Account of the Vines at Valentines House. 335 



may be reckoned a Vine belonging to the late Sir Charles 

 Raymond, at Valentines House, near Ilford in Essex. It 

 was planted a cutting in the year 1758, of the Black Ham- 

 burg sort ; and as the fruit of this species will not easily 

 ripen in the open air, it was planted in a hot-house, though 

 without any preparation of soil, which is in those grounds 

 a stiff loam, or rather clay. The hot-house is a very large 

 one, about seventy feet in front, and the Vine, which I 

 understand is pruned in a peculiar manner, extends two 

 hundred feet, part of it running along the south wall, on 

 the outside of the hot-house. In the common mode of 

 pruning, the species of Vine is no great bearer, but 

 managed as it is here, it produces wonderfully. Sir 

 Charles Raymond, on the death of his Lady in 1778, left 

 Valentines House ; at which time, the gardener had the 

 profits of the Vine. It annually produces about four hun- 

 dred weight of grapes, which used formerly, (when the 

 house I suppose was kept warmer) to ripen in March, 

 though latterly they have not ripened till June, when they 

 sell at four shillings a pound ; which produces about £80. 

 This account I had from Mr. Eden himself, the Gardener 

 who planted the Vine. With regard to the profits of it 

 I think it probable, from the accounts I have had from 

 other hands, that when the Grapes ripened earlier, they 

 produced more than £80. A gentleman of character 

 informed me, that he had it from Sir Charles Raymond 

 himself, that after supplying his own table, he has made 

 £120. a year of the Grapes; and the same gentleman, 

 who was curious, enquired of the fruit-dealers, who told 

 him, that in some years they supposed the profits to have 



