September 22, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
259 
22nd 
TH 
23rd 
E 
Potato Show at Kelvedon. 
24th 
S 
25th 
SUN 
I5xii Sunday after trinity. 
26th 
M 
Sale of Bulbs by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, Tokenhouse Yard. 
27th 
Tu 
28 th 
W 
Sale of Bulbs at Mr. Stevens’ Rooms, Covent Garden. 
FRUIT AT SAWBRIDGEWORTH. 
ESSONS worth learning can always be had at a 
great nursery, especially on that particular 
branch of practice for which it may be famed. 
Sawbridgeworth, as all the gardening world 
knows, is famed for fruit, and as this is the 
period when results can be seen—the harvest— 
an opportunity is afforded for spending an hour 
Rivers’ establishment interestingly, and a record 
the information there gathered may not be un¬ 
profitable to some readers of the Journal on the eve 
of the planting season. It must be remembered that not only 
are all the most useful kinds of fruit grown in this nursery, 
and nearly all forms of culture adopted, but the best varieties 
of each kind are tested and new varieties proved ; indeed, in 
not a few instances what the world calls “new,” Mr. Rivers 
has good cause to almost regard as old friends, for he is in the 
habit of growing a new variety of fruit for a number of years 
and in large quantities before, to use a plain but well under¬ 
stood term, he “ makes anything to do about it.” This is the 
case especially with seedling Plums, Pears, Peaches, and Nec¬ 
tarines ; and thej'observation applies with equal force to at 
least one Grape, for he grew the Gros Maroc for a generation 
before he exhibited it for a certificate and obtained one. The 
leading fruits of ^the nursery may be briefly alluded to under 
their respective heads. 
GRAPES. 
Very extensive structures are devoted to these, not only for 
growing Vines in pots, of which there are thousands, but for 
establishing the Vines and fruiting them in the manner in 
which they are grown in private gardens. A great number of 
varieties are thus tested, about three Vines of each being 
fruited. As may be expected in mixed houses, where what 
may be described as Black Hamburgh treatment is given, all 
the sorts do not succeed equally well, yet the crops on the 
whole are so good as to render the structures highly imposing. 
The variety named, for instance, Gros Maroc, is grand, the 
bunches being numerous and good, the berries of great size, 
and the colour splendid—a rich blue-black powdery bloom 
that no one can fail to admire. This is a noble exhibition 
Grape, sprightly and refreshing in flavour. The Vine is a 
strong grower, and closely pruned not infrequently a little 
shy ; but as managed “ at home ” it produces bunches in 
abundance. Experience has proved that the short-spur system 
of pruning is not suited for this Grape. First of all the laterals 
must be trained thinly—20 inches apart is not too great a 
distance—so that the wood is matured, then a few inches at 
the base of each should be left, and the probability will be 
that the cultivator will have bunches to thin out. A better 
plan still is probably to make a choice of young wood, and lay 
it in after the manner of Peach wood, disbudding to prevent 
that great evil overcrowding, and bunches may be expected 
from every eye. This Grape is not remarkable for large 
bunches, those on the Vines in question ranging from 1 lb. to 
2^ lbs. In appearance this is the finest Grape in the whole 
collection, and its quality is decidedly good, the fruit pos¬ 
sessing a good deal of the Black Hamburgh property of not 
cloying the palate. 
The Gros Column, the largest of all black Grapes, is bearing 
with almost equal freedom, but the berries are not quite 
finished, and it is a question if they will ever be of superior 
quality, for the simple reason that this variety requires more 
heat. This Grape has caused disappointment in many places, 
not because it is bad as a variety, but because it has not had 
a fair chance to develope its flavour. It is not a cool-house 
Grape, and the fact may well be remembered by those who 
contemplate adding it to their collections. Start the Vines 
early, give what is known as Muscat treatment, and under 
good culture Gros C'olman will produce fine bunches and noble 
berries of satisfactory quality. Black Alicante is bearing 
prodigiously, 2 to 3 lbs. to each lineal foot of rod, showing 
that it is the heaviest cropper in cultivation, and being of 
excellent appearance it proves a profitable market Grape. 
Madresfield Court is in excellent condition, and apparently the 
older the Vines become, and the better crops they bear, the 
less do the berries crack. It succeeds well under Black Ham¬ 
burgh treatment, and is undoubtedly one of the finest and 
richest of autumn Grapes. Mrs. Pince’s Muscat is much finer 
than usual, and is colouring well. When in good condition 
this is a superior Grape, but it is too capricious to be relied on 
for planting in small collections, where the failure of any one 
rod is often a matter of great inconvenience. Even more 
capricious is the noble Duke of Buccleuch, yet it has pro¬ 
duced several good bunches and fine berries with little or no 
spot. 
Foster’s Seedling is yet, perhaps, the most reliable white 
companion to the Black Hamburgh. Buckland Sweetwater is 
often seen finer and tasted better, but it is not so certain as 
Foster’s. Neither of these Grapes give full and general satis¬ 
faction, and Ollerhead’s White will possibly supplant them 
both. Certain it is that the two rods at Wimbledon House 
grow as strongly and fruit as freely as any rods need do, quite 
equalling Foster's in this respect, also in setting, while the 
fruit is as large or larger, a little deeper amber in colour, with 
a thicker skin, firmer flesh, and better flavour, the bunches 
being in size and shape all that can be desired. It is not, 
however, a Muscat Grape, and should not be injured by being 
overpraised, which is the unfortunate fate of many varieties 
when they are first seen. It may be fairly said it is an im¬ 
proved Foster’s Seedling, and that is quite sufficient to stamp 
it as a variety giving promise of substantial merit and great 
usefulness. This is a digression, yet allowable, in a little dis¬ 
cussion on Grapes. To return to Sawbridgeworth. The Black 
Muscat or Muscat Hamburgh is a comparative failure, so 
also is Waltham Cross ; and these are not the only examples 
that denote the unsuitability, because of their uncertainty, of 
these varieties for small collections. Dr. Hogg is fruiting 
freely, bunches good, fruit small to medium, flavour a mixture 
No. G5,-rYoL. III., Third Series. 
No. 1721.—Yol. LXYL, Old series. 
