346 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDEXING. 



Barron says this is " one of tlie worst setting grapes 

 known ;" but with me, on the north side of a Muscat 

 house, it sets as freely as a Hamburgh. It rejoices 

 in plenty of heat, and requires careful fertilisation 

 with Hamburgh pollen. The bunches and berries 

 are large, and it keeps well in a dry room till the 

 middle of April. In Worcestershire it is known as 

 the Kempsey Alicante. 



5. Black Prince. — A handsome, free-setting, 

 Sweetwater grape, but only third-rate in quahty. 

 The bimches gi-ow to a great length, and the berries 

 always colour well. One \ine may be planted in 

 large collections for exhibition pm'poses, but it is an 

 old variety that is superseded by many kinds that 

 are infinitely superior. 



6. Buckland Sweetwater. — An English seed- 

 ling of handsome appearance, and worthy of a place 

 in every early vinery. It succeeds well under 

 Hamburgh treatment, and fruits best when trained 

 on the long-rod system, but in some soils it is rather 

 shy. "When the berries assume a rich golden coloiu', 

 they are of good flavour and very refreshing. It is 

 a good early exhibition grape. 



7. Canon Hall Muscat. — A large, round- 

 berried, handsome grape, when well grown ; but as 

 it does not set well, perfect bunches are rarely met 

 with. The vine is not so good a grower as the 

 Muscat of Alexandria, being gross, pithy, and often 

 badly ripened ; neither is the quality of the fruit 

 c^qual to that fine old variety. The last generation 

 of gardeners always made a point of planting it, but 

 it is now seldom met with. 



8. Dr. Hogg. — A splendid, round-berried, Mus- 

 cat-flavoured grape, of the Chasselas or Frontignan 

 quality. It was raised by the late Mr. Pearson, of 

 Chilwell, and is now grown in every garden where 

 those dehcious grapes are appreciated. The bunches 

 grow to about twelve inches in length ; the berries are 

 larger than those of the Frontignan, and, unlike the 

 Chasselas Musque, they never crack when ripening. 



9. Ducliess of Buccleuch.. — This dehcious 

 Muscat-flavoured gTape was raised by Mr. Thomson, 

 of the Tweed Vineyard. The bunches grow to a 

 great length, and the berries set well ; but being 

 rather small they detract from its appearance. It is 

 a free-setting variety, well adapted for pot culture, 

 and requires a httle more heat than the Hamburgh. 

 When grown, as the raiser has grown it, it is well 

 worthy of a place in all choice selections of Muscat 

 grapes. 



10. Duke of Buccleuch. — This is another of 

 ]\Ir. Thomson's seedlings, but as it belongs to the 

 Sweetwater section, it is only fit for early or summer 

 use. When well done, it is one of the most noble 

 grapes in cultivation. The flesh is tender, rich, and 

 juicy ; and the berries, which are very large, take a 



rich amber colour when fully ripe. The vine is 

 very strong grower, and does best in a warm in- 

 ternal border. AVith some growers the berries are 

 subject to spot. 



11. Foster's White Seedling. — An oval, 

 white, Sweetwater grape, of good quality, and in- 

 valuable for early forcing. It was raised by Mr. 

 Foster, of Benniborough Hall, Yorkshire, who from 

 the same potful of seedlings also raised the well- 

 known Lady Downes. With the exception of the 

 Muscat, this is one of the best white grapes in culti- 

 vation. It ripens well under Hamburgh treatment, 

 and is invaluable as an early exhibition grape. 



12. Golden Champion. — This fine, large, oval,, 

 white, Sweetwater grape was raised by ]\Ir. W. 

 Thomson, and is a noble acquisition where it does 

 well. Having a weak constitution, it should be 

 worked on the Hamburgh, and trained on the long- 

 rod principle. ]\Ir. Webb, of world-wide fame as a 

 manufacturer of ornamental glass, grows magnificent 

 bunches of this grape in the centre of the town of 

 Stourbridge. A liberal admixture of siliceous refuse 

 from the works is introduced into the borders ; the 

 vines grow well, and the berries are free from spot. 



13. Grizzly Frontignan. — This is one of the 

 most delicious Muscat-flavoured grapes in cultiva- 

 tion, and should have a place in warm internal 

 borders in early and mid-season houses. The ^ine 

 is a moderate grower, and well adapted to pot 

 cidture. The berries, Hke all the Frontignans, are 

 rather small, but they set freely, and ripen well 

 under Hamburgh treatment. 



14. Gros Colmar. — A very large, round, black, 

 "\T.nous grape, extensively grown for market. The 

 vine is robust, and sets its fruit freely in a Ham- 

 burgh house, where, if properly thinned, the berries 

 swell to an enormous size ; but it takes a long time 

 to ripen, and is not in its best condition until some 

 time after the leaves fall. To do this handsome, but 

 by no means rich, grape well, it should be grown in 

 a warm, mid-season house, where it can hang for 

 some time after the other grapes are cut, and then 

 be removed to a warm grape-room, where it will 

 keep until the end of March. As the berries fre- 

 quently measnre 4|- inches round, they should be 

 liberally thinned. 



15. Gros Guillaume. — This is frequently met 

 with under the name of Barbarossa, and is, as is well 

 known, one of the most uncertain gTapes in cultiva- 

 tion. It fruits best on the long-rod system, and 

 requires plenty of heat to ripen up the wood ; other- 

 wise it is shy and capricious. The fruit is only 

 third-rate in quality, unless very highly ripened ; 

 but the bunches are large and handsome, and the 

 grapes keep well until the end of March. It fruits 

 well in and around Stratford-on-Avon, where the 



