NOTES ON CELEBEATED VINES. 



I AM indebted to my friend Mr Kose, gardener to her Majesty the 

 Queen at the Eoyal Gardens, Frogmore, for the following informa- 

 tion about two famous vines — the one at Hampton Court, the other 

 at Cumberland Lodge. Of the former, Mr Eose wites : "As far 

 as I can learn, the vine at Hampton Court was planted in a small 

 house in the year 1768, and the house has been enlarged from time 

 to time till it has attained its present size. The stem of this vine 

 at the surface of the soil is 2 feet 10 inches in circumference. At 

 3 feet from the surface, where it branches into three principal stems, 

 it is 3 feet in circumference. These three leading stems run along 

 the whole length of the house, branching off right and left, and 

 covering with foliage an area of 1950 feet, yielding from 600 lb. to 

 800 lb. of grapes annually, which are ripened in the autumn. The 

 vine is a black Hamburg, and the system of pruning is the close- 

 spur one. 



" That at Cumberland Lodge was planted about 70 years ago in 

 a small pit by a foreman of the name of Tidy, who managed the 

 place at that date. The vine, w^hich is also a black Hamburg, made 

 such rapid progress, that a house was erected over it, which has been 

 repeatedly enlarged to its present size — the last addition having 

 been made some fifteen years ago. At the surface of the soil this 

 vine is 3 feet in circumference ; at 2 feet from the soil it is 2 feet 

 10 inches; here it branches into two main stems, which at 4 feet 

 branches each into two rods, and run the whole length of the house, 

 branching in all directions, covering an area of 2553 feet, and pro- 

 ducing from 600 to 1200 lb. weight of good grapes annually, ripened 

 late in autumn. It is pruned on the close -spur system. The border 

 is 60 feet wide, and is not cropped. The house is 138 feet long, and, 

 like that at Hampton Court, is heated by flues ; but little fire-heat 

 is applied, as the vines are not forced. 



