50 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Few experiments in comparison have been made towards im- 

 proving the vines of Trance by intercrossing, notwithstanding 

 their great importance. 



One of the main objects with French vine-growers, is to obtain 

 as deep a tint in their wine as possible, since it is usually mixed 

 with water. For this purpose, about forty years ago the father 

 of M. Bouschet introduced very extensively into his vineyard 

 the variety known as Le Teinturier. Though, however, the in- 

 troduction answered so far as improvement of colour went, the 

 increased value in this respect did not compensate for the com- 

 paratively small produce of the variety in question. Unwilling, 

 however, to give up the matter as hopeless, he determined to try 

 if he could cross some of his more productive varieties with the 

 Teinturier. There was some difficulty about this, as the Tein- 

 turier flowers eight or ten days earlier than most of the 

 more generally cultivated varieties. By some means, however, 

 which are not detailed, the flowering was retarded, and crossing 

 at length effected successfully with the varieties l'Aramon, la 

 Carignane and le Grenache (Alicant de l'Herault). 



The bunches on these artificially fertilized plants consisted of 

 grapes of two kinds, the majority of which had the normal white 

 juice, but mixed with a few berries, which had coloured juice like 

 the male parent Le Teinturier. The seeds of these berries were 

 carefully set apart and sowed, and after seven years one of the 

 young vines which came from the seed of an Aramon when 

 grafted on a vigorous stock yielded fruit, with the coloured juice 

 of Le Teinturier. Other plants fruited the next year, and 

 amongst them one which yielded fine and abundant fruit, with 

 the requisite character of coloured juice ; this was chosen for pro- 

 pagation, and ultimately many acres of the variety were set out 

 with grafted plants. 



Such was the result of the experiments of our author's father. 

 The son in his turn took up the subject with similar results. The 

 process of grafting enabled him to obtain fruit at an earlier period 

 than he would have been able to do had he waited for the result 

 in the simple course of nature. Ten years or more in general 

 pass by before fruit is obtained, whereas M. Bouschet reduced the 

 time to five or six. 



The most important point, however, in a scientific point of 

 view, which resulted from the experiments was the effect of cross- 

 ing on the fruit the first year. The berries which were fertilized 

 with the pollen of Le Teinturier yielded coloured juice, while 



