November 15, 1883. j 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
433 
Grapes not Keeping ( The Lodge). —Grapes do not keep so well during some 
seasons as they do in others, and the decay of Black Hamburgh is accelerated 
by too much moisture at the roots. Perhaps your border has been saturated 
by heavy rains. Your Yines, too, may have been rather heavily cropped, in 
which case the skin of the Grapes would be thin and the keeping properties 
of the fruit thereby impaired. The fruit might perhaps have kept better on 
the Yines ; still we presume you had some reason for removing the bunches. 
Five weeks is not long enough for Grapes to hang after the commencement 
of colouring, and to cut them at that time is to cut them too soon for 
purposes of keeping. Is the room in which you have them too cold and 
■damp, or liable to extreme fluctuations of temperature ? The temperature 
ought to be equable—about 45°. Lady Downe’s is a good keeper, but 
does not succeed well in all places. We have grown it equally well on its 
own roots and on the Black Hamburgh stock. The easiest to grow and 
certain to bear of late Grapes is the Black Alicante, but its quality is not 
equal to that of Mrs. Pince. Duchess of Buccleuch is not a late keeper. 
It is a small but very rich Grape, and not likely to suit you in anything but 
flavour. One of the most useful white Grapes for keeping is the Trebbiano ; 
it is a strong grower, but not particularly rich in flavour. 
Thorn Apple, Datura Stramonium (Twenty-five-years Subscriber). —The 
plant of which you send a fruit bears the above popular and scientific names. 
It is found wild in Britain, having escaped from the gardens, and its 
habitat is generally among rubbish and on dunghills. It is easily known by 
its large oval seed-vessels, thickly covered over with stout sharp spines. The 
whole plant has a disagreeable, nauseous, and heavy odour, particularly when 
bruised,-and an acrid bitter taste. It loses much of its odour by drying, but 
retains its properties. When taken internally, in moderate doses, it causes 
numbness, vertigo, dimness of vision, dilation of the pupils, produces a slight 
delirium, intoxication, and forgetfulness, and these effects pass off in five or 
six hours ; but if the quantity taken be large, then all the symptoms of 
poisoning are presented, as heartburn, intense thirst, a feeling of strangulation, 
delirium, madness, convulsive movements, and paralysis ; congestion of the 
brain ensues, symptoms of inflammation are manifested, and death follows in 
twelve or fifteen hours. M. Orfila states that Stramonium acts with more 
force on the btain than Belladona, and produces more furious delirium. 
Stramonium, smoked like tobacco, is a popular remedy for the cure of asthma. 
Its use in this way has been derived from the East Indies, where other species 
are used for this purpose. It is the root and lower parts of the stem which are 
so employed, and the smoke excites a sense of heat in the chest, followed 
by copious expectoration, and sometimes attended by temporary vertigo and 
drowsiness. The seeds have the same nauseous bitter taste as the leaves, 
and in them Brandes discovered an alkaline principle called Daturia, com¬ 
bined with an excess of malic acid. It is in the form of colourless crystals, 
inodorous, and when first applied to the tongue is bitterish, but afterwards 
of the taste of tobacco; its action is poisonous. 
Fruit Trees in Pots (H. S .).—The following extract from a description of 
Col. Turberville’s garden at Eweriny Priory will answer your inquiry rela¬ 
tive to the trees grown by Mr. Hawkins :—One large span-roofed house and 
another lean-to are filled with fruit trees in pots, and these were just at their 
best at the time of our visit. The trees are chiefly .Nectarines, Peaches, 
Plums, and Pears. They are mostly about 5 feet high. The pots are from 
10 to 15 inches in diameter, and they altogether number about fifty. The 
first glance at the trees proves them to be in excellent health—not a spotted 
leaf or an insect being visible, and the crops are surprising. On a small tree 
of Rivers’ Early Alfred Peach there were six dozen of good fruits, and Mr. 
Hawkins, the skilled grower, speaks highly of the variety as a sure cropper. 
Next to this there was one of Rivers’ Purple Gage Plums which had sixteen 
dozen fine fruit on it last year, and this season they number ten dozen. This 
is considered the finest flavoured of all Plums. Pears were equally fine, a 
email sprig of a tree of Brockworth Park bearing fourteen fruit, each more 
than 8 inches in circumference ; Louise Bonne of Jersey had forty fine fruits. 
These are finer than we have seen in the open air against walls or in any 
other position. Some samples of Pears were extremely fine. Three varie¬ 
ties were especially noteworthy—Doyenne du Comice, five fruits of which 
weighed 4 lbs. 3 ozs.; Pitmaston Duchess, and Duohesse d’Angouleme, one 
fruit of each weighing 1 lb. 15 ozs.; and Beurrb Diel, five fruits making a 
total of 4 lbs. 12 ozs. The trees from which these were gathered are very 
small, but, like all the others, they are in excellent health. Beurre Hardy 
was also fine in pots, the fruits being remarkably clean. lYe may look in vain 
for such fruit out of doors in our walled gardens; and yet these trees are 
not expensive to grow, as they have little fire heat and they do not need 
much training, supplying water at this time being the heaviest part of the 
labour. After the fruit has been gathered the trees are moved out to the 
open air, and any which require potting are shifted a little time before the 
leaves fall. Gritty soil from the roadside is employed, and one barrowload of 
horse droppings is added to every four of soil. Old bones from the house 
are broken up and used as drainage. The trees in pots are not forced, but 
start into growth naturally under glass. In this system of growing trees 
Mr. Hawkins has the very highest confidence, and well he may, as everyone 
must envy those in his position with such large crops from small trees in a 
fruitless season out of doors. The same trees have been fruiting for fourteen 
years, and they have no appearance of being exhausted. Perhaps your trees 
are shaded or kept too close and w;i n during the blossoming period. 
Apricots do not usually succeed so well under glass as Peaches ; but with 
healthy Pear trees you ought to succeed by carrying out the practice de¬ 
scribed by Mr. Rivers. 
Names of Fruits (J. Burn). —1, Warner’s King ; 2, not known ; 3, Syke- 
house Russet. (G. Snoio). —1, Golden Noble ; 2, Beauty of Kent; 3, Dume- 
low’s Seedling; 4, Golden Winter Pearmain; 3, Court Pendu Plat; 6, not 
known. ( R. Ogston). —1, Alfriston ; 2, Autumn Red Calville ; 3, Tower of 
Glamis ; 4, Lemon Pippin ; 5, Keswick Codlin ; G, Winter Greening. ( J. L., 
Newport). —1, Mere de Mbnage; 2, Blenheim Pippin; 3, Red Doyennb; 
4, Bergamotte Cadette ; 5, Winter Peach; 6, Clay gate Pearmain. (B. J. 
Lynch). —1, not known; 2, White Nonpareil; 3, Doctor Harvey; 4, Cox’s 
Pomona; 5, Cox’s Orange Pippin ; G, Dumelow’s Seedling. 
Names of Plants. (Twenty-five-years Subscriber). —Datura Stramonium, 
see reply above. (A Subscriber). —It is impossible for anyone to name.such 
fragmentary specimens, crushed and dried as they are beyond recognition. 
Good specimens that arrive in a fresh state will be named if possible but 
sprays of flowering plants should be sent with flowers attached, this being 
the only certain mode of getting them named correctly. ( C. S. B.). —1, HSschy- 
nanthus fulgens ; 2, Sedum Sieboldi; 3, Cassia corymbosa. The Begonia and 
Primula were quite shrivelled on arrival from being packed in dry paper. 
Comb-making (A Bee-lceeper ).—Wax is made from syrup as well as 
from honey, but is not considered so good, as the combs are more brittle 
than those made from honey. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— November 14th. 
Trade more quiet. Prices generally the same. Grapes in heavy supply. Cobs 
easily cleared at higher rates. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
1 
0 
to 3 
0 
Melons '. 
2 
0 
to 3 
0 
»» . • • • 
per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Apricots 
.. box 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
.. bushel 
10 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs .. .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Fears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Filberts .. .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
5 
0 
Cobs .. .. 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., lb. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Grapes ,. ,. 
.. .. it. 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Plums and Damsons .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. .. 
15 
0 
21 
0 
Strawberries.. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
Artichokes 
.. dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
i 
0 
to 1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Beet, Red 
.. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions . 
bushel 
2 
6 
8 
0 
Broccoli .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
.. I sieve 
2 
6 
3 
6 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
.. 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney .. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
.. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery 
i 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale. 
basket 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cucumbers 
.. each 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Shallots. 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
■Tomatoes 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
8 
Leeks .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
0 
0 
4 
Lettuce .. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
IMPROVED DAIRY CATTLE. 
(Continued from page 412.) 
Having furnished ample prefatory remarks in connection 
•with this subject we shall now consider the minute and some¬ 
what difficult particulars. We hope that some breeder of ex¬ 
perience will undertake the task which we would have gladly 
done twenty or thirty years ago with a prospect of having 
attained our object at the end of ten years from its commence¬ 
ment. Select first half a dozen heifers at the age of twelve months 
of the pure-bred Shorthorn type, celebrated for having descended 
from animals which shall have been notoriously great or deep 
milkers, and whose ancestors for a long period have been of a 
light brown, or patched light brown and white colour. At the 
same time it is of the utmost consequence they should in their 
generations on both the male and female side been known by 
tradition or pedigree to be the representatives and the de¬ 
scendants of a type and character celebrated for their milking 
characteristics, and possessing also capacious and well-shaped 
udders and a disposition to fatten quickly when out of use for 
milking. They should be noted for their perfect form and 
symmetry, excepting the light and bare shoulder top which we 
have previously stated as being of the greatest consequence as 
representing any tribe of full milking capacity. In order to be 
sure of the future generations being possessed of well-shaped 
capacious udders we must know the blood from which we select 
our heifers to have been carefully treated and managed by the 
dairymen and their owners. Unless this can be guaranteed 
there must ahvays be a doubt as to the capacity of future 
generations to furnish, us with animals possessing the shape of 
udders which we deem indispensable towards attaining the 
object we have in view. 
To show the management necessary for this purpose, let us 
see what Mr. William Houseman, the greatest authority of the 
day upon such matters, has said in his excellent essay upon 
“ The Management of a Shoi’thorn Herd ” in the Journal o the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England, published in the year 
1880. He says—“In the belief that without losing in the smallest 
degree the Shorthorn’s usefulness as a grazing animal we may 
largely increase its yield of milk, I am supported by the care¬ 
fully founded opinion of some of the most practical and suc¬ 
cessful breeders of grazing stock. In all probability the three- 
