 pouring cold water on the pipes and flues, and then dredging 



them with as much powdered sulphur as can be made to stick on 

 the pipes, but only a slight scattering on the fines. Care must 

 be taken that the flues are not made too hot, as they are liable 

 to set the sulphur on fire, which would destroy both fruit and 

 foliage. Choose a still night for the operation. If the atmo- 

 sphere is moist and dull, so much the better ; the fumes. then 

 stay longer in the house, and are, therefore, more dense. I advise 

 to begin about four o'clock in the afternoon to push on the fire, 

 getting the pipes very hot by the time the sun has gone down, 

 so as to raise the temperature the first night to 85° at eleven or 

 twelve o'clock at night ; but this temperature must not be ex- 

 ceeded. Examine the leaves carefully next morning with a 

 magnifying glass. This will enable you to find out whether 

 the spiderB are destroyed or not ; if not, repeat the process the 

 following evening, raising the temperature, however, to 90°. If 

 the enemy still remains, try again the third evening, keeping 

 the temperature the same; and if these directions have been 

 adhered to, it will be found that few insects will remain alive. 

 The temperature must be carefully watched, so that it does not 

 get higher than 90°." 



For the destruction of thrips sponging the foliage with soft 

 soap and tobacco water, also fumigating, is recommended. In 

 this chapter appears the following — 



" Some gardeners, in order to get rid of thia pest, begin, after 

 the Vines are pruned, to strip off all the bark ; and I have seen 

 some go so far as also to scrape the Vines, which I consider a 

 most unnatural operation. Besides this, I have seen a mixture 

 applied, in which soft soap and turpentine predominated. I 

 have also known inexperienced people dress the Vines all over 

 with linseed oil, the consequence being that the oil penetrated 

 the stems until it almost killed them ; and four or five years 

 were spent in the endeavour to bring the Vines round again 

 into a state of fruitfalness, with no result. In my opinion, the 

 bark ought not to be stripped off, nor should the stems be after- 

 wards scraped. It will be easily understood that the scorching 

 rays of the sun act very powerfully on Vines deprived of bark — 

 in fact, the bark is their natural clothing. Loo6e bark hanging 

 a foot or two from the stem may, of course, be cut off ; but the 

 Vine should not be scraped nor the bark peeled off, as is often 

 done. Notice how noble our forest trees look with their beau- 

 tiful bark, proteoting the rising and descending Bap. I have 

 seen horses eating the bark off trees, but as Boon as the bark is 

 removed the tree begins to die." 



For killing mealy bug the author states briefly that — 



" If spirits of naptha be applied carefully with a fine camel's- 

 hair brash, the least touch wU] kill the insect. After using the 

 spirits I recommend sponging the plant with a little soft soap 

 and water. If these precautions are repeated once a week or 

 fortnight, as may seem necessary, it may be kept under control. 

 I would also advise to give the house containing the fruit or 

 plants a good cleansing once a year at least, and a coat of paint, 

 or two coats if necessary." 



The volume closes with a calendar of operations for every 

 month in the year, which is similar, however, to the advice 

 whieh is given weekly in the columns of the gardening press. 

 It is a useful book, but not superior to others on the same 

 subject already in circulation, and the question arises, Was 

 another volume on the "Grape Vine" wanted? We leave 

 that question for the public to answer. The extracts given 

 will enable them to judge of the book, and it only remains to 

 say that it contains about ninety pages of widely printed 

 matter, printed well it must be added, on stout toned paper, 

 each page having an ornamental border of Vines, shadowing 

 the appearance of too many Vines now growing in having all 

 the bunches at the top of the rods. 



STOCKS FOR EOSES. 



Much ha3 been written about Bose stocks. I find by ex- 

 perience that a stock which does well in one locality will not 

 flourish in another; and if an amateur intends to exhibit 

 blooms well during most seasons he must have Bosea on differ- 

 ent stocks. Seasons have great influence over stocks, and in 

 one season we find the Briar and the next the Manetti stock 

 superior. 



As a rule mildew does not attack the Bose on the Briar so 

 soon as on the Manetti, nor do late spring frosts nip the 

 Bose so severely on the Briar as on the Manetti. Cultivated 

 Briars are useful for all the thin-skinned varieties, but all the 

 thick-skinned varieties, as a rule, flourish as well on the 

 Manetti as any other stock, and no stock can furnish sap so 

 quickly as the Manetti when the season suits it. No BoseB 

 are bo grand as those that come from the Manetti for fulness, 

 colour, freshness, and perfection of form. 



It is a great mistake to discard a stock which is proved use 



