344 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. L October u, isso. 
tint, and thus remove a great number of the insects, instead of 
permitting the leaves to fall and the insects be left in the 
house. When the frost destroyed the leaves of the Vines in 
question they were quite green. The reason of the berries 
being so large last year was doubtless the result of the heavy 
rains of the summer and autumn. It is easy to water and 
mulch Vine borders, and those at Chiswick are liberally treated 
in this respect, but the majority of the roots of healthy octo¬ 
genarian Vines are probably outside the border and extend to 
a great distance, and only the rains can give them adequate 
support. The fine Grapes of last year especially, and also 
this, prove to demonstration that Vines enjoy large supplies of 
water when the soil is well drained. 
The young Vines planted last year in the long corridor have 
been more than once, spoken of approvingly, and not a word 
too much has been said in their favour. They are in the most 
satisfactory condition ; the fruit of Alicante is superb, and of 
Gros Column very good ; but the slight shanking of the latter 
on two or three Vines is a puzzle to all who inspect the house. 
There are a few Vines of Alnwick Seedling in this house that 
teach a lesson that cannot be too widely known. On every 
Vine of the other varieties the bunches are full and berries 
regular, half of those that set and more having been cut out. 
On every Vine of Alnwick Seedling the berries have failed to 
set. There is not a bunch “ fit to be seen." All had precisely 
the same treatment, no artificial means having been resorted 
to in distributing the pollen. No doubt Mr. Barron could have 
produced a different result had he so desired, but he wisely left 
the bunches to share the ordinary natural treatment that suited 
the other varieties so well. lie considers the Grape a valuable 
one, but it requires artificial aid in setting, and is worthy of it. 
Such aid, according to a report of his garden in the Journal, 
Mr. Bell of Clive House, who grows this variety so well, gives 
by an artificial distribution of pollen. It is important that 
this requirement of what is a valuable acquisition to late Grapes 
should be widely known, as many people have planted Alnwick 
Seedling who are not acquainted with its shy-setting character. 
At Syon House two Vines of it are fruiting, one having been 
received direct from Clive House. Both have set sufficient 
berries, but there were none to thin out. The results at Chis¬ 
wick suggest the treatment that is requisite to have this fine 
Grape in satisfactory condition. 
It may be mentioned that the remarkable condition cf the 
Vines in this house is not due to an elaborately prepared border. 
Peach trees had been grown in the house for a number of 
years, and all that was done before planting the Vines was to 
spread 5 or 6 inches of fresh loam on the border, a little 
manure, and a sprinkling of half-inch bones, and trench to the 
depth of 2 feet. The Chiswick soil is evidently well suited 
for Vines, and had £100 been expended in making the border 
these young Vines could not have been in better condition than 
they are now. 
Vegetables.— The largest space this year is devoted to 
Brussels Sprouts, which are grown from seed supplied by 
various firms. Probably all or nearly all the varieties, “ strains," 
and “ selections " in cultivation are represented. In due time, 
I presume, they will be officially examined and reported on, 
and it is not necessary to say more at present than that the 
plants generally are not buttoning well. This is not solely 
from any inherent fault possessed by the varieties, but the 
heavy rains following the dry period of August and September 
appeared to have forced the plants into a late and luxuriant 
growth, much resembling that of spring, when the tops com¬ 
mence elongating, and the side growths assume the open 
character of rosettes. Of Brussels Sprouts generally it may 
be said they cannot be grown in portions too open and exposed, 
overcrowding and anything in the form of shelter militating 
against the production of firm sound knobs. 
The Egyptian Turnip-rooted Beet .—This Beet has lately 
been referred to in the Journal. It is grown largely at 
Chiswick with some of the long-rooted varieties. In quality 
the Turnip-rooted is the best of all, being the sweetest and 
most delicately flavoured, but some of the roots are not very 
deep in colour. By selecting roots of the best colour for seed¬ 
growing, produce of a uniform deep red might soon be insured. 
This is also the most productive of Beet, a greater weight of 
roots of uniform and useable size being obtained from a given 
space than any other variety ; and it probably exhausts the 
soil less than the stronger and deep-rooting varieties. The 
Egyptian or Turnip-rooted Beet possesses advantages not 
sufficiently recognised, hence this word in its favour. 
Early Munich Turnip .—Early Turnips cannot be had too 
quickly in the spring. The variety named is decidedly the 
earliest of all. It is small, red, and flattish in outline. Grown 
by the side of all the approved varieties its precocity is apparent. 
For forcing, and the earliest crops in the open garden, it can 
scarcely fail to be useful, and in due time to become popular. 
It will no doubt shortly be included in all seedsmen’s lists, 
and it is not unlikely that it will retain a position there for 
some time, which is more than can be said of all new 
vegetables. 
Composts.— In one of the houses was a large heap of turfy 
loam, containing a liberal admixture of horn shavings. The 
fancy name for this fertiliser is, I think, Buffalo horn Manure. 
It was mixed like snowflakes in the soil, and the compost is 
found of great t'alue for fruit trees in pots—indeed for all 
plants requiring generous food. The horn manure is a safe 
ingredient for mixing with soils, and its effects are quickly 
apparent, and at the same time long-lasting on the trees and 
plants to which it is applied. A heap of wood ashe6 may 
appear to some a very simple matter to allude to, but if it is 
worthy of having a place under glass at Chiswick it is worthy 
of being mentioned here. The value of a store of well-burnt 
garden refuse cannot be too strongly urged on all cultivators. 
At Chiswick all rubbish that can be burnt is submitted to the 
action of fire, and the residue is of great value. For Vines 
there is no better ingredient than wood ashes ; for mixing with 
soil for plants generally it never fails to act beneficially, and 
for placing in drills and covering seed in the garden it has no 
equal for inducing free germination and promoting a healthy 
growth of the seedlings. If there are any who think a heap 
of wood ashes a mere trifle to dwell on, they may be reminded 
that those who attend to trifles of this nature are precisely 
those who achieve success ; and, as a great man once observed, 
“ Success is no trifle."— Visitor. 
THE ROSE ELECTION. 
TEAS AND NOISETTES. 
Even the great apostles of temperance must be delighted when 
they hear admirers of “ the cup that cheers,” and unfortunately 
often does the other thing, exclaim, “ Well, after all there is nought 
so refreshing as a cup of tea ! ” And what says the Rose enthusiast 
to his special Tea ? Is he the one whit behindhand in love for 
and admiration of the Rose Tea ? I trow not. And truly, do we 
desire to see the queen of the parterre in her grandest attire, 
it is when she produces a really first-class exhibition bloom of 
these varieties. Not only is this production a beautiful sight for 
the eye to feast on, but the perfume of the Tea Rose is delicious 
and refreshing. Further, how tenaciously do these forms of our 
favourite flower retain their glories ! how reluctantly do they yield 
them up ! Here certainly, in this particular, the Perpetuals must 
hide their diminished heads. How rarely in them does the beauty 
of the day of gathering last to the following day ! How few, if 
any, have ever dared to face the scrutinising glances of a judge at 
two succeeding exhibitions 1 
There is little question that were Teas and Noisettes better able 
to resist the influences of our somewhat ungenial climate they 
would be greater favourities than they now are ; but they well 
repay the extra care bestowed upon them, and where tended care¬ 
fully are often beautiful bloomers early and late. I have cut 
several very respectable blooms of Gloire de Dijon from a tree 
trained on a wall on the 1st of January, whilst a plant of Safrano 
that was in a corner of the garden in one of my former resting 
places often gave me many of its lovely buds before the Per¬ 
petuals were showing the faintest prospect of a future harvest. 
In the present election the voters were not only limited to Teas 
and Noisettes, but they were also limited to general purposes. 
Practically, it seems to me, that you thus get really at the best 
varieties for general use. • Each voter answers according to his 
own view, whether exhibition or garden ; but the whole result 
shows us what are the most generally useful varieties. Anyway, 
I think all will agree that most of our best sorts are to be found 
in the first two dozen on our list, whilst the Roses that head 
respectively the thirty-six and the twenty-four polls are gems of 
