96 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



view of the case, and predicted that " wines from Wales would 

 be the drink of the future " ; and went on to say, " The Marquis 

 of Bute has, it appears, a Bute-iful vineyard at Castle Coch, 

 near Cardiff, where it is hoped such wine will be produced that 

 in future Hock will be superseded by Coch, and the unpronounce- 

 able vintages of the Bhine will yield to the still more unpro- 

 nounceable vintages of the Taff. Coch-heimer is, as yet, a wine 

 in supposition, but the vines are planted, and the gardener, Mr. 

 Pettigrew, anticipates no petty growth." 



The first portion of the vineyard at Castle Coch was planted 

 in the spring of 1875, on the French system, as practised in the 

 neighbourhood of Paris, in Burgundy, and the champagne 

 country. The site selected for the experiment lies to the left of 

 the Castle, at a somewhat lower level, with a gentle slope to the 

 south, and, from the nature of the ground, it requires no artificial 

 drainage. It is sheltered from the north by a large plantation, 

 which covers the breast and summit of the hill behind, and from 

 the east and west by smaller hills at some little distance off. It 

 lies quite open to the south, overlooking the Bristol Channel, 

 four miles distant. The soil, which is two feet deep, is a light 

 fibrous loam, resting on a broken limestone rock, just the kind 

 of soil vines grow luxuriantly in. The ground was thoroughly 

 trenched, and the vines were planted in rows from north to south 

 three feet apart, the plants being three feet apart in the rows, 

 and trained to stakes four feet high. At the end of every season 

 the vines are pruned close back, leaving two buds only of the 

 current year's growth. 



A great many varieties of the vine are grown in the vineyards 

 of France, but some of the best grown in the South do not 

 succeed when planted in colder districts. I was therefore 

 strongly recommended by the vine-growers in the vicinity of Paris 

 to try the varieties Gamay Noir and Millie Blanch, as being two of 

 the most likely ones to suit our climate. They are extensively 

 grown in the neighbourhood of Paris and in Burgundy and the 

 colder wine-producing districts of France. I acted on their 

 advice. The plants have a strong constitution, produce fruit 

 freely, and make good wine. We were favoured with three or 

 four good seasons in succession after the vines were planted. 

 They grew vigorously and made strong canes, which ripened 

 thoroughly. Gardeners and others who came from a distance to 



