59d JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 28 , 1 m. 
to grow it in a mixed house of early Grapes. Golden Champion 
I can say nothing about yet, as, although I have it planted in an 
inside border, I have not yet fruited it. 
Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat.—I shall never forget my astonish¬ 
ment with regard to this Grape in 186S when that excellent culti¬ 
vator, Mr. Taylor of Longleat, then the foreman at Garston Vine¬ 
yard, showed me a house which one Vine had filled and was bear¬ 
ing twenty-six or twenty-seven bunches splendidly coloured and 
finished, and the Vine but twelve or fourteen months old. I made 
a short report of this in the Journal, which was pretty well criti¬ 
cised ; but nevertheless Mr. Taylor corroborated my statement if 
my memory serves me right. But notwithstanding all opposition 
Mrs. Pince is still in existence, and is well worthy of cultivation. 
Like some others it has its peculiarities, and its worst habit is in 
failing to colour well; yet in some places it is good. The best 
examples of Mrs. Pince I have seen were grown this autumn by 
Mr. Hollingworth at Wood Seat near Rochester, the residence of 
C. M. Campbell, Esq., and had they been in competition at Edin¬ 
burgh I question very much if both the Veitch memorial medals 
would have gone to Hutton Hall. Mrs. Pince colours better if 
grown in a lower temperature than is usually accorded to this 
variety. 
Mrs. Pearson I have planted, but it has not yet fruited with me. 
It has proved a bad grower ; in fact, where all other Vines have 
made very good canes this is but very little larger than when first 
planted seventeen months ago. I have not yet seen it very good at 
other places, and should like to hear the opinion of others relative 
to this variety. 
Golden Queen is very different to the above, and I consider this 
will prove one of our best late Grapes. It is a good grower, very 
fruitful, and requires no special treatment that I am aware of to 
have it in good condition ; its only drawback is that, like Gros 
Colman, it takes longer to ripen than many other varieties. Mr. 
Wallis grows it on the extension system at Keele Hall, and the 
bunches excel in colour the best Muscats of Alexandria I have 
ever seen. Nowhere have I seen this Grape in such excellent con¬ 
dition as at Keele. Whether Mr. Wallis has it grafted I cannot 
say, but I consider it colours better on its own roots. 
Duchess of Buccleuch I do not grow, nor do I consider the variety 
worthy of a place, as the smallness of the berries detracts from 
what other good qualities it might possess as regards flavour. 
Tyninghame Muscat I prefer to all other varieties of Muscat, 
being finer in bunch and berry with me than any of them, and 
quite equal in every other good quality. 
Alnwick Seedling I have grown three years, but as yet not to 
my satisfaction, as but few of the berries swelled, the majority 
being like Black Currants. I should have discontinued growing 
it but for the information recently given in this Journal as to 
its requirements, but am giving it another trial, when I hope to 
succeed better. 
Gros Colman is a truly noble Grape, but requires a high 
temperature to finish it well, The foliage of this Vine is the most 
tender of any variety I know, being so liable to scorch or curl. 
I find this Grape very much improved when grafted on the Muscat 
of Alexandria. I have had no difficulty in keeping Gros Colman 
in bottles of water, but it requires a rather higher temperature in 
the fruit-room than is requisite for other varieties when kept in 
the manner indicated. 
Lady Downe’s is undoubtedly our best late-keeping Grape. 
With me it does not scald until it commences colouring, and to 
counteract this we admit more air and afford less atmospheric 
moisture. White Lady Downe’s I once grew, but its flavour was 
so inferior that I did not consider it worth cultivation, so cut it 
down and grafted Foster’s Seedling upon it. This, I consider, 
one of our best Grapes, and considerably superior to Buckland 
Sweetwater for an early vinery. Certainly it has not so fine 
appearance, but its other good qualities compensate for this; 
moreover, it is good for table use, and keeps well up to Christmas. 
West’s St. Peter’s.—This is good and worthy of more extended 
cultivation. It is a thin-skinned Grape, keeps well, colours well, 
bears well, and is one of the best Grapes in cultivation for a sick 
person. It was a great favourite with the late Mr. Alport when 
gardener at Doddington Park, and I do not recollect to have ever 
seen it better grown than by that good cultivator. 
Black Alicante is a very useful late Grape, and with me keeps 
as well, or nearly so, as Lady Downe’s. Gros Guillaume, incor¬ 
rectly called Barbarossa, is another good late-keeping Grape, but 
requires growing on the extension system to secure the best results. 
With me the bunches require support, as I have often found them 
part in the footstalk and fall to the ground when suspended in 
bottles of water. 
The Muscat Hamburgh is the finest-flavoured black Grape, and if 
it was more amenable to ordinary cultivation would be a universal 
favourite. If planted in a somewhat stiffer soil than is usually 
recommended for Vine borders an improvement will be per¬ 
ceived. This also applies to Duke of Buccleuch. There is another 
Grape I should like to hear what Grape-growers have to say 
respecting its good and bad qualities, and that is the Golden 
Hamburgh.— Chas. Roberts , Uirjlifield Hall Gardens, near Lcclt. 
LAPAGERIAS. 
Lapagebias are among the few plants which succeed well 
with abundant root space. The method to follow with a plant 
established in a small pot as received from a nurseryman is at 
once to remove it into one 8 or 9 inches in diameter, draining the 
pot well, and employing as compost turfy loam and peat, with 
nodules of lime rubbish freely intermixed. After a time growth 
will commence, and in due time the pot will become full of roots, 
when they must be shifted once more into a larger pot at least 
4 inches wider than the one to be set aside. This shifting must 
be continued if the plant is to be kept growing in a pot, as the 
more abundant the roots the stronger and more numerous will be 
the shoots annually thrown up from the base of the plant. It 
may be stated, however, that a 13-inch pot will, with occasional 
rich surface-dressings supplemented by waterings with liquid 
manure, keep a plant in good condition for several years, but not 
so luxuriant as if more liberally treated as to root space. Return¬ 
ing to the first start of our typical plant, this growth must be 
carefully trained on a string under the roof of the structure in 
which the plant is growing. Year by year the same care must be 
taken with young shoots which may be produced. To prevent 
overcrowding the first spindly growths should be cut off close to 
the soil, and all along the future of the plant should be studied by 
allowing at least 6 inches between each main growth. The above 
is the only certain mode of obtaining large blooms and plenty of 
them. It may be noted here that this plant is not particular as 
to aspect. It does well full in the sun, in the shade, or under con¬ 
ditions between these two ; plenty of root-room, head-room, and 
water apparently being the conditions most favourable to its 
healthy growth. 
Though I have plants growing in pots under conditions as above 
recommended, at the same time I would recommend even more 
space at the roots than can be provided by pots, and, in fact, 
pirefer planting out in beds more or less restricted in size to the 
room at command. The progress a plant makes after being 
planted out is really astonishing, and the number of flowers pro¬ 
duced for at least six months of the year is very great indeed. 
The compost should be of an open nature. Plants I have had to 
do with, put out in a soil in which Camellias flourished, made no 
progress until a different kind of compost was employed. 
I have a large specimen which was planted out in a bed specially 
made for it seven years ago, the compost used being the older 
roots of Lastrea dilatata. This year the blooms have declined 
considerably in size, but this I expect to overcome by a thick 
dressing of rich material and occasional manurial waterings. 
These old plants seem to be very prolific of seed pods, which to 
anyone wishful of increasing stock would be the most ready means 
of doing so. In the case of the white variety this would of 
course be a risky way of promoting increase, as the plants result¬ 
ing from such seed would require to be flowered before being sure 
as to colour. I have an idea that there are two forms of variety 
of the white Lapageria—one smaller than the other, and not so 
strong in growth or so large in the foliage. Perhaps some of your 
correspondents or readers are able to say if this is so.—B. 
LIBONIA PENRHOSIENSIS. 
Amongst the most useful plants for winter decoration Libonias 
play a very important part. They are easily grown, and well 
repay a little extra trouble bestowed upon them. Your corre¬ 
spondent “ Leadeniiam ” (page 552) speaks very highly of 
L. grandiflora, and gives some cultural remarks respecting it. 
L. grandiflora is a great favourite with most people, being ex¬ 
tremely useful for conservatory and room decoration. If your 
correspondent has not already tried L. penrhosiensis let me re¬ 
commend it to him and others desirous to possess another winter- 
flowering plant, and in my opinion far surpassing L. floribunda. 
L. penrhosiensis is quite distinct from the latter both in foliage 
and flowers. The foliage is much larger, and has a beautiful 
polished surface. The flowers also are much larger than L. grandi¬ 
flora and more highly coloured ; instead of the yellow being so 
prominent they have a bronzy hue. In addition to the above 
it is decidedly more fioriferous. The treatment recommended by 
“ Leadenham ” for L. floribunda will apply to L. penrhosiensis, 
but I find an occasional supply of liquid manure or Clay’s 
