MR. WTNN — MR. PEARSON'S NURSERIES. 



58 



sight worth going a loug distance to see, being in itself a perfect 

 picture of good cultivation, and having twenty bunches, averaging 

 in weight about 3 lbs. each, in all probability more than that. 

 The bunches were faultless in shape, berries good-sized, and 

 covered with a splendid bloom. These vines are planted in a very 

 bad border, or, worse than that, none at all ; and Mr. Pearson's 

 success must be mainly attributed to his system of growing leaves, 

 and in pinching the shoots in at the proper time, instead of allow- 

 ing them to make useless wood, and then cutting them back to 

 where they ought to have been stopped at first, which latter prac- 

 tice must necessarily act as a serious check upon the delicate 

 organization of the vine. By cutting off large shoots, we throw 

 away as useless a large quantity of valuable sap, which, by a judi- 

 cious course of pinching, as adopted by Mr. Pearson, should have 

 been properly elaborated by the foliage, and gone towards pro- 

 ducing fine, luscious, and richly flavoured fruit. In order to 

 obtain fine and well-coloured fruit, we must first obtain fine 

 healthy foliage ; without this good fruit is an impossibility, as 

 these organs have to prepare the various juices previous to their 

 entering the fruit ; and without good healthy foliage it is impossible 

 too btain well-ripened wood i. e. wood the vessels of which are 

 filled up with properly elaborated sap, which is so requisite to 

 enable the buds to break strongly in the ensuing season. In the 

 same house is another cane of the Muscat Hambro' grafted on 

 the Sarhellefrontignan ; it is scarcely recognizable, being so much 

 altered, and is much inferior in quality, showing that the stock 

 has some influence over the scion, if it is only for the worse. 



Mr. Pearson also possesses as fine a sample of pot-vines as are 

 to be seen anywhere, — I should think about two thousand, con- 

 tained in three large houses, of well-grown canes, many of them 

 as thick as one's finger, closely jointed, with fine prominent eyes, 

 splendid foliage, and ripening off beautifully, giving every indica- 

 tion of bearing good crops next year. Mr. Pearson uses a little 

 fire- heat, and keeps his houses airy and well ventilated, ripening the 

 plants slowly and soundly, which is far better than the practice of 

 turning them out as soon as full-grown, and letting them take 

 their chance, to the detriment of the next year's crop. There are 

 in one of the vineries here two young canes of peculiar interest, 

 being crosses from the strawberry-grape, — one a black variety, 

 being decidedly strawberry-scented, and the other a white one, of 

 quite a Muscat substance, with the flavour and aroma of the 



VOL. II. H 



