THE VINE 237 



The berries are round and of a good size, and when well grown take on a lovely bloom ; 

 the flavour is sweet and refreshing. It is a late grape, and its best season is January. 

 Not an amateur's grape. 



Black Prince. — A grape now seldom seen or heard of. Thirty years ago none 

 was more frequently seen on the exhibition table. The bunch is long and tapering, the 

 berries of medium size and covered with dense blue-black bloom. The flavour is crisp 

 and sweet. It is an easily grown grape, and succeeds well in an orchard house. 



Mrs. Pince'S Black Muscat.— This is a late grape of the finest quality, and a true 

 Muscat. The vine is hardy and a good bearer ; it " sets " freely, but as a rule it does not 

 colour satisfactorily, always finishing off with a greenish-black hue, not at all attractive or 

 pleasant to look at. Hence it is seldom grown. 



Black Alicante. — A standard late grape for private or for commercial use. It 

 is the easiest of all grapes to grow, and no grape we have will give a more generous 

 return for the little attention it needs. It is the amateur's grape in winter as is the Ham- 

 burgh in summer. The bunches attain a large size under good cultivation, and so do the 

 berries, and these carry a perfect bloom. When this grape is perfectly ripe the flavour is 

 refreshing and sweet. It will keep in good condition until April if the shoot cut with the 

 bunch is immersed in a bottle of water and placed in a cool, dark fruit-room. 



Gros Colmar. — Dr. Hogg^s description of this grape (as given in the " Fruit 

 Manual") is so good that I quote it: "Bunches very large, berries very large, skin 

 rather tough, adhering closely to the flesh; dark purple or black; flesh coarse, juicy, and 

 sweet, and of a flavour that cannot be called either rich or agreeable." When well grown 

 and properly finished this is certainly one of the n oblest-looking grapes we have, and there is 

 no wonder that on account of its good looks the public prefer it to all other late black grapes, 

 ignoring its comparatively poor flavour. In consequence of this patronage of the pubUc 

 it has become the market grape par excellence for winter dessert. There are hundreds of 

 tons of it grown in the neighbourhood of London alone. This and Alicante are the two 

 best market grapes of the day. To grow Gros Colmar to perfection it requires a long 

 season and a good command of artificial heat to help ripening early in the autumn. 

 The flavour improves by keeping ; will keep in good condition even longer than Alicante. 



Gros Maroc. — This is a grape not unlike the above in appearance, but the berries 

 are oval and ripen earlier. The bunches are usually lumpy, the berries very large ; 

 the bloom on the berries is intense and of a purple-black hue. The flavour is refresh- 

 ing and sweet, but not particularly good. It is a variety that colours very quickly, 

 and for this reason is favoured by some gardeners as a useful sort for late summer and 

 early autumn for exhibition purposes. It does not keep so well as Gros Colmar. 



Alnwick Seedling. — A handsome late exhibition g^pe, of moderate quality. It 

 crops freely, and needs to be fertilized with Black Hamburgh pollen. The flavour is 

 peculiar and liked by many. 



Lady Downe'S Seedling. — The latest grape of all, keeping well in the grape room 

 until the end of May or even into June, when fresh grapes are again ripe and plentiful. 

 For consumption in February, March, and April it is a very valuable variety. At that 

 late period its quality and flavour are excellent. The flesh is firm and juicy, the flavour 

 rich, sweet, and most pleasant ; the best flavoured late black grape we have. This 

 variety is a good grower and prolific, but the bunches and berries are not so handsome 

 and large as some other late grapes ; for this reason it is not remunerative for market 

 culture. Its size and appearance maybe improved by grafting on Muscat of Alexandria. 



White and Golden Grapes 



Muscat of Alexandria must take precedence. It is not too much to say of it, 

 when exhibited in perfect condition and of a beautiful transparent amber colour, that 

 no grape is so well liked or so much admired. The variety offers no serious difficulty 

 in the way of successful cultivation. It bears as heavily as any variety we have, 

 and if carefully looked after and not overcropped, lives to a good old age, especially 

 if the extension system of culture be adopted. The house in which it is grow'n should 



