SEPTEMBER. 



135 



in May, there were two Vines of Golden Hamburgh, on which there was 

 not a bunch fit for table if they had ripened, and the few Grapes they bore 

 dropped before ripe ; while the Black Hamburgh was fine in both bunch and 

 berry. 



In a house of mixed Vines, ripe the 1st of June, two Golden Hamburgh?, 

 failed exactly as in the last case ; and in a house of Muscats, ripe the middle 

 of July, and very fine, the Golden Hamburgh dropped its berries the same as 

 in the other houses. The Vines in all the houses are planted iuside and 

 confined to inside borders, and from tbeir appearance have been well managed. 

 A lai-ge house of Hamburghs just ripe, is in all respects as fine a house of fruit 

 as I have seen for several years, with the exception of two Vines of the Golden 

 Hamburgh, which are to be cleared out. This is only one of many cases that 

 have come under my own observation, and I do not know a single case in which 

 they did satisfactorily. 



Another peculiarity of this Vine is, that it is generally smothered with red 

 spider, while the other Vines in the same house are free from it. This, of 

 itself, makes it rather an undesirable companion, even if it were not otherwise 

 worthless. 



Perhaps some of your numerous correspondents will favour us with then- 

 experience with it, which, if more favourable, I shall conclude there is some 

 secret required in the growth of it, which many are ignorant of, myself among 

 the number. S. T. 



THE NEW GRAPES. 



Duking the last few months there have been two seedling Grapes intro- 

 duced to the notice of the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 which promise to take a position among the permanent cultivated varieties. 

 Both of these are natives, and owe their origin to two of our first professional 

 gardeners. Strangely enough, they are both from the north side of the Tweed, 

 and if we are to judge of them as we do of the other natives of that region, 

 we may expect them to be of a hardy and enduring constitution. The first we 

 have to notice is that raised by Mr. Melville, gardener to the Earl of Rose- 

 berry, Dalmeny Park, Edinburgh. It is a splendid black Grape, resembling 

 in all its parts the Mill Hill Hamburgh, which is the best of all the round or 

 Frankenthal race of Hamburghs, but it has a fine Frontignan flavour. Imagine 

 a great, round, hammered berry of a Mill Hill Hamburgh with a Frontignan 

 flavour, and you have the Champion Hamburgh of Mr. Melville. 



Then there is the seedling of Mr. William Thomson, gardener to the Duke 

 of Buccleuch, at Dalkeith. This is another gem in its way. It produces a 

 bunch a foot long, and weighing 1 lb. 2 ozs. The berries are round and as yet 

 about medium size, but by cultivation they are sure to come larger. They 

 have a most delicious flavour, richer than that of any Muscat, being of a 

 mixed honied and sugary character, and with the high Muscat aroma. This is 

 a most valuable early Grape ; but Mr. Thomson has not yet been able to pro- 

 duce it in its best condition, as it is only a seedling, and has been left as yet 

 to take its chance in the seed-bed. When properly grown, not only will the 

 berries, but also the bunches be very much larger than ;hey now are. Such is 

 Mr. Thomson's own opinion of it, and he is no mean authority in Grape-growing, 

 that he has planted the half of one of his vineries with this variety alone. It 

 is to be named " The Duchess of Buccleuch's." 



