250 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ April 6, 1871. 



the medium size ; it is a very free-bearing variety, and in 

 every respect preferable to the Troveren Frontignan, which is 

 inconstant, and the berries of which soon change to a bad 

 colonr. 



In the Golden Champion we were to have a white companion 

 to the Black Hamburgh; it is not as yet universally acknow- 

 ledged as such, although when well managed it is the best white 

 Grape we possess not having a iluEcat flavour. Some growers 

 of it complain that it shows none or but few bunches ; I have 

 no fault to find with it in this respect ; in the early vinery 

 here a rod of it about 12 feet long showed one or two large 

 bunches on almost every spur, and the bunches are as large cu 

 the old wood as on the new. It is like the Canon Hall Muscat 

 in one respect — the flowers are too close together, so that it is 

 well to thin a number of them out before they expand. 



Where it can be cultivated, there is no white Grape to equal 

 the Muscat of Alexandria ; it requires rather more heat and a 

 longerperiod lo ripen than any of the other sorts Ihave named. 

 It succeeds well in the same bouse as the Alicante. When I 

 was in a situation north of the Forth we found it necessary to 

 start the Muscat house on the 1st of February, using artificial 

 heat from that date, shutting up the house early in the day, 

 and maintaining a night temperature of 50°, increasing to 

 55' and 60° as soon as the Tines showed signs of starting into 

 growth, and rising to 70° by the time they were in flower. In 

 the south of England it is not necessary to start a Muscat 

 house by artificial heat. I wait until the Muscats start 

 naturally, which is about the middle of March, when, if the 

 weather is cold and unfavourable, a very little artificial heat is 

 applied, so that the night temperature does not fall below 50°. 

 This temperature should be gradually increased until it rises 

 to from C5° to 70° at night by the time that two leaves are 

 formed beyond the first bunch, and when the first flowers are 

 observed to espand a further increase of 5° is made. Under 

 such treatment, in t'ae south of England, Mascit of Alexandiia 

 Grapes will be perfectly ripe by the first week of September. 



As a very late-keeping Grape there is to be found a very 

 excellent variety in the White Tokay ; it is not generally so 

 large in bunch nor is it so robust in growth as the Trebbiano, 

 but a large, close bunch is no recommendation in a late-keep- 

 ing Grape. The Tokay requires the heat of a Muscat house to 

 ripen it well, and this, of course, is against it ; but where a 

 late Grape is required not having a Muscat flavour, I would 

 plant this in preference to any other white sort. For a cool 

 house, to ripen with Lady Downe's, there is the new white 

 variety of that name raised by Mr. Thomson, of Dalkeith ; in 

 bunch and berry it is exactly similar to the black variety, except 

 that the berries are perhaps larger and of a beautiful golden 

 colonr. It succeeds well under the same circumstances as the 

 black kind. 



Nearly all the above varieties of Grapes are adapted for pot- 

 culture, and for this purpose it is best to grow fruiting canes 

 in one season from the eye. I have now most of the sorts I 

 have named, strong plants in 12-inch pots, showing three times 

 as many bunches as the plants could finish properly, and the 

 eyes were put in only thirteen months ago. — James DougIiAS. 



ROSE FELIX GENERO— ROSE PRUNING— 



SYRINGING GRAPES, &c. 

 I AJi sorry I ventured to impugn Mr. Eadcljffe's decision with 

 regard to Felix Geuero, as I presume 1 am the fast coach alluded 

 to. In this case I rather think I was the slow coach and Mr. 

 Eadcljfie the fist. I merely said, if 1 remember rightly, that 

 Felix Genero had not with me at all come up to the character 

 which Mr. Eadclyffe gave it, and having judged in several 

 shows, I only once saw it exhibited last year (though, of course, 

 it may have escaped my observation), and that was in twenty- 

 four new Boses at Oxford, and I think, if I remember right, by 

 Mr. Cranston. I hope I may be mistaken, and that it may 

 come to the fore at the exhibition stands this year. It is cer- 

 tairJy hardy and a good grower, but — I will not enter into 

 the buts — I have said my say on this point already, and time 

 win prove who is right. 



I can certainly endorse what Mr. Eadclyffe says with reaped 

 to Baronne Prevost, Gloire de Yitry, Duchesse d'Orleans, and 

 M. de Montigny, as I am slow coach enough to be sorry if old 

 Baronne Provost is discarded from the garden, and there are 

 few better Eoses of that shade of colour than M. de Montignj-. 

 I have always seen Souvenir de M. Poiteau very rough. I 

 should like to know what the experience of others have been 

 in regard to it. 



In pruning Eases after this severe winter it is curious to 

 notice how uncertain and unequal the effect of the frost is ; in 

 some cases succulent unripe growth has been quite uninjured, 

 while old wood on the same plant has been killed. In many 

 cases young strong buds have pushed from last year's wood, 

 while the old wood below is dead. In other trees old wood is 

 alive and the young killed ; but in by far the greatest number 

 of cases the old wood has suffered much more than the young. 

 By old wood I mean two or three years old, as I never, on 

 Manetti stocks, allow older, for young and more vigorous wocd 

 pushes up each year from the base, and the old is cut away. 

 Ihave hardly any injury on those shoots which pushed from 

 the base last summer and autumn. The only Eoses kUled 

 with me have been C'ehne Forestier, America, and Marechal 

 Niel, but they will all push again from the root. Marechal 

 Kiel on its ovvn roots seems to bloom freely in pots. I have one 

 now in a 7-inch pot with seven well-developed buds on it, all cf 

 which seem Ukely to open. 



I fully expected to be called over the coals for saying that 

 syringing did not spoil the i-loom of Grapes. I do not wish to re- 

 commend the practice ; I merely stated what was my personal 

 observation. I have tried it with Mrs. Pince, Black Hamburgh, 

 and Muscat of Alexandria, as well as with Alicante, and have 

 not found any injury, and my object in stating my experience 

 was that gardeners, who may be unlucky enough to have red 

 spider or other insect pests, as mealy bug, on their Grapes, 

 should not be afraid of the free use of the syringe. No doubt 

 Mr. Simpson is right, that very good, and perhaps the best 

 Grapes, can be secured with proper treatment without the use 

 of the syringe, but I have seen many a house suffering after 

 the bloom was set from want of it. Of course in cold and late 

 houses it would never answer to try the experiment. Many 

 persons, again, are afraid of syringing Grapes when they are 

 in bloom, and recommend a dry atmosphere for the sake cf 

 the pollen. I have never found syringing injure the setting 

 of either Tines or fruit trees, so long as the temperature was 

 not too low, and I know one of the best Tine-growers in the 

 south of England, who is especially successful with pot Tines, 

 syringes twice a-day all through the growing season. 



I am very glad " C. C. E." has upset another horticultural 

 fallacy with respect to wireworms. He told me his experimeiit 

 some time ago, and I was in hopes he would pubhsh it. Of 

 all absurd crotchets it seems the most absurd, to fancy a tough- 

 skinned grub like a wireworm, which requires, as " C. C. E." 

 says, a strong thumb nail, would " bursten hissen " (as a Tork- 

 shire man says) with an overdose of rape cake. Even the frog 

 in the fable could not surpass this feat. The only good rape 

 dust could possibly do wonld be to give the grub something it 

 Uked to feed on, and keep it from other food, and also as a 

 manure it might give the plant additional power to fight against 

 the insects' ravages. 



I am glad Mr. A. Eeir has spoken up in favour of Golden 

 Champion. With me it has made stronger growth the last two 

 years than any Tine I have, and every shoot on the only plant 

 I have is showing either one or two bunches. I fancy it re- 

 quires an intermediate temperature, and will not stand either 

 forcing or starving. I lipened five very fine bunches last year. 

 It has certainly a decided tendency to crack, which may be 

 obviated by nicking the stem of the bunch, so as to check the 

 flow of sap. There are other Grapes with finer flavour, but I 

 know none handsomer, and when well ripened it is a first-rate 

 Grape. I know of no one who manages Muscat Hamburgh so 

 well as Mr. Pearson. His bunches last year were wonderful ; 

 but I dare not at present state weight or size, and hope Mr. 

 Pearson himself will do so. His plan is to give plenty of leaf- 

 action. I had the curiosity to measure a leaf of a seedling 

 Tine in one of Mr. Pearson's large houses ; he cut it cff 

 the plant for me, it was 22J inches across the widest part, 

 and 21 inches lengthways ; and to give an idea of the size, I 

 had a Times newspaper and rolled it up in it to take it away, 

 and when laid on the full sheet of The Times it extended 

 beyond it on each side either way I placed it, and very nearly 

 touched the top and bottom at the same lime. A sheet of The 

 Times is about 24 inches by 20.— C. P. Peach. 



THE GROS COLMAN GR.:iPE. 



I liiror.TED this grand Grape from the late M. Tibert about 

 twenty years ago. It is the largest of our purple Grapes, and 

 when thoroughly ripe is exceedingly rich and good, keeping 

 well tin December or later. The slow progress that an unknown 

 Grape, or anv kind cf fruit not Ecglisl, makes is very remaik- 



