I 
Novembers, 1887. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND 
COTTAGE GARDENER. 
375 
ISP" 
/A. ? C\\ 
COMING EVENTS 
HI 
Tff 
P 
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SUN 
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To 
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Havant and Henfield Shows. 
Crjstal P.uacj Show (two days). 
22nd Sunday after Trinity. 
Surrey Chrysanthemum Show. [St. Neota Shows. 
ftt U A M .- ; Kingston, Brighton. Higbgate, and 
National Chrysanthemum Society ; Bath, Croydon, Ascot, and Cornwall 
oDOffS. 
THE FERTILISATION, STONING, AND SWELLING 
OF GRAPES. 
BOUT a year since, while giving the results of 
my experience in the direction indicated, I 
made inquiries, and caused some little 
attention to be devoted to the subject; with 
your permission I will now again trouble you 
with further particulars. I send a few 
samples of Grapes for examination, seeing 
and tasting in this case affording the best 
means of estimating the value of fertilisation. Before 
dealing with these varieties and their peculiarities a 
few lines on tlieir treatment and the present appearance 
of the crop will not be inappropriate. Speaking generally, 
the crop is satisfactory, only in a very few instances are 
the Vines too heavily laden. Last year I erred very 
much in this respect, and every Vine so overcropped 
shows the effects of it very ])lainly now. 
Beginning with my Gros Colman house, the Vines 
on their own roots; for the first time I have the Grapes 
beautifully coloured (see No, 4 sample sent). Wishing 
to keep them into May, they were thinned more freely 
than is customary when the crop is intended for winter use. 
The Vines were started on February 1st, the border having 
had a heavy dressing of lime in the autumn, and another 
application at the time of starting. As the Grapes hang 
I have no serious fault to find, for the crop is good, still 
there are but few berries with the full complement of 
stones (four). But if the crop is good at the present 
moment I am not satisfied, having regard to the keeping 
properties of the Grapes, nor shall I be until I get the 
normal number of stones in each berry. I have no fear 
of f>i emature collapse if the berries have only two seeds ; 
one is not enough, one-seeded berries shrivelling a little 
on one side, heedless Grapes will not keep after they 
are rijie. Having done all I thought necessary to the 
roots of the Vines I did not stop at that, but every bunch 
was very carefully touched with a soft brush, using 
different varieties of pollen. At the date of writing it does 
not require a very practised eye to detect the influence of 
the Black Hamburgh pollen; a vast improvement resulted 
from this, as is apparent from the samples sent. 
Muscat of Alexandria pollen also left its mark, but I 
think the grandest result of all is from the Madresfield 
Court. My regret is that with all this care there is a 
deficiency of stones in the Grapes. Before leaving this 
house of Gros Colman I may say, though the crop is not 
heavy, there are nine bunches to eleven laterals, or from 
twenty to twenty-four bunches on a Vine, all for late 
keeping. The foliage is very fine and still holds on, but 
changing colour, and the bright autumn tints are at¬ 
tractive on a sunny morning. Madresfield Court grown 
in two corners of the house are the best coloured bunches 
No. 384. —Yol. XV., Thikd Series 
I ever saw, and look like keeping; no cracks; bunches 
not large, nor berries either, but there are fifty bunches 
on the two Vines, and considering the weight the Grapes 
are, 1 think, as good as could be reasonably expected. 
For heavier bunches and larger berries of Gros Colman I 
have to go to the Muscat stock ; the same fault, however, is 
appaient in the stoning. For colour the berries are the 
iutensest black I have seen. 
Muscat of Alexandria (see No. 5).—Of this fine 
variety the fruit is sound and will keep till April. In the 
Inning piocess here I was very liberal, even to giviii 0, the 
Vines an extra dose alter thinning, and all the bunches 
veie fertilised. I hough these are not large all round 
1 am tempted to feel somewhat proud of the cron at 
times, or, at least, until I bethink me of the noble ex¬ 
amples at Longleat and Bath. Shrivelling I am aware 
is a great drawback to this most luscious Grape, but 
from this calamity 1 have escaped much better than usual 
and am positive that front ventilation has a close connec¬ 
tion with shrivelling; indeed front air admitted freely 
when the house is hot will materially accelerate it. One 
particular Vine suffered through want of water at the 
roots, but without doubt the fruit on this Vine would 
not have shrivelled so soon if air were not admitted 
through the front ventilators. After many experiments 
m feeding Vines I have come to the conclusion that for 
top-dressing dry night soil, lime, and soot are good • 
for liquid feeding, sheep or cow dung form the best of 
manures. 
Black Hamburghs have been black and good—I had 
cut all the best before I thought of sending; the shoulder 
piece (see No. 3) will give you an idea of what they 
were; not bad, I think. Gardeners who have tasted them 
have admired the flavour much. For the first time I had 
no difficulty in colouring the fruit, yet the crop was 
good. 
Now I come to Alicante grafted on Buckland Sweet¬ 
water—a really good result (see No. 1); over-thinned 
you may perhaps think, but not for my purpose. Such 
a piece as I send would keep till April, without doubt 
A word from you on the flavour will oblige. This 
variety is equally good on the Black Hamburgh stock. 
I have plenty of good rods so growing, but seeds are* 
wanting in the Grapes as in the others. 
Gros Maroc on Buckland Sweetwater will, I think, 
bear examination; for crop, size of berries, colour, and 
flavour I have seen nothing to touch it. I do not yet 
know how the stones are, but, as you will see by the sample 
(No. 2) the berries are very sound and noble-looking 
The sample (No. 6) is of the same variety from a Vine 
on its own roots bearing a very heavy crop in a cold 
house. The berries are smaller than the others, but 
much longer. I think the difference n shape remark¬ 
able. Very little heat has been used n this house, 
which has much to do with the condition of the last sample 
(No. 7) of Alicante, not fertilised, and only the very 
smallest hemes cut out, and those left are nearly seed¬ 
less. I wish you particularly to note this sample, as the 
Alicante is generally supposed to be so free in setting. 
This year I have had several bunches of Grapes sent 
to me for inspection, including a sample from the great 
Manresa Vine, and while this was the best of all the Black 
Hamburghs, only a few berries had four seeds in them. 
I wish Giape growers generally would give their experience 
on the subject of the seeds in Grapes influencing the size 
and keeping of the fruit. There may be some who do 
not admit the proposition, but I am of opinion a Grape is 
No. 2040.— Yol. LXXYIT., Old Series. 
