August 25, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
173 
d’Aremberg, Louis Spath, Souvenir de Madame Robert, and Leon 
Renault have given me great satisfaction. Indeed the last named 
as a dark Rose, and Souvenir de Madame Robertas a light variety, 
I consider among the best I have. Both are highly fragrant. 
Gladioli have been as unreliable as usual. I lost a large number 
of corms this spring. On some, procured from different houses, 
I observed a sort of freckle, the corm assuming a somewhat livid 
colour thickly dotted with minute white spots. This rapidly 
developed into a decay which was quite new to me in Gladioli. 
Whether they had been affected by frost before reaching my 
hands (I am certain they did not afterwards) I do not know, but 
as frost causes a softening of the roots I assumed such to be 
the case. All when purchasing should see by baring the corms so 
far that nothing of this freckle exists. Outwardly they appeared 
quite sound. As usual, too, some promising plants have withered, 
and there are plenty of weaklings from fine-looking corms. I am 
inclined to think that the remarks of “ G. O. S.,” on page 123, 
about “ coddling ” are appropriate here. All, however, is not un¬ 
satisfactory. Some grand varieties promise exceedingly well, 
and we are looking forward to the appearance of well-known old 
friends and some illustrious strangers with more than usual 
eagerness. If the weather continue such as we have had for up¬ 
wards of two months many will not bloom at all, but it promises 
better at present. Only a few of the earlier sorts as yet show the 
flower stem. I fancy we must look south in a week to catch a 
display of those from a more favoured clime.— A Northern 
Amateur. 
THE ART OF COLOURING GRAPES. 
I READ with interest the article at page 112 by Mr. Taylor 
on this subject. The rules he lays down are those by which I 
am guided always in endeavouring to produce well-finished 
Grapes, yet I cannot say that I succeed as I would wish, and 
probably many of your readers are in a similar position. Indeed, 
on reflection, it is plain there is nothing in Mr. Taylor’s article 
but what has appeared scores of times—in different forms, per¬ 
haps—before. His directions about cropping, watering, heating, 
airing, are such as every Grape-grower who has paid any atten¬ 
tion to the literature of the subject is familiar with, and, as far 
as possible, carries out. Of course, it is quite possible to imagine 
we are carrying out such directions and yet do nothing of the 
kind. As Mr. Taylor well says, the manual strength—if we dare 
say so—of any given amount of foliage-surface is by no means 
always equal to any other equal surface somewhere else. I believe 
that this fact alone is the cause of many failing to colour Grapes 
really well. We must be familiar with the condition of the 
Vines, the borders, the leaves, the water, the treatment, before it 
is possible to calculate how much fruit Vines are able to perfect; 
and for want of attention to this many fail. Still, the fact 
remains that comparatively few people are able to colour their 
Grapes as they would like. It is not because the Vines are over¬ 
cropped—that is the general apology even when the crops are 
year by year ridiculou-ly small. It is not by want of water ; 
cultivators generally are awake to the wants of Vines in that 
respect. It is not because there are no good borders, nor became 
manure is wanting. I think it is too often the want of air. The 
ventilators are never closed, yet I think it is the want of air. 
My experience is somewhat peculiar, and may perhaps, if 
repeated, throw some light on the subject. I am not particularly 
favoured in the matter of soil ; but, by the aid of semi-scientific 
manuring I have so far overcome that difficulty that year after 
year such crops are produced as make the wise prophesy that no 
Grapes next year will be the result—prophecies which are never 
fulfilled. The Vine rods are too close—they are only 2 feet 
9 inches apart. To overcome this difficulty the Vines are let 
down a foot from the wires, and the shoots trained V-like upwards, 
which allows room for a more than ordinary amount of foliage. 
We take never less than 30 lbs. (but often near 50 lbs.) from 
each rod. Few bunches are under 2 lbs., and many are over 5 lbs. 
of such kinds as Black Hamburgh, Foster’s Seedling, and others. 
This is a heavy crop, but the Vines are very vigorous ; the foliage 
is ample and the feeding ample ; the top and bottom ventilation 
is ample, and in summer they are never closed. Our command 
of heat is all that can be desired ; but we maintain cold pipes 
and a current of air during darkness, no matter what the weather 
may be. 
Some of our black Grapes colour to perfection. The smaller 
bunches near the top and near the bottom never fail to finish in 
a satisfactory manner. The smaller about the middle of the 
house finish fairly well, but the larger are always reddish. They 
are not deficient in flavour, and those most concerned praise 
them. Still we feel chagrined at the redness. If it is overcrop¬ 
ping, why do the top and bottom bunches colour so well ? If >t 
is overcropping, why do they maintain unimpaired their fertility ? 
The glass is in large panes and the laps puttied, hence it may 
be concluded that want of ventilation is the evil. Near the venti¬ 
lators the fruit is always black, far from the ventilators the fruit 
is red. The incoming air is exhausted long before reaching the 
middle of the house, and the middle spurs languish in conse¬ 
quence. True, each part of the plant is in sympathy with every 
other part; were it otherwise matters would be worse. 
Another thing—the largest bunches are generally reddest. Does 
this teach that big bunches make greater demands than the local 
foliage is able to meet ? It looks like it; and more than one 
prizetaker has won his laurels by reducing the size of his bunches. 
I was once told by one who should know, that the grower who 
has been styled “Champion of the North” in his palmy days 
habitually “shouldered” his large bunches, and these reduced 
bunches always produced the largest best-coloured berries, and 
secured the prize at many a southern show. This may be so, but 
I never can find heart to “ shoulder ” our best bunches. The big 
panes and the puttied laps might perhaps be remedied, however. 
— Single-handed. 
ROGIERA GRATISSIMA. 
One of the prettiest species of the genus Rogiera is that of 
which a small lateral shoot and flowerhead are shown in fig. 30. 
It is admirably suited for a greenhouse, and with ordinary careful 
attention to its cultural requirements it flowers freely during the 
summer. The only objection that can be urged against the plant 
is that it is slightly straggling in habit, but a little judicious 
pruning will go far to obviate this disadvantage. The flowers are 
of a soft pinkish white tint and wax-like texture, and, moreover, 
possess a most agreeable fragrance, rendering them pleasing either 
on the plant or when cut. 
The culture, though not difficult, requires the care of a judicious 
plant-grower. One point of particular importance is, that the 
soil and pot be sufficiently well drained to permit the free passage 
of the water, as stagnant moisture soon produces a most in¬ 
jurious effect on the plant, A compost of light turfy loam, a 
little peat, and a good proportion of sand is the most suitable, 
exercising care to avoid overpotting. 
It was found some years since on the mountains of Guatemala 
by M. Ghiesbreght, 
The Phylloxera in France.— From a report on the means 
employed in France for protecting the Vine from destruction by the 
