JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 17, 1883. ] 
399 
determine. One thing is certain, they did not eat the smooth 
Cabbage, but immediately adjoining these a breadth of Ellam’s 
Early was completely riddled. Perhaps the caterpillars’ instinct 
guided them to a superior feeding ground, at any rate this appears 
to be Mr. Taylor’s impression. Ellam’s is undoubtedly a first- 
rate variety, but I failed to see any marked difference in the 
quality of this and Reading All-Heart—the smooth variety in. 
question. If smoothness of leaf, and consequent exemption from 
attack by caterpillars, be a sure indication of inferior quality, 
Mr. Taylor will not grow Gilbert’s Chou de Burghley more than 
one season, and as a consequence that famous “mongrel ” will 
not long retain its quality of “pleasing everybody.” — W. 
Iggulden. 
AGAPETES BUXIFOLIA. 
A charming relative of the Yacciniums and Ericas is this 
plant, and it is surprising that one so showy should continue 
comparatively unknown. Its culture is not difficult, though it 
requires some careful attention ; and that it well deserves, for 
when in first-rate condition and loaded with its rich scarlet 
tubular flowers few of its beautiful allies, the Heaths, can excel 
its attractions. A compost of good peat, a little turfy loam, and 
sand suit it if the pots be thoroughly drained ; and the only other 
special care needed is to supply water regularly but in moderate 
quantities, never allowing the soil to become excessively saturated 
or on the other hand too dry, either being fatal to the plant. A 
little pruning will be required to keep the plant in shape, or it is 
likely to grow rather straggling. 
The Nursery Sick Fund.—M r. Illman (page 3C0) does not, to 
the best of my knowledge, make any acknowledgment to the 
Managers of the “ Nursery Sick Fund ” of those nurseries who 
furnished him at his cwn request with the plan and conditions 
of the fund. As the Association has been self-organised and is 
self-supported and is working successfully, I think the Managers 
are entitled to thanks from those whom they have loyally assisted.— 
T. Francis Rivers, The Nurseries, Saicbridgeviorth. 
LARGE versus SMALL BUNCHES OF GRAPES. 
As a rule Grape-growers, and especially young growers, always 
strive to secure their bunches of Grapes as large as possible, which 
is thought to indicate high cultivation, and no doubt it does ; but 
1 am strongly of opinion that unless there is a special demand for 
the large bunches, the most satisfactory crops are those composed 
of medium-sized bunches. If the Vines are in fairly good health 
bunches of medium size never fail to become of high quality, and 
this is not always the case with the very large ones ; and another 
of the strongest points in favour of medium bunches is the long 
time a houseful will last compared with the extremely large clusters. 
From two houses here I cut Grapes weekly for seven months. 
They contain about 200 bunches, each giving an average of twelve 
bunches per week, and cutting them daily they are always fresh, 
but if they were large bunches our supply would be altered alto¬ 
gether, and that for the worse. The bunches now are each about 
2 lbs. in weight, but if they were averaging 5 lbs. or 6 lbs. we could 
not have half the number, and they would not be so serviceable in 
the house as the large bunches,although looking well wbeD placed 
on the table at first, soon lose their bloom and flavour. Very often 
a large bunch is sent to the table so many times that a great 
portion of it is never used in the diningroom in the end. Bunches 
of Grapes of any kind, weighing about 2 lbs. large in berry, deep 
in colour and bloom, are in my opinion the perfection of Grapes. 
On some of our Gros Colmans just newly thinned we could 
have had many bunches 3 lbs. in weight by allowing the bunches 
to remain entire and not cutting away any of the side shoulders, 
but then there might not have been more than fifteen bunches to 
a rod, but by reducing them in size we have thirty useful bunches 
on some rods. 
I have said that large bunches indicate high culture, but I 
think there are exceptions to this too, as I can remember having 
seen innumerable very large clusters at shows and elsewhere by 
no means indicating high culture, the various-sized berries and 
unfinished colour making them much less valuable than the small 
highly perfected bunches. Some growers who can barely manage 
to secure a respectable crop of Grapes of any description cannot 
understand others reducing the size of their bunches from choice, 
but in my opinion those who do so act wisely.—A Kitchen 
Gardener. 
DAHLIA IMPERIALIS. 
Can any of your readers tell me if they have succeeded in 
blooming Dahlia imperialis ? I admired it very much when I saw 
it for the first time at Cannes, and last year I obtained two tubers. 
One of them I planted in a cool greenhouse after it had made 2 or 
3 feet growth, but it was eaten quite through by a large slug; the 
other I tried out of doors in a warm place, but 1 did not succeed 
in getting a bloom. This year 1 have one of the tubers growing 
in a large pot in a warmer house, and it has already made about 
4 feet of growth, and the stem more than three-quarters of an inch 
in diameter, but there is no sign of any inclination to bloom, and 
I want to know whether anyone has been successful with it, and 
if so what is the best treatment ? 
Arundo Donax variegata, another plant I admired at Cannes, 
makes a beautiful centre plant for a bed, and is nearly hardy 
enough to stand the winter, and it is a fine decorative plant for 
the greenhouse. 
We are very backward here with spring flowers, and I find not 
only that Pear tree blossoms suffered from the severe weather in 
March, owing to their having been so forward, but even some of 
the forwarded Apple blossoms are injured.—C. P. P. 
[Dahlia imperialis is a very strong grower, as you are doubt¬ 
lessly aware, attaining the height of 10 or 12 feet, or even more, 
and as it flowers late, blooms must not be expected to show for a 
considerable time yet. No doubt you will succeed in flowering 
it in the warmer house, as it will not thrive out of doors, and the 
temperature of an ordinary plant stove is not too great for it 
later in the season. It requires very rich soil, and when grown 
in pots we have found it much benefited by a top-dressing of 
manure. Water must be liberally supplied, but after flowering 
the plant must be thoroughly dried off and the tubers ripened, 
when they can be placed in any cool place safe from frost. 
