THE CULTUKE OF THE GEAPE, 287 



ably so ; they were all represented as having been beau- 

 tiful. Mr. Gower's, though his Hamburgh bunches were 

 large, were rather deficient in color, — a want that, in my 

 estimation, would make them unworthy to compete with 

 the first-named. To have a correct idea of this mattei-, 

 there should be some standard of quality to refer to. I 

 do not I'emember ever to have met with any such. My 

 opinion of the characteristics requisite to form a fine 

 bunch of grapes, is, that the bunch be of medium bigness, 

 "vith the berries large, of an equal size, well colored, and 

 covered with a fine bloom. Very large bunches are not 

 always so equally well flavored as lesser ones, and those 

 weighing from eight ounces to one pound each, are almost 

 always the best. When exhibited at horticultural shows 

 however, large sized, if at the same time these be well 

 colored, will invariably be considered the best. 



The border that produced the grapes, which Dr. Lind- 

 ley considers superior to those raised by Mr. Roberts, is 

 a very fine one, and not very unlike the compost recom- 

 mended by me, to be used in a situation where it is ne- 

 cessary to remove all the original soil ; but, in this border, 

 they use liquid manure ; and this is universally the case, 

 when the border is composed of turf, without a, large ad- 

 dition of bones or other manures. This application of 

 an offensive liquid upon the surface of the soil is, in my 

 estimation, more disagreeable than in burying it ; and 

 when the rich border is properly made, rainwater is tlie 

 only application requisite for the roots on the outside of 

 the house. On the other hand, the border composed of 

 loam and rotten sods, although excellent, requires this 



