386 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
May 2,1895. 
EXPEESS GRAPE GROWING. 
Articles in the lait three Journals have proved very interesting 
to old Grape growers ; how much more so then must they have been to 
the coming heroes in exhibiting campaigns 1 
Before saying a word or two on my success in rapidly fruiting Vines, 
I cannot help speaking of what I have seen respecting the statements of 
Mr. \Vm. Innes. I think they only give a faint idea of the work he 
carried out. His vineries were well built on a field of good turf ; his 
practical skill in erecting a powerful engine for raising water and 
warming the same with steam, with a knowledge of chemistry, and 
combining a healthy Vine manure for his own use, were great accessories 
to the success attending his labour. I think the last house erected by 
him the greatest marvel of skill in cultivating the Grape. He turned 
the first year of the house to good advantage in the form of an extra¬ 
ordinary crop of Tomatoes, grown on perpendicular wires while the 
Vines were growing, and took medals at London and Manchester. 
Perhaps Mr, Innes may kindly give us the history of cropping and 
planting this house. 
Just a few words, though nothing new, on the quick cropping of 
Muscats, and having splendid ripe Grapes five months after planting. 
I selected extra strong canes from Mr. Pearson’s stock in the autumn, 
started them early in the pots, made the border ready, having the house 
moist and warm, and planted early in March (now fifteen years back). 
They broke regularly, evepy eye showing fruit. The Vines were allowed 
to grow their fall length as purchased, carrying four bunches to a rod, 
ripening grand finished fruit; with an extra row of supernumeraries in 
pots, fruiting well, the new house had a full crop. I was induced to 
cut back two rods to 8 feet the following year ; they never came up to 
the mark again, but with the rods left intact a heavy crop resulted, many 
bunches weighing 6 lbs., and admirably coloured. The Vines are doing 
well to this day. So much for the non-cutting back method. 
To replenish Vines take down a rod when started and showing the 
bunches ; layer as many spurs as convenient in pots, with the bunch of 
Grapes attached. In a month’s time you have rods 6 to 9 feet getting 
well established in the pots ; after two months the rods are ready for 
severing from the parent, and planting in permanent quarters for a full 
crop the following year. I have a Black Hamburgh with four good 
rods so raised now, and fruit for thinning, that will soon be put in 
permanent places. 
With all our express Grape growing we cannot cope with our 
veterans. Mr. HiU, Keele Hall Gardens, had in April, 18G4, an early 
house of Grapes which sold for 21s. per lb., and in April, 1863, early 
house of Grapes which sold for 258. per lb. 
Statistics taken for Mr. Hill when I was with him in these good days, 
1853 to 1863, are as follows 
Graces .—Royal Horticultural Society.—Twenty-two first prizes, 
eleven seconds, six thirds, large silver medal, silver Knightian medal, 
two first-class certificates. 
Grapes .—Royal Botanic, Regent’s Park, 1853 to 1863.—Twenty- 
three firsts, eight seconds, thirteen third prizes, and Mr. Iverv’s prize. 
Crystal Palace Company, 1855 to 1863.—Fourteen firsts, seven 
seconds, two thirds, extra, Lady Downe’s. He had also first prizes at 
the shows of the British Bornological Society in 1859 and 1860 for 
collections of Grapes.— Geo. Bolas. 
One of your correspondents, Mr. Innes of Derby, referring to the 
article and photograph of one of my vineries in the Journal of Hort i¬ 
culture, pages 305 and 315, on the above subject, states that he planted 
a vinery August 11th and 12th with Vines raised from eyes in the 
month of March of the same year, and the Vines allowed to remain in 
the 3-inch pots they were rooted in until they were planted, and many 
of them were not more than 18 inches in length, and not stronger than 
a good straw, and yet they carried a very heavy crop, ten to twelve 
bunches on each Vine, the following year, averaging 2^ lbs,, and that 
they were good enough for exhibition. I should like to say that I have 
had twenty-five years’ experience with Vines, and 1 have not yet been 
able to get to the above standard, although I have had sixteen years of 
“ Express Grape Growing,” as you term it, and have been well satisfied 
with my results. But my experience is that to succeed we must keep 
the young Vines “going ” early in the season, and have their growth 
finished about the time Mr. Innes planted his house, and then they 
have plenty of time to ripen the wood and plump the buds for the 
following year. I cannot see how Mr. Innes could possibly have a crop 
of first-class Grapes the following year after planting, for the Vines 
were allowed to be in 3-inch pots five months longer than they should 
have been, and being planted August 11th or 12th it seems to me that it 
would take them until the 1st of September to start into growth, and 
then we must allow them at least three months to fill the house with 
wood suitable to produce first-class Grapes. This lands us into the end 
of November or December. I should like to know how Mr. Innes ripened 
the supernumerary Vines at all when the roof must have been covered 
with the permanent Vines, which he states were cut back the following 
year. Has there been no mistake—an accidental mixing of years? 
Was it not 1889, instead of 1888, that the Vines did so well?— Charles 
Colebrook, Grimsiy, 
Much has been written in the Journal of late anent the wonderful 
results obtained in such short periods by various cultivators. It will 
be interesting to know how long the same Vines continue to give such 
results. For my part I must say I am sceptical about the life of such 
Vines. I have noted more than one instance where wonderful crops 
were produced for a couple of years or so by extremely youthful Vines. 
Personally, I would rather see a continuation of a yearly good crop from 
what I call rationally managed Vines, and with a promise of certainty 
for the next fifteen or twenty years, than these mere “ flashes in the 
pan ” style of Grape-growing. 
I have waited to see if any record would be published of Vines 
treated on the express system of culture and production that had given 
these wonderful results continuously for the last fifteen or twenty years. 
As yet I have not been gratified by such news. In the majority of cases 
the quotations have come from market growers. 1 wonder how many 
gardeners, with a limit of perhaps three vineries, there are who would 
like to risk the prospect of years of steady, regular crops for a few extra¬ 
ordinary results obtained by the system not in vogue when the likes of 
myself served our apprenticeships ? 
When I planted the three vineries under my charge sixteen years 
since last April I was bold enough to say I thought the Vines would last 
thirty years without renewing. Half that time has passed, and the 
Vines exhibit no diminution of crops ; in fact, the house devoted to 
Muscats was better furnished with fruit last year than it had been 
in any previous season. The Vines were not allowed to cover their 
allotted space in an almost incredibly short space of time; but an 
abundant supply of fruit was maintalDed from the first by the aid of 
su pernu meraries. 
More than one vinery of my acquaintance that was planted in the 
same year as these have been replanted already, the result of attempting 
to obtain extra heavy crops. The cultivators of Grapes on the express 
system have much in favour of argument on their side as long as the 
same results continue. By our new fraternity I expect to be classed as 
one of the old fogies for penning this article. I, too, have some reason 
for argument—namely, results of the past as against prospective expec¬ 
tations.—E. M. _ 
It is with pleasure that I comply with the courteous request of your 
correspondents, Mes=rs. J. J. Craven and “ W. H. L.,” in your last 
week’s Journal of Horticulture (page 363). I will endeavour to relate 
my modus operandi as briefly as possible. 
The Vine border in the house referred to was made up entirely of a 
strong clayey loam, cut from an old pasture, with the addition of six 
loads of river sand and one ton of our Fertilitas, all being well incor¬ 
porated with the loam, and with this compost alone the inside border 
was completed before planting, and made up to the depth of 2| feet. 
The garden roller wai brought into use between the hot-water pipes, 
and where the roller could not be used the soil was thoroughly trodden, 
until the whole border was as solid as we could possibly make it. 
When all was ready the Vines were turned out of their pots, par¬ 
tially shaken out, and the roots disentangled as well as we could under 
the circumstances, and laid in the soil to the depth of 4 or 5 inches, 
each Vine receiving in its turn (as the planting proceeded) a good 
soaking of tepid water. The planting being completed, which was all 
done in the cool of the evening, the Vines were shaded for several days 
during bright weather, and the house kept moderately close. The Vines 
were syringed three or four times a day until they began to show signs 
of moving, when the shading was gradually removed and the midday 
bath discontinued. An increased temperature was allowed both night 
and day, maintaining a night temperature of 70°, and from 85° to 90° 
during the day, closing the house early in the afternoon, raising the 
temperature 10° or 15°, using the syringe freely, and damping every 
particle of surface, and the vapour troughs were kept full of water. 
The permanent Vines were stopped at the point where the super¬ 
numeraries reached the trellis. The latter were allowed to travel to the 
top of the house without interruption and were then stopped. In a few 
days the terminal buds were again on the move, and were allowed to 
grow unrestrictedly until the end of November, when these growths were 
gradually shortened. A brisk heat was maintained in the pipes and 
increased ventilation both day and night, with copious supplies of water 
and the free use of the syringe two or three times a week to preserve the 
foliage as long as possible until the wood was hard and brown. As soon 
as the Vines shed their foliage they were shortened as described in my 
last letter, and the house thrown open for about a month before starting 
it again.—W. Innes, Deriy. 
THE GLOXINIA. 
Now that seedlings, owing to careful hybridising and selection, are 
superior to what they formerly were, we do not find so much time and 
labour spent on the propagation of named varieties. The seedlings 
from a good strain are far more healthy and vigorous in growth than 
any propagated from a special kind. 
Do not waste time in sowing seeds from an indifferent strain; far 
better have a much less quantity for the same cost. Many plants are 
already raised, yet sowing may still be done. Obtain some good leaf 
mould and bake it, so as to kill all vermin. Fill some pots or pans about 
three parts up with coarse compost of any kind, free from worms and other 
pests. Surface this with the baked leaf soil, peat, and sand in about 
equal parts. Make the whole level and firm, then thoroughly water 
through a fine rose. We do not want to use water sooner than can be 
avoided after the seeds are sown. Sow very carefully, and never cover 
the seeds with soil—simply lay a sheet of shaded glass over the whole, 
and place in a light position away from direct sunshine. 
Keep the pans dark until the seeds commence to germinate, gradually 
