March 24, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



221 



way influenced by the supplies from these sources. A < ozen or 

 more years have made no impression in the fruit trade ; and when, 

 as Mr. Rivers says, sturdy Oaks grow in flower-pots, will be a 

 fitting time to look out for the other. — J. Robson. 



GRAPES SHRIVELLING-UP WHEN IN 

 BLOOM. 



Can you inform me the cause of my Grapes going off ? My 

 Dwarf Kidney Beans, you will find from the specimens, are 

 affected in the same way — namely, all ihe blossom drops off. — 

 KB. ' " V 



[We cannot speak quite decisively as to the cause of the mis- 

 fortune, but in general such failures are the result of a check 

 given to the system of the plant. Though you do not say so, 

 yet we should judge from the length and consistence of the 

 main stem of the incipient bunches, that the Vines are not 

 deficient in vigour ; but the flowers, instead of expanding, seem 

 to have shrivelled-up and withered. 



We recollect of a crop of Vines being lost from this cause, 

 owing to a break-down of the heating apparatus at night during 

 a severe frost in early forcing. There might have been some 

 means resorted to to keep the frost out, if the accident had 

 happened in the evening ; but as it was, the bunches were frosted 

 and never recovered, though the foliage suffered but little. 

 There has hardly been frost enough this season thus to affect 

 your Grapes, and therefore this could not be the cause. We 

 believe that Vines set better when the temperature is pretty high 

 even at night ; but provided a good heat from sunlight is 

 obtained during the day, a considerable decline at night will do 

 but little harm. Contrary to all our general rules on the subject, 

 we have several times had Vines in bloom as low as from 40° to 

 38°, and we did not consider they were at all injured. Of course, 

 the heat was gradually raised during the day. Such a low tem- 

 perature as that would not do for a continuance even at night ; 

 but, on the other hand, such a high temperature in darkuess as 

 75°, and upwards, we consider to be more artificial than natural. 



Onee or twice we have seen bunches on a Vine affected as 

 yours are from the explosion of a flue at night, or from, the 

 water in an open cistern being made to boil, either from a de- 

 ficient supply of water, or from the flow being arrested whilst a 

 strong fire was beneath the boiler, and the consequence was 

 strong jets of steam or of water in a very hot state were thrown 

 into the house, and scalding was the result; but as you do not 

 say anything of the foliage being injured, we do not suppose 

 that this happened in your case, though such occurrences are 

 not uncommon in places where even the greatest and latest im- 

 provements in heating have been carried out. It matters not 

 if one boiler heats a range of houses, and nothing more is wanted, 

 besides tumbling-in a few barrowloads of fuel, than to regulate 

 the taps and valves ; for if this is not done, there may be 

 burstings and explosions, even with the best-planned hot-water 

 apparatus. 



Sometimes when the wood is extra luxuriant and long-jointed, 

 and has not been sufficiently ripened the previous autumn, some- 

 what similar examples will present themselves, but not exactly 

 so ; for in that case, when bunches do show, those that fail to 

 come to perfection are apt to turn up and go off in tendril 

 fashion at an earlier period than yours dropped their blossoms. 



Again, over-excitement is apt to produce this effect, especially 

 when there is a want of counteracting sunlight. Suppose we 

 have a week or a fortnight of dull, cold weather, and the heat is 

 kept up to 75° and 80° during the day, and from 70° to 75° at 

 night, little air given, and plenty of moisture kept up in the 

 house, the extra excitement produces a weakness in the con- 

 stitution of the plant, and the most sensitive and valuable part 

 13 the first to suffer. We have seen such Vines, young bunches 

 especially, after such dulness, closeness, and heat, hang weltering 

 when the first sunny day came, when those with 10° or 15° 

 lower temperature, and air also given, met the change from 

 cloud to sunshine without any effect except apparent pleasure. 



Whether any of these lesser causes have had any influence in 

 your case you alone can determine, and we allude to them as 

 much for the sake of some other inquirers as for your own 

 individual case. Our opinion is that the falling of the flowers 

 in your bunches is owing to a want of reciprocal action between 

 the roots and the branches of the Vine. This may arise from 

 the roots being placed deep in stagnant moisture, and, therefore, 

 cold ; or the roots may be near enough the surface, and yet wet 



and cold, and, therefore, unable to meet the wants of the bunches 

 in a high temperature within the house. But here you may say, 

 If such were a cause, why did it not manifest itself sooner ? why 

 did the buds expand ? why did the bunches show and look 

 well, and then the flowers drop-off in this manner, instead of 

 setting and swelling their fruit ? Truly we can give no other 

 reply than that the needed supply seems to fail at the most 

 critical time, and that fruit under such circumstances will always 

 suffer before leaves, though these and shoots too often feel the 

 effects of such influence. If there is much of the stems of the 

 V ines in the house, these would contain enough of elaborated 

 sap to supply the bunches for some time ; but if nothing fresh 

 is obtained from the roots, there must come a period of ex- 

 haustion. The avoidance of such want of correlative action 

 between the roots and branches must constitute the chief remedy. 

 If the roots are very wet after this damp winter there would be 

 no time to drain ; but several rather deep pits or wells might be 

 made in front of the border. If the border, inside or outside, 

 were dry, then moisture and heat could easily be communicated 

 by warm waterings. If the border were well drained, it could 

 be forked on the surface, a little warm water added, and a cover- 

 ing of warm fermenting material placed over it ; but if the roots 

 are deep that will do no good. In such a case all that you can 

 do is to prevent the border getting colder, and making it drier 

 by litter-covering, unless when the sun shined, and reducing 

 the temperature inside the house considerably, especially at 

 night, that the plants may be less excited. You might also tie 

 small weights to the points of the bunches — say bits of stone 

 or lead, from a quarter to half an ounce in weight, and the strain 

 thus given to the stem of the bunch will, we believe, entice more 

 of the elaborated sap than would otherwise come to the bunch, 

 and thus the fruit may be preserved. We see nothing more 

 strange in this than the strength of the muscles in the arm of a 

 blacksmith resulting from wielding the hammer. It would be 

 needless applying such a remedy unless under such circumstances. 

 Two years ago an enthusiast induced us to look at a vinery where 

 most of the bunches were threatening to become tendrils. By 

 tying the weights on, and reducing the temperature until the 

 roots were at work, a very fair crop was obtained. The border 

 was well drained early in autumn, and covered with litter, and 

 next season no such contrivances were necessary. 



It would just be as well to examine and see if mice gnawing 

 the stems were no cause of the disappointment, as they seem to 

 have taken to Vines as a luxury this last winter. 



You did not send any flowers of the Dwarf Kidney Beans, but 

 the leaves did not convey any idea that they were suffering from a 

 similar cause. The foliage was rusted, and had all the appearance 

 of the plants having had too much water whilst the earth was 

 cold. There were also marks of the small thrips — that is, where 

 they had been, though we discovered none alive, 'i'he only 

 remedy, if in fruit, is to gatbec this as soon as possible, and de- 

 stroy the plants. If nearly in fruit, remove the worst leaves, 

 fumigate with tobacco, and well syringe with clear soot water. — 

 R. Fish.] 



APEICOT TEEES ON THE COTSWOLD HILLS. 



I have read the letters of both Mr. Robson and Mr. Rivers, 

 and am thankful for what information they give. 



I am inclined to think the rarefied air has much to do with 

 the welfare of the Apricot, because this part of Oxfordshire, 

 where the cottagers pay their rents with the proceeds of their 

 Apricots, being on the end of the Cotswold Hills, has a very 

 thin and bracing atmosphere. As Mr. Rivers says, the soil is 

 oolite. But the oolite extends in a long narrow band from the 

 south coast of England to Whitby in Yorkshire. One would 

 like to know whether the Apricot would succeed equally well 

 all along this band. 



The oolite is rather elevated everywhere, so that it is hard to 

 tell whether it be the elevation or the limy nature of the oolite. 

 But if the tree grows in stiff loam very well the air may still 

 have a great influence. Our unprotected trees have not suffered 

 with all these frosts.- — T. C. B., Oxfordshire. 



GARDENERS' SOCIETY. 

 I have before me your very valuable Journal of the 10th 

 instant, containing the article by " G. A." I for one — and I 

 only express the feelings of hundreds of the gardening com- 

 munity — was glad to see the subject of co-operation in gardening 



