268 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 6, 1898. 
to four of soil in addition to the other ingredients, will prove 
advantageous. Good turfy loam, such as that described in the first 
instance, will only need the addition of a sixth of manure and a 
sprinkling of soot. Whatever soil is employed should be placed in 
mounds on the bed twenty-four hours before planting is done, to 
enable every part of it to become thoroughly warm. Other 
remarks on the subject I must defer till another issue.— Labor 
Omnia Vincit. 
CHASSELAS NAPOLEON GRAPE. 
Noticing the remarks about this old “ new Grape ” on page 
249 of the Journal of Horticulture, I was induced to turn up and 
read the article I had missed on page 229, in which I find the 
history of the Grape is, I believe, correctly traced, so far, at least, 
as it is known and recorded in pomological works. It is somewhat 
curious, however, that in no British treatise on the Vine, not even 
the most recent and best (Mr. Barron’s), nor in such a standard 
pomological work as Dr. Hogg’s Fruit Manual, is the name 
“ Chasselas Napoleon ” mentioned, although the Grape has been 
fairly well known among Grape growers in this country by that 
name for fully thirty years, as stated in your articles. It came 
first under my notice in the year 1858 at Trentham, where it was 
then well grown under the name of “ Chasselas Napoleon,” and 
during that and several years following it was exhibited in collec¬ 
tions of fruit by both Messrs. George Fleming and Archibald 
Henderson. Two Vines of it were grown—one in the Muscat 
houses and the other in a “ Trentham Case ” house. No artificial 
means were taken to “ set ” the berries ; but they did set and swell 
as freely as the Muscats—of many names, if only one or two kinds 
—without the least extra attention. It may be stated that in the 
same Muscat house, and near to the Chasselas Napoleon, a Vine of 
Cannon Hall Muscat set its fruit admirably, and for several years 
produced splendid well-filled bunches, one of which exhibited at 
London by Mr. Fleming is still, I believe, the “ record ” bunch of 
that grand variety when “ well grown,” which unfortunately is 
seldom. At the same time and place Black Morocco set badly, 
although every means was tried, including artificial impregnation, to 
get it to behave better. 
Referring to a list of the Vines grown at Trentham made by 
myself in the spring of 1859,1 find the name of some Grapes which 
have since acquired much popularity, while others have almost or 
wholly disappeared. Among the former Alicante, Gros Colman, 
and Gros Maroc are prominent Grapes, while Caillaba, Chaptal, 
a good Chasselas type of Grape, Chasselas Rouge, Chasselas Noir, 
Chasselas Musque, Chasselas Vibert, Gros Romain, Gromier 
du Cantal (an immense bunch generally on strong Vines, with a 
good sized, showy, flame-coloured berry, of a refreshing, sweet. 
Muscadine flavour) ; Muscat de Juillet, Muscat de Saumur, Muscat 
St. Laurent, Muscat Ottonel, Sarbelle, and others of the small 
round Muscats, or more properly Frontignans, are now scarcely 
ever met with in private gardens, or seen at fruit exhibitions, 
although some of them, when well grown, possess excellent qualities 
for home supply and public competition. 
Beside those mentioned, many other varieties of Grapes, includ¬ 
ing, of course, all the best Hamburghs and Muscats, were then 
grown at Trentham ; Mr. Fleming being a keen collector, as well 
as a very successful grower and exhibitor of Grapes and other 
fruits. Many of the rarer varieties he had received in the 
“ fifties ” direct from the Continent, and others were supplied to 
him by Mr. Thomas Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, including, it is 
believed, the well-known Trentham Black, another really good 
Grape when well grown. 
All the Grapes mentioned were in a bearing state at Trentham 
in 1859, and more or less “ established,” so that their merits and 
characteristics could be fairly seen and noted. Some have greatly 
exceeded expectations, notably Gros Colman, while others have 
fallen considerably short, and I regret to say “Chasselas Napoleon ” 
must be included in the disappointing ones. I have a vivid recol¬ 
lection of its fine appearance at Trentham, and also in Worcester¬ 
shire, in the first half of the “ sixties,” on a rich marly loam on 
which all kinds of fruit did well ; but on a different soil, and with 
much better appliances, I have, after repeated trials, failed to grow 
it better than “ indifferently passable.” Hence, I have discarded it 
to make room for more useful Grapes, and from a tolerably wide 
knowledge I am inclined to think that my experience is that of 
most men who have tried their best to grow “ Chasselas Napoleon” 
under the varying circumstances of different places. 
This Grape occasionally appears still at exhibitions, showing 
how well it does in places where the natural elements suit it and 
good treatment is applied. It has been seen in fine condition at 
the Edinburgh Shows in recent years, I believe exhibited by 
Mr. Ramsay, Fordell Gardens, Fife. It possibly may be grown at 
Trentham still, or in some of the numerous vineries in the West 
Midlands, w’hich followed the Trentham example thirty years ago. 
The marvel is how experienced and business men have got so 
“ mixed ” over a simple affair ; but as the name “ Chasselas 
Napoleon ” has apparently been overlooked to this period in our 
recognised standards they may be allowed the small excuse. 
In the “ Fruit Manual,” 5th edition, 1884, Dr. Hogg describes 
Panse Jaune in terms that might apply to Chasselas Napoleon, 
although not quite in accordance with my knowledge and experience 
of the latter Grape. The only synonym given is Grosse Panse, 
while under the Grape Bicane he says :—“ The Panse Jaune is 
frequently and erroneously called Bicane on the Continent.” Mr. 
Barron, in his “Vines and Vine Culture,” says much the same 
under “ Bicane,” giving Panse Jaune and Vicane as synonyms of 
that variety, and adding that “ the Panse Jaune is a large, coarse 
Grape, and is frequently called Bicane on the Continent.” Chas¬ 
selas Napoleon and Bicane in several exhibits at the Grape Show 
at the International Exhibition, Paris, October, 1889, were similar 
so far as the eye could judge. A large yellow-berried Grape ex¬ 
hibited at the same time under the name of Panse Jaune was not 
like the Chasselas Napoleon known to— An Old Trentham Man. 
THE WAYS OF DAFFODILS. 
Last year I kept a few potfuls of slowly forced plants for seed, 
and as the seed was. not ready to gather until summer, by which 
time the leaves had died down, the bulbs were left in the pots, 
the latter being placed in a corner out of the way. About mid¬ 
winter I noticed signs of growth, and I had the pots with their 
contents placed in a warm house, at the same time giving a 
surfacing of light soil and manure. In due time flowers were 
produced, not so large as from imported bulbs, but certainly earlier 
than the lattercould have been had. The sortswere Ornatus,Emperor, 
and Horsefieldi. The former was in 7-inch pots, and had some 
seventeen or eighteen flowers. Emperor was originally three 
large bulbs in 5-inch pots, and these produced six blooms, while 
Horsefieldi in 5-inch pots yielded ten flowers. To me the above 
was new in Daffodil culture. 
I began cutting Sir Watkin out of doors on March 20th, a 
few days later than Ajax minor and earlier than Obvallaris. At 
the same time we have Sir Watkin with the flower stems 6 inches 
in height, and others just peeping through the ground. The earlier 
batch was forced last year, very early ; some plants have been in 
the same position for three years, and the bulbs of latest were 
planted in November last. In the same way I have Ornatus at the 
present moment on the point of opening, along with others in 
various stages of growth; so also Horsefieldi and others. This, I 
think, is a most valuable feature in Daffodils. There is no plant 
that can be forced and suffer less. However, I invariably feed the 
forced plants right up to the time of the flowers opening. This is 
important; small pots, and high feeding. By the end of March 
early forced plants may be planted out, and if fairly well treated, 
may be again forced in two years thereafter. 
In our borders are a few illustrations of the benefit of trans¬ 
planting bulbs before they become crowded. There we have clumps 
of the same kinds, some with only two or three flowers showing, 
others with flowers from every strong growth. The difference 
arises solely from the latter having been transplanted, while the 
former had been overlooked.—N. B. 
Orchids and Orchid Culture. 
When it is stated that in a collection of Orchids of but very 
moderate dimensions there are representatives from the vast Con¬ 
tinent of India, Burmah, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, Northern 
Australia, China, Japan, Madagascar, and other African islands, as 
well as the mainland, that Brazil, New Grenada, Guatemala, Peru, 
and Mexico are each supplying us with immense stores of their 
individual forms, it would, said Mr. W. Swan of Bystock Gardens, 
in a paper read recently before the Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ 
Association, surely be unwise to prescribe a hard and fast line as 
to the methods of culture to be pursued, and expect in all cases 
certain and satisfactory results to be obtained. It is by no means 
absolutely necessary that houses should be at first specially erected. 
