634 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



we have often proved in our own practice; the 

 same vine producing black fruit one year, while 

 in others it produced red or brown coloured 

 berries; and we have observed the same occur 

 in the case of the large vine in Hampton Court 

 gardens, as well as in that of one of its progeny, 

 the still larger vine at Cumberland Lodge. The 

 principal causes which lead to this difference in 

 colour are, over-cropping in either the present 

 or previous season, cold damp soil, insufficient 

 light, or rather where the fruit is grown at too 

 great a distance from the glass, difference of 

 temperature between the roots and foliage, want 

 of sufficient ventilation, the roots being too 

 deeply buried, the loss of, or injury done to the 

 foliage, &c. A plant of the Black Hamburg, ex- 

 posed to one or more of these conditions, will 

 assuredly produce red or brown berries, or, in 

 other words, they will not colour well, a circum- 

 stance of such frequent occurrence that most 

 intelligent gardeners are aware of it; and plants 

 of what are called the red or brown varieties, if 

 wholly exempted from these causes, will with 

 equal certainty produce dark-coloured fruit. 



The word Hamburg is usually written Hambro'. 

 Various seedling varieties of this excellent grape 

 have been raised, the principal of which are 

 Wilmot's neio black Hamburg, called also 



Wilmofs Dutch Hamburg. — With us generally 

 larger in the berry, and very black in colour, 

 even when growing in the same house with the 

 other varieties. It is a good variety, and worth 

 cultivation. Fruit globose, rather earlier, and of 

 higher flavour. 



Judson's Richmond Villa black Hamburg. — 

 Evidently a seedling variety of the Black Ham- 

 burg; the berries are, however, more oval and 

 elongated, ripening of a fine deep black colour, 

 profusely covered with a rich bloom, like an 

 Orleans plum, having a fine rich flavour, and 

 very juicy. Is an abundant bearer and good 

 setter, colouring full ten days earlier than the 

 common Hamburg. 



Millhill Hamburg. — This is an excellent 

 variety, somewhat iater in ripening than the 

 common Hamburg, and having a tougher skin, 

 although by no means thick, is adapted for keep- 

 ing longer than any other variety of this section. 

 The berries are also larger, more globose, 

 and not always so well coloured as the ordi- 

 nary sort. It has a singular propensity to send 

 its roots deep into the soil, and hence, when it 

 gets into a cold damp subsoil, the leaves become 

 sickly in colour, wasted on the surface, and apt 

 to flag under the influence of bright sunshine. It 

 appears to be a cross between the Hamburg and 

 Black Damascus, partaking, however, most of 

 the former. 



Popes Hamburg. — In many respects similar 

 to the last. 



Braddick's seedling Hamburg. — Scarcely differ- 

 ing from the common sort. 



Knevett's black Hamburg. — With no greater 

 claim to difference than the last. 



Hubshee. — One of the choicest of the Deccan 

 grapes. Bunches large ; berries oblong, brown- 

 ish black; flesh dry and firm; skin thick; flavour 

 not high, yet agreeable; requires as much heat 

 to ripen as the Muscat of Alexandria, and has 



the merit of hanging long on the vine after it is 

 ripe. Much has been said by travellers regard- 

 ing the extraordinary merits of the Indian 

 grapes. Few of them have as yet reached this 

 country, and those that have are not held in 

 very high estimation. Synonym — Kalee. 



Lashmar's seedling grape. — Supposed to have 

 been raised from seed of some foreign fruit by 

 a Mr Lashmar of Brighton. Fruit white, me- 

 dium size, oval form, and an abundant bearer. 

 Its chief merit, however, is its hardiness, ripen- 

 ing a week or ten days in the open air before any 

 other. 



Lombardy, black. — Bunches large, and well 

 shouldered, long and loose; size of berries large; 

 form roundish ovate; colour black, when pro- 

 perly ripened, previous to l-ipening of a reddish 

 purple; skin thin; of a sweet and pleasant fla- 

 vour. A very late grape, quite unfitted for the 

 open wall, but exceedingly valuable in the 

 vinery, on account of its late ripening, produc- 

 tiveness, and property of keeping through the 

 winter in good preservation. Leaves small, 

 turning purplish as the fruit ripens. Succeeds 

 well if planted along with the White Muscat of 

 A lexandria, the same temperature being required 

 for both, and also as they are late ripeners, and 

 the best of keepers. Synonyms — West's St 

 Peters, Money's West's St Peters, Raisin de Carmes, 

 Raisin de Cuba, Lombardy of some, Poonah, — 

 not the common Lombardy, or Flame- coloured 

 Tokay, which is a different and inferior grape. 

 This grape, under the name of Poonah, was im- 

 ported in 1817 from Bombay by Sir Joseph 

 Banks. It is extensively cultivated over India. 



Muscat of Alexandria, white. — Bunches very 

 large, well shouldered, rather loose, and irregu- 

 lar in form; berries large; form oval; colour at 

 first whitish green, but when fully ripened fine 

 pale amber ; skin thick ; stones small, and often 

 absent in the largest berries; flesh firm and 

 hard, and of a delicious musky flavour. This is 

 evidently by far the best of all white or pale- 

 coloured grapes. Like the last, it requires the 

 highest temperature the vine is capable of bear- 

 ing, and sets its fruit in such temperature better 

 than in the ordinary temperature of vineries 

 in general. When thoroughly ripened, it will 

 hang on the vines during the winter, and that 

 without losing any of its fine musky flavour. 

 Indeed, it is a grape that cannot be over-ripened. 

 Synonyms — Round Muscat of Alexandria, Totten- 

 ham Park Muscat, Malaga, Lunel, White Tokay 

 of some, White Muscat of Lunel, Muscat of Je- 

 rusalem, Alexandrian Frontignan, Muscat Esch- 

 colota, Zebibo of Sicily, Passe musque, White passe 

 musque, Passe-longue musque of the French. 

 Speechley, in " Treatise on the Vine," written in 

 1789, says: "This grape is in high estimation, 

 and is at present more generally planted in hot- 

 houses than any other sort." From a very inte- 

 resting series of papers recently published in" The 

 Gardeners' Journal," on the varieties of fruits 

 cultivated in some of our very best gardens, we 

 find the Muscat of Alexandria ranking with the 

 Black Hamburg and St Peter's, as the most 

 general in cultivation, more especially for late 

 autumn and winter use. Various seedling va- 

 rieties of this excellent grape exist. The most 



