378 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 17, 1894. 
Mr. Baker's “ Handbook of the Iridese ” for a description of the 
colour. This work speaks of it as follows :—“ Limb dull yellowish 
green with fine red-brown veins, falls * * with a velvety dark 
brown patch at the throat and a diffused yellowish beard down the 
haft.” I have no doubt Mr. Baker himself will agree that even 
this admirable description fails to tell properly of the beautiful 
shades of colour on this Iris. It will, however, be of more use 
possibly to tell of the treatment this plant received here than to 
say more of its beauty. When I obtained it from Holland it was 
planted in a border of sandy peat mixed with road grit, where it 
failed to flower the first year. Last autumn some other Irises of 
the same section came to hand, and I. lupina was planted with the 
others, which were small plants, in a bed of dry sandy peat fully 
exposed to the sun. In very wet weather a flower pot was placed 
over each, and in severe frosts the whole were covered with the dry 
stems of some of the Michaelmas Daisies to a depth of 3 or 
4 inches. Early in March all protection was withheld. Besides 
I. lupina I. Lorteti looks as if it would flower ; but, being a weak 
plant, I hardly expect to have the pleasure of flowering it this year. 
—3. Arnott, Dumfries. 
GRAPE GROS MAROC. 
Experts describe this Grape as being “ first-class in quality, 
tender, sweet, and richly flavoured,” and so forth, but how often 
does it merit such eulogiums ? Is it the fault of the cultivator 
that the quality more often than not is decidedly second-rate, or 
are there more than one form of Gros Maroc in cultivation ? 
That the flavour is largely affected by cultivation is indisputable, 
as I shall attempt to prove, but first must express an opinion on 
the point as to whether there are more than one form or not. 
Personally, I have long held to the opinion that there are at least 
two distinct forms to be commonly met with, one, as far as appear¬ 
ance g^es, being decidedly superior to the other. In “The Fruit 
Manual” it is stated that Gros Maroc and Cooper’s Black are 
synonymous, but the latter as grown by Mr. David Thomson at 
Drumlanrig, and grafts of which he kindly sent me, has proved so 
much superior to what I had hitherto had as Gros Maroc that it 
has entirely superseded it. What for the present I will still term 
Cooper’s Black is of the same robust habit of growth as Gros 
Maroc, and apparently the most free-bearing of the two. The 
bunches also are larger, more conical, and more handsome in form, 
the berries likewise differing, inasmuch as they are somewhat oval 
in shape. 
Perhaps I am prejudiced in favour of Cooper’s Black, fori also 
think it the most easily coloured, and of superior quality to the 
“ dumpy ” bunched, round, though large-berried, Gros Maroc. 
Dr. Hogg in “The Fruit Manual” mentions that the latter is 
^‘frequently confounded with Gros Damas, from which it is dis¬ 
tinguished by its smoother and more deeply-cut leaves, shorter- 
jointed wood and earlier ripening.” Gros Damas is not thought 
worthy of any further mention, but the question I mentally asked 
on looking over this passage was, “ How many persons in this 
country are growing it under the name of Gros Maroc ? ” 
It is a strange and generally admitted fact that Gros Maroc, 
and under this name we will now include Cooper’s Black, is very 
difficult indeed to establish on its own roots. When first planted 
and for a long time afterwards it refuses to grow at all healthily, 
and I believe it may safely be asserted that there are very few 
own-root Vines of Gros Maroc to be met with. I cannot point to 
one example. The Black Hrmburgh is the stock on which it has 
been most frequently inirched or grafted, and it suits it well. 
What is wanted is something to restrain over - luxuriance, and 
which might alsi mean shy bearing. Inarching or bottle grafting 
Gros Maroc on the Black Hamburgh is a ready means of converting 
unprofitable Vines into fairly profitable ones, as it is certain 
very little is made out of good crops of Black Hamburgh nowa¬ 
days, the showier if inferior Gros Maroc selling more readily at 
enhanced prices. Moreover, an attractive appearance goes a long 
way with consumers of their own Grapes, handsome bunches, or 
something to talk about, not unfrequently counting for more than 
average samples of better flavoured varieties. Seeing also that Gros 
Maroc ripens fairly well, and only a little later than Black 
Hamburgh without much fire heat, keeping rather better too, that 
is another good reason why it should partially replace the latter in 
many cases where it is grown extensively. 
Curiously enough the best flavoured Gros Maroc Grapes I have 
tasted were cut from a rod inarched on old Vine of Foster’s 
Seedling. This at first sight would appear no chance occurrence, 
as one instance of this was met with in Worcestershire and the 
other in Middlesex. The bunches and berries in each case were 
large, the colour good, and the flavour better than that of ordinary 
Black Hamburgh. Foster’s Seedling cannot be classed as extra 
good in quality, and I fail to see how it could affect the Gros Maroc 
other than by checking undue luxuriance. The Black Hamburgh 
is the better Grape of the two, and if the stock has very much to 
do with the improvement of the quality of the crops produced by 
the scion, it is to the last named that I should look for it. In all 
probability we must credit something else with any extra good 
results that may be forthcoming. 
It would really appear to be all a matter of judgment in 
cropping. Leaving as many bunches hanging as the Vines will 
finish, as far as colouring and bloom are concerned, most probably 
means overdoing it, for the simple reason that no other Grape 
colours more surely, in spite of overcropping. A friend of mine 
repeatedly grew some of the heaviest crops I have ever seen of 
Gros Maroc, the bunches being extra large, and almost touching 
each other at places. Nor could any fault be found with either 
the size or finish of the berries, several of the bunches figuring 
conspicuously in prize collections at leading shows. Owing to 
being partly inarched to a strong Vine of Alicante, and partly on 
its own roots, the various rods gave little or no signs of being over¬ 
worked, but the quality of the Grapes was decidedly poor, and this, 
as proved by what took place in another compartment, was a sure 
sign of overcropping. If gardeners generally would be content to 
take about the same weight of bunches from their Vines as the 
same length of rods of Black Hamburgh finish properly, we should 
hear fewer complaints of poorness of quality. Fire heat, or 
enough to maintain a gentle circulation of warm dry air, is also an 
important factor in the proper ripening of the Grape under notice 
and those who wholly or largely dispense with it will have to be 
content with Grapes of second-rate quality, as well as the pro¬ 
bability of the wood ripening insufficiently to produce well formed 
bunches in abundance. Neither of the gardeners who grew 
the richly flavoured Gros Maroc previously alluded to were 
cropping heavily, and both used fire heat somewhat freely. It 
should also be remembered that those Grapes ripened in heat 
accompanied by plenty of air, having a minimum amount of water 
and a maximum of sugar in their composition, are much the best 
keepers. 
What is known as the extension system of training appears to 
suit Gros Maroc better than the single rod arrangement, this being 
the surest outlet for any extra luxuriance there might otherwise 
be. Young well-ripened canes also produce the finest bunches, and 
if proper judgment is exercised in the selection and thinning of 
these bunches they will be as handsome in form as any variety in 
cultivation. When the extension system, and which may be 
roughly defined as that of laying-in rods where there is room for 
them, is adopted, this might also include a modification of the long 
rod system of training and pruning. By lajing-in a young cane or 
two each season, and occasionally cutting out old ones after the 
crops are cleared off in the autumn, there will always be lengths of 
young canes at different points or distributed all over the roof, and 
fine bunches will be the order of the day. Hard pruning is a 
mistake in the case of this strong-growing Grape. Instead, there¬ 
fore, of spurring back the laterals to the first or second bud, they 
should be shortened to the third or fourth bud, bunches being 
fairly plentiful and of good size accordingly. When the spurs 
become objectionally long, as they soon do, the extension system 
of training admits of the rods bearing them being cut cleanly out, 
and t'neir places taken by young ones, without therefore being 
noticeable. 
Young leaves of the Gros Maroc are very flimsy, and unless the 
ventilation is well attended to they are liable to scald badly. 
Enough fire heat ought to be given to keep moisture from collect¬ 
ing on the edges of the leaves during the night, and a small amount 
of air should be given early enough to prevent any sudden great 
increase in temperature from strong sunshine. Many Vines have 
been disfigured and the value of the crops greatly impaired owing 
to non-attention to these apparently trifling but really very 
important details. Gros Maroc is not a shy setter, but if full sized 
berries are desired they must have their complement of stones. 
It pays, therefore, to take a little trouble with the fertilising. The 
warmth in the hot-water pipes and early admittance of top air leads 
to the thorough drying of the pollen before mid-day, and this may 
be effectively distributed, either by smartly tapping the laterals 
supporting the bunches, or by drawing the soft palm of the left 
hand gently over the bunches every morning when in flower, this 
never failing to transfer the pollen grains to the moist stigma of 
the flowers. The thinning-out of the berries ought to be extra 
severe, and not be long delayed. My failing has always been in 
