502 
[ December 18, 1883. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
it is not so much so as to place it beyond the bounds of 
comparison. 
Geos Colman Grafted on Muscat of Alexandria.—I 
have this year fruited three grafts of Gros Colman on strong 
Vines of Muscat of Alexandria. The grafts in wood and 
foliage, in proportion to the Muscat stocks, were as one to 
twenty. The bunches they produced were a bluish black more 
than a month before the same Grape on its own roots in 
the same house were much more than half coloured ; and 
although on its own roots it coloured as well as I have ever 
coloured it, the bluish plum-like tinge which the few bunches 
on the grafts attained to so early was never put on by the 
fruit on its own roots, which was very much later in every 
respect. Numerous callers were much struck with the great 
change in this respect, and, until told, wondered what Grape 
was attached to the Muscat stocks, and I feel warranted in 
stating these facts as proof of another unmistakeable example 
of the effect of stock upon scion. At the same time I have 
not the faintest hope that if the wood of the said grafts were 
set on their own roots the Grapes would maintain the charac¬ 
ter assumed by them on the Muscat stocks ; for, in the 
same house, and grafted on the same Muscat Vines, I have 
had Gros Guillaume that exhibited to a very considerable 
extent the same sort of change, having more compact 
bunches, larger and blacker berries, than on a Vine on its 
own roots in the same house; but when put on their own 
roots the fruit harked back to its original. 
Gros Colman on Raisin de Calabre Stock.— Early last 
spring in the same Muscat house I inarched a shoot of Gros 
Colman on Kaisin de Calabre, which shoot was established on 
the Muscat. The union was so complete that the shoot 
was cut about midsummer just below its union with the 
Calabrian Eaisin. Above the union were two bunches of 
Gros Colman, and below it—and entirely dependent on the 
Muscat stock—there was one bunch. This one bunch was 
jet black, and fit to use long before the two on the Calabrian 
stock, which never put on the bluish-black tinge of the one 
on the Muscat stock. I may mention that the growth of 
foliage on the Calabrian Vine was more than equal to that 
of the Gros Colman graft. Of course this graft was but 
for a short time solely dependent on the Calabrian stock, 
and was quite different from the Grapes on the Muscat 
stock, though for a time nursed by it. This Calabrian Vine 
is grafted on a stock of Trebbiano, but there is no leaf- 
growth of the latter. Another year’s experience of these 
grafts will be interesting, especially as we grow Gros Colman 
on its own roots side by side with them. 
Duke of Ruccleuch with its Boots in Inside and Outside 
Borders.— We have always been under the impression that 
the spotting of this Grape which so many complain of was 
caused by a damp atmosphere until this year, when, as it 
happened, there were four Vines with their roots entirely 
confined to an inside border growing alternately with rods 
from Vines with their roots entirely in an outside border. 
To our surprise every bunch on every Vine in the inside 
borders was more or less and some very much spotted, while 
not a spot was to be seen on those produced by the Vines 
in the outside borders. Both borders were dressed with the 
same sort of manure. The inside one was cautiously watered 
to my own order, while the outside border had the whole 
rain that fell on it during a very wet summer. I called the 
attention of numerous gardeners to these Grapes. Not one 
could solve the problem, but it seems to point to some cause 
other than atmospheric or too much water at the root. 
Gros Maroc.— This Grape was fruited here this year for 
the first time, and it has not been liked. Your remarks, 
page 488, accurately describe it. It was tolerably sweet, 
but it lacks fitsli, its skin is like parchment, and shrivelling 
began early. It was fruited in the Muscat house on a stock 
of Trebbiano. I wish so good a grower as Mr. Mclndoe and 
others as well would try Gros Colman on a limb of Muscat of 
Alexandria. My impression is that this will prove to be the 
road to the highest quality in this Grape. —David Thomson, 
Drumlanrig. 
FIXING CHRYSANTHEMUM SPORTS. 
PREDISPOSING TO SPORTIVENESS. 
The information on this subject given by Mr. Castle on page 484 
is valuable, as it embodies the succtssful practice of cultivators who 
have “fixed” sports of considerable merit. No doubt many sports 
have appeared on plants from time to time, but have been lost 
through lack of the requisite information for securing and establishing 
them, therefore the reliable methods described will be welcome to many 
cultivators. This matter is the more important, since so few high- 
class incurved varieties are now raised from seed, and as sports from 
the leading kinds are almost certain to be good, none should be lost 
if loss can be averted. 
The subject is, however, mainly referred to now for the purpose of 
noticing a suggestion on the page quoted relative to the possibility of 
predisposing the plants to sporting by experiments in grafting light- 
coloured varieties on dark-coloured forms as stocks, and vice versa. 
At the first glance there would seem to be an appearance of proba¬ 
bility that the practice indicated would result in the object desired ; 
but it is extremely questionable if grafting as it is ordinarily per¬ 
formed with the plants—that is, uniting the soft young growths, will 
conduce to any appreciable extent to sportiveness, and another plan 
might be tried with possibly better hope of success. 
Grafting several varieties of Chrysanthemums on one stock has 
been done in numerous instances. Hundreds of grafts have been 
attached of different varieties in Mr. Turner’s nursery at Slough, and 
with great success from a decorative point of view ; for few of the 
scions failed to “take,” and the plants were curiously attractive by 
their heads of variously coloured flowers. The system of grafting 
conducted on such a large scale might be supposed to induce the 
plants to sport, but no evidence that such was the case has been 
recorded. Several private growers have also adopted the practice of 
grafting, handsome standards with beehive-shaped heads of flowers in 
concentric colours having been exhibited, notably at the Walton-on- 
Thames shows ; but we do not hear that any distinct sports have 
resulted. 
A few years ago I had the opportunity of having a number of 
plants grafted with the above object in view, most of the leading 
varieties being intermixed in the hope that a transfusion of essences 
might find expression in the floweis. But there was no such result, 
no change whatever in any one case. Further, after reading the 
experiments of an American horticulturist—Mr. Meehan, I think—on 
the potency of split-grafting changing the character of Apples and 
resulting in distinct varieties, it occurred to me that similar changes 
might possibly follow in the case of Chrysanthemums by raising 
plants from split cuttings. Split-grafting means splitting two scions, 
say of the Bibston Pippin and Golden Pippin Apples, joining one- 
half of each to the other and inserting the twin scion in a stock. 
Split Chrysanthemum cuttings mean just the same as regards their 
preparation. A deep slice, quite to the pith, is taken from two 
cuttings of different varieties, and these are carefully joined and 
secured with matting, the ends being cut off close under joints of both, 
and at once inserted and placed in a suitable place for striking. 
Most of the best varieties were intermixed and joined in this way Y 
nearly all uniting perfectly and emitting roots from both sides of the 
twin cuttings. In some cases the two growths were permitted to 
extend, one from the apex of each split cutting; in other cases one 
growth was removed, the twin set of roots supporting the other. The 
plants grew and flowered well, but not in one instance was a change 
effected, the entire experiment, so far as regards its object, proving a 
total failure. 
A full consideration of the whole matter led to the conclusion, 
rightly or wrongly, that there was never really any chance of the 
plan succeeding, and that there were no transfusion of essences, for 
the sufficient reason that there were none containing the elements of 
the colouring matter to transfuse. In ligneous plants, of which the 
Chrysanthemum is one, it seems reasonable to suppose that the growth 
must approach maturity before the particular essences that produce or 
influence the colours of the flowers are developed ; and that the 
succulent growths, such as the fleshy and almost leafless suckers of 
Chrysanthemums which are employed as cuttings contain little but 
water, the sap must presumably be very different in the matured wood 
towards the end of summer from that of pulpy cuttings in early 
spring and the mere soft tips of shoots at any time, it would, 
therefore, seem to follow that if Chrysanthemums can be induced 
to sport at all by the union of varieties it must be by uniting the 
wood in which all the constituents of the sap are developed. 
1 had intended experimenting in this direction, but have not had 
the opportunity, and as it does not appear very likely I shall have on 
account of my nomadic habits in the summer and early autumn, 
