April 30, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
345 
30 
1 
a 
8 
4 
5 
6 
Th 
F 
S 
SUN 
M 
TU 
W 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. 
Antwerp International Exhibition. 
4th Sunday after Easter. 
GOLDEN CHAMPION GRAPE. 
GRAPES SPOTTING. 
IXTEEN or seventeen years ago no small 
sensation was caused in the horticultural 
world by the introduction of this grand 
Grape. Its handsome bunches and magnifi¬ 
cent berries were alike the wonder and 
admiration of almost every beholder. Great, 
indeed, were the expectations formed as to the 
part it was to take amongst Grapes of the future. 
At that time almost every Grape grower was 
anxious to possess it, and few scrupled to pay 
their one, two, or three guineas for a Vine. 
Alas ! in many instances “ the best laid schemes,” 
&c., were truly verified, and proportionately great were the 
disappointments and bewailments of those who had failed— 
some even to coax it into making a few leaves, and others 
who could grow it failed to obtain fruit, and most who had 
succeeded in growing and fruiting the Champion failed to get 
it without blotches or spots on the skin, that in consequence 
made it in many cases quite unfit to put upon the dessert 
table. In addition to these numerous failings its berries 
were said to be subject to splitting just as they were getting 
ripe, and thereby completed the chapter of disasters. 
Something like the foregoing was the common opinion 
expressed by gardeners after they had tried their hand at 
cultivating the Golden Champion. This became more and 
more the case when they had given it up to try the Duke of 
Buccleuch, which was said to be of better constitution and 
free from spot; but those who failed with the one fared little 
better with the other, and many did not scruple to denounce 
them both in unmeasured terms. I could never see the 
force of this kind of argument, and it has often occurred to 
me that it would be interesting to know in how many in¬ 
stances out of, say, twenty failures it is the fault of the 
cultivator and not that of the Grape that its berries spot and 
split. The following extract from the pen of a well-known 
horticulturist appeared in a contemporary :—“ The fault it 
has, and that one I have not been able to overcome is this— 
about three weeks, perhaps less, before the fruit would be 
ready for use some of it splits, more of it becomes spotted 
under the skin, and before the Grapes are ripe not a bunch 
is presentable. Now, I object to take the responsibility of 
this, as I have grown many Grapes in that house, and grow 
them now sufficiently good to take first prizes at the London 
shows.” Again, in the “ Gardener’s Assistant,” new edition, 
revised and extended, this same authority instructs as follows 
upon Vine culture:—“A proper degree of atmospheric 
moisture can be kept up by keeping the evaporating troughs 
that are cast on the hot-water pipes constantly filled with 
water, and by syringing the walls as well as watering the 
paths two or three times a day. The best time to sprinkle 
the borders and paths and to syringe the walls is when the 
ventilators are opened in the morning, and when the house 
is shut up in the afternoon. In very hot weather the house 
should be damped two or three times during the day besides.” 
No. 253.—Vol. X., Thjrd Skr es 
As it is well known that the disease of spot on the berries 
and leaves is brought on by a stagnant atmosphere over¬ 
charged with vapour and aggravated by sudden changes of 
temperature, to me the marvel is how under such a system 
of continual steaming, syringing, and damping of paths, 
borders, &c., however anyone manages to get Grapes of any 
kind finished so perfectly as to take first prizes at London 
shows. One thing certain is that under the steaming, 
morning and midday damping process it is impossible to get 
Golden Champion or Duke of Buccleuch perfectly finished 
and free from spot. It is also certain that an atmosphere 
which will perfectly finish them will also be suitable for most 
other varieties. I venture to say that steaming troughs in 
vineries are not only unnecessary but positively injurious 
to the well-being of the Vines ; the time occupied in attend¬ 
ing to them can only be accounted as so much labour lost 
and water wasted. We are repeatedly told to follow Nature 
as far as possible, but what similarity can there be between 
the steaming apparatus and Nature ? Were it not for this 
agency I am convinced we should hear much less about 
spotting, cracking, rust, scalding, warts upon the leaves, &c. 
In my own practice I treat the Golden Champion the 
same as other varieties, and entirely dispense with the use 
of evaporating troughs upon the hot-water pipes, and after 
the Vines come into flower never damp or syringe the house 
until late in the afternoon ; in hot weather not until the sun 
is off the leaves. But the dampings then are not half-hearted 
ones. If the weather be very dry and hot we again give the 
borders and paths a second damping at dusk, leaving a little 
air on all night and a little heat in the pipes. During bright 
weather the ventilators are farther opened between 5 and 
6 am., and more hot water is allowed to circulate in the pipes 
to dry up any excess of moisture that may be in the house 
before the sun shines fully upon the foliage. When watering 
the borders care is taken to do this on dull days or in the 
evening. By these simple means we are enabled to have the 
Champion ripened perfectly clean and free from spotted and 
cracked berries. 
Someone will say, “ What about red spider ?” Well, 
the presence of red spider is one of the natural results of 
neglect or mismanagement. In a well-regulated and pro¬ 
perly managed vinery, all things being equal, no fear need 
be entertained about the ravages of that pest—at least such 
is my experience. Golden Champion is in every sense of the 
term a magnificent Grape, well worth bestowing upon it any 
extra attention necessary to grow and ripen its fruit perfectly, 
which is not seen at its best until five or six weeks after the 
berries turn yellow, then the flavour becomes very rich, and 
has a peculiar varied sweetness distinct from any Grape I 
know. It is a strong robust grower, and requires ample room 
and light to develope its leaves and ripen the wood. I would 
not recommend planting it in small, early, close vineries, 
nor in semi-stove greenhouse vineries. We succeed best 
with it in span-roofed houses, and at the present time have 
it growing on its own roots grafted on the Black Hamburgh 
and White Frontignan, but the most satisfactory returns are 
got from the rod grafted upon the Black Hamburgh.— 
J. McIndoe. 
THE CULTURE OF PHAL^NOPSES. 
Why do so many of our best Orchid growers fail to grow the 
beautiful Moth Orchid ? I am indebted to my employers for 
their liberality in allowing me the means at various times to visit 
a few of the leading collections of Orchids in this country. One 
thing I have particularly noticed is where Phakenopses are most 
numerous a house has to be devoted to them entirely, and in 
such a case where the plants are in pots or baskets and placed 
on stages with no other plants growing under them, I have never 
seen such satisfactory results as might be wished On the other 
hand, where only a few are grown, the plants are generally hung 
up near the glass above stove plants, Ferns, or other Orchids, 
and, so far as I have seen, the results have been all that could be 
desired. Two years ago Mr. Smee purchased several plants of 
No. 1909.— Vol. LXXIL, Old SEKisk 
