Sept era’er 1>, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
229 
■j—PJ- 
ft 
THE CUMBERLAND LODGE 
VINE.—FROGMORE. 
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A SHORT time ago I had the pleasure of introducing Mr. Owen 
Thomas to an inspection of the Manresa Vine, also to its 
diligent and genial grower, Mr. M. Davis. Seeing that both the 
Hampton Court Vine and the much larger celebrity at Cumberland 
Lodge are included in the extensive charge of Her Majesty’s 
gardener at Frogmore and Windsor, it was only natural he would 
be interested by an examination of the younger giant at Roe- 
hampton. Though the crop had been cut at the time of our visit 
the splendid Vine fully equalled his anticipations, and he congratu¬ 
lated the raiser and grower on the cultural skill displayed in its 
production. Notwithstanding the references of the eloquent 
champion of the Speddoch Vine a few weeks ago (page 137, 
August 18th), it yet remains true that no other man in Britain 
can point to a Vine of his own raising equal in size, training, and 
healthy vigour to the triumph of Mr. Davis. The weight of the 
crop this year was just 1000 lbs., the bunches averaging close on 
1J lb. each. In colour and finish the Grapes were all that could 
be desired, and not half a dozen bad berries were removed from 
the whole crop, Nearly 1800 bunches were cut from the Vine 
early in the season. It is trained in the most systematic manner 
under 3825 square feet of glass. This is a natural introduction 
to the Cumberland Lodge Vin», because the invitation to see it 
was consequent on the visit to Roehampton. 
Readers who are interested in big Vines, and they are many, 
must not expect any descriptive comparison between the two giant* 
inspected. There is only one thing in common between them. It 
may appear a strange thing to say, but it is true, that both are 
cramped from want of room, and it will be a thousand pities if more 
space is not afforded them. Both Vines are in lean-to houses, 
easily convertible into span-roofs. The Cumberland Lodge Vine 
has suffered the most by restriction, for its growths have had to be 
rigidly suppressed for a century ; the Roehampton Vine has only 
recently filled its allotted space, and the additional Grapes it would 
bear under another roof would give good interest on the outlay in 
providing it. In this case the Grapes are grown for sale. Those 
at Cumberland Lodge are grown for Her Majesty’s table. 
The extension of the Royal Vine is needed for its invigoration, 
which means the prolongation of its life. Not that this is in 
jeopardy ; on the contrary the crop is better this season than it 
has been for the past two or three years, but it is surely de¬ 
sirable to do all that is possible to still further improve the 
condition of the grand old Vine. All that can be done by 
cultural skill in the present house is being done, as it has been 
done in the past, and we may be sure there will be no 
cessation of effort in seeking the production of roots ; but no 
stimulus to root action equals branch extension, and there cannot 
be a doubt that if the Vine had been provided with another 
roof to cover it some years ago, its strength and fruit-producing 
power would have been materially increased. No one knows this 
better than Mr. Thomas does, for experience has taught him that 
thousands of Vines are crippled, and the crops weakened, by the 
constant and rigid suppression of the growths over a series of 
years. He was quick to see this at Roehampton, and certainly 
the crop on rods trained in the orthodox way, and restricted to 
the length of the rafters, was not half so good, nor the growth 
half so vigorous, as that on rods of the big Vine extending some 
No. 638. —Vol. XXV., Third Series.-' 
200 feet, and the larger these became, the better the Grapes 
appeared to be. 
The Royal Vine at Cumberland Lodge covers the roof of a 
house 138 feet long by 20 feet wide, except a little at one end 
where a branch died, but young canes are fast extending over the 
space, and are the best in the house ; they show what the Vine reeds 
—more liberty. The roof was black with Grapes, there being 
2000 bunches in finish and equality as good as Black Hamburgh 
Grapes could be, though not large. The crop appears to be much 
the same as that of 1879, described by Mr. Barron in his excellent 
work, as “ 2000 bunches of an average weight of three-quarters of 
a pound, or a total of 1500 lbs. of Grapes.” This year’s crop, 
though the same in number of bunches, will not, presumably, 
equal that weight; and it is doubtful if it is in the power of 
man to maintain the yield in its present area. Significant worc* s 
are uttered by Mr. Barron in the new and cheap edition of his 
book just published, a work which all persons who are growing 
Grapes or trying to grow them should possess. They are cited 
as having a distinct bearing on the subject in hand. “ The 
principle of extension,” he says, “ is more consonant with the 
nature of the Vine than that of repression. Extension is 
assuredly favourable to longevity, whereas the opposite treat¬ 
ment more rapidly uses up the energy of the plant. The more 
a Vine is allowed to grow the greater the amount of vital force 
it secures ; were it not that the Vine is an exceedingly good 
tempered subject, and quickly recuperative, this result would 
become more generally apparent than it now is. Rich feeding 
with restricted growth will lead to the production of heavy crops 
of fine fruit, but it is a high pressure system of management, 
and it is seldom long before Vines break down under it, and lapse 
into a condition of mediocrity.’ ' 
The volume contains an illustration of a portion of the Cumber¬ 
land Lodge Vine. It is established about the centre of the house, 
the trunk being about 4 feet in circumference in the thickest part. 
It divides into four main branches varying from 18 inches to- 
2 feet in circumference at the base, ttese extending and dividing 
in all directions. In some parts the rods are so twisted and curled* 
as to afford some little surprise that the sap can flow so freely 
through them as it does. No attempt whatever was made when 
the canes were tractable generations ago to keep them straight. 
They appear to have grown as they liked or could, sometimes 
upwards, sometimes downwards, sometimes appearing to have met 
with an impediment and doubled back again ; yet the old Vine has 
gone steadily on through the reigns of monarch after monarch, 
yielding its fruit, like the “good tempered subject” Mr. Barron 
describes. It is because of its irregularity of growth, the laterals 
being trained where there is room for them, and in any direction, 
that all comparison fails between this and the Manresa Vine. 
They bear the same relation to each other that a beautifully 
trained Pear tree on a wall does to a huge orchard standard left 
to assume its natural habit. The Cumberland Lodge Yine has 
been dressed by many hands during its long career—it is supposed 
of about a century and a half—but the Roehampton youngster 
has scarcely been touched, and probably never pruned except by 
the hands that made and inserted the cutting. They are both 
grand Vines, but grand in different ways. One is representative 
of ancient practice, the other of modern methods, but not tco 
modern. Though the Royal Vine is like the nation, old, we will 
hope that, also like the nation, it will have liberty to extend its 
arms and gain strength by such extension ; then will future 
generations know that it was cherished and well tended during 
the reign of the great and goed Queen Victoria, who will, as all 
who read these lines sincerely hope, for many years to come enjoy 
its luscious fruit. 
In connection with the visit a glimpse was had of the extensive 
* “Vines and Vine Culture,” third edition, 5s., by post 5s. Gd. : 171, Fleet Street, 
London. 
No. 2294.-Vol. LXXXYII , Old Series. 
