2i8 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



with having been the means of introducing the grape vine into Britain. Pliny 

 records a vine that w^as six hundred years old, and Miller says that the vineyards 

 in some parts of Italy hold good for above three hundred years. 



Remarkable Vines. — There are several wonderful examples of the size 

 and vigour to which the vine will attain in our own country ; perhaps 

 best known is the one at Hampton Court Palace, an old historic vine that 

 no one interested in vines should miss seeing when in London. It was 

 planted during the reign of King George III., in the year 1768, and is therefore 

 now (1903) one hundred and thirty-five years of age. It is said never to have 

 failed to produce a crop, and that with little help in the way of cultivation or 

 manure, as far as the roots are concerned, for no one knows where they have 

 penetrated. The girth of the stem is 3I feet, and its branches cover an area of 

 2200 square feet. At the height of 3J feet from the ground the stem is divided 

 into three huge limbs, the largest of which is 90 feet long, and the others 80 and 

 82 feet respectively. In its early days the vine is said to have matured two 

 thousand bunches of grapes annually, each bunch weighing about I lb. Now 

 it is only allowed to carry some twelve hundred bunches ; these weigh about 

 600 lbs. As is to be expected from the great age of the vine and the difficulty 

 of feeding the roots, the bunches are small, and so also are the berries, but their 

 delicious flavour makes generous amends. In this respect it is unapproached 

 by any variety of Black Hamburgh I know. This vine is open free to the 

 inspection of the public every day in the year, subject to certain regulations, 

 and as many as nine thousand visitors have passed through the vinery in a day. 



Another wonderful vine, and, like the above, a royal vine, is the one at 

 Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park. It is more remarkable in many 

 respects than the one at Hampton Court. It is not quite so old, but it certainly 

 is one hundred and twenty years of age. This is attested by the attendant 

 lately in charge of the vine, from evidence handed down to him by his father 

 and his grandfather, who lived in the district. It is more notable than the 

 Hampton Court vine in respect of its size and the weight of crop; the branches 

 cover a roof space of 3450 square feet, and annually bear from 2000 to 2400 

 bunches. This vinery is in the gardens of Cumberland Lodge, the residence 

 of H.R.H. Prince Christian, and within view of the upper portion of Virginia 

 Water. It is open to the public all the year round, and is in charge of his 

 Majesty's head gardener at Windsor. At Silwood Park, a country residence 

 near Ascot, is another vine of great age and proportions. Scotland boasts of 

 one (if not more) vine of great age, size, and fertility. It is said to rival the 

 Cumberland Lodge vine in size, and is in the gardens at Kinnell House, 

 the residence of the Marquis of Breadalbane. Another celebrated vine deserv- 

 ing of mention is the Manresa vine, near Roehampton. This is comparatively 

 modern. It has filled several houses, and were others available it is reasonable 

 to suppose that the vine would be much larger now. It produces heavy crops 

 of splendid quality grapes every year. The variety is Black Hamburgh. 



Vineries. — -The glass-house now most generally adopted for the culture 

 of the vine is that known as the span roof. In many gardens the lean-to and 

 the three-quarter span are in use, and are also still erected. These latter houses 



