January 23, 1886, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
67 
striped, as is sometimes seen, but one mass of colour and perfectly fresh. 
I have known some varieties produce the most lovely tints while ripening, 
but never any to approach the grandeur of this blood-red Alicante. I was 
informed that it had disp'ayed this peculiarity for many years, and that 
its leaves were much sought after for house and table decoration, which 
when dried and varnished would be most useful and attractive. By the 
side of this Alicante was a rod of Gros Oolman, every leaf of which was 
as green and fresh as if it had been midsummer. It was carrying a very 
fine crop of large bunches with extra large berries, and perfectly black. 
The vinery was a lean-to and facing the south, built of iron, the sashbars 
and astragals being of the lightest description, with large panes glazed 
without putty. So this Vine of Gros Colman was fully exposed to the full 
blaze of the sun during the past bright summer, and yet in the month of 
October its foliage was in this high state of preservation. Doubtless the 
mysterious something which coloured the foliage of the Alicante was the 
means of preserving the foliage of the Gros Colman. What that something 
is would be most interesting to know.—D. B. 
Me. Tayloe replies to “A. L. G.” briefly, and I am sorry to find he 
gives me the option of supplying scientific information which Mr. Taylor 
himself hesitates to put on paper. I have no desire to be considered a 
competitor on this point with the founder of the famous Vines at Long- 
leat, from which I was kindly favoured with some eyes a few years ago. 
Appreciating Mr. Taylor’s spirit in discussions, I am willing in the 
capacity of pupil to state my mode of making and using potash, which is 
carefully prepared wood ashes, containing on analysis a good proportion 
of potash. When we dress Vine borders during winter part of the surface 
is removed in the usual way, and in some case pointed with a piece of 
sharp iron, but our early Vines especially have now become such a mass 
of fibre on the surface that any interference seems cruel. A very heavy 
layer of wood ashes is spread over the border, next follows a layer of loam 
and old lime rubbish, and then a covering of newly shaken out droppings, 
as for Mushroom culture. This being done, a thorough watering is given, 
and allowed to settle a couple of hours, when another thinner covering 
of wood ashes is given, the large flat river stones are replaced, paving the 
border, and a moderate watering is supplied. 
Mr. Taylor seems to think it difficult to understand why shade is 
needed by Gros Colman more than other Vines. My observations leave 
little doubt regarding this point—at least, in our case ; and as Mr. Taylor 
has succeeded in growing Gros Colman satisfactorily without shade there 
may be some difference in the structures, or the distance of the Vines 
from the glass. If, as at Longleat, Mr. Taylor’s Vines are some distance 
from the glass, which is not the case here, ample compensation for 
shading would be afforded. As “Thinker” remarks, however, there is 
considerable difference in the foliage of Gros Colman as compared with 
others. This, coupled with the greater amount of veinless surface, and 
the fact that the leafstalks detach more readily from the wood in any 
stage of growth than others, convinced me that some special treatment of 
the foliage was necessary. Further examination this winter has shown 
that Gros Colman has not so many surface roots as some other Vines, 
Trebbiano in the same house having quite treble the amount of fibre. 
If such should be universal some degree of failure to retain its foliage 
might result from lack of root-action, and any neglect in watering would 
as a consequence be sooner felt. 
I fear I do not rightly comprehend Mr. Taylor’s meaning when he says 
that a good leaf of Gros Colman is double the thickness of any other 
variety that is now usually grown in houses. I have never seen it thicker 
in texture than some others. I may add that during July last summer 
we removed the large stones from our Vine borders and placed about 
5 inches thickness of newly scytbe-mown grass in a wet state, again 
replacing the stones and giving a thorough soaking with diluted liquid 
manure washed from a large heap, cow and horse manure mixed. On 
removing the stones white fibrous roots in abundance were found under¬ 
neath them, and in five weeks they had penetrated and fairly taken pos¬ 
session of the green ensilage-like food, and underneath the stones again 
becoming matted. I need hardly say a great improvement was visible.— 
Lathybus. 
“ A Thinkee ” certainly deserves credit for his latest discovery—“ the 
microscopical thought,” and the note from his botanical friend as to the 
arrangement of the cells in the leaf of this Vine is interesting and sugges¬ 
tive. There is no doubt, as your correspondent says, that Gros Colman, 
and also other varieties of Vines, would often do better if they had as much 
water as they required. But before we make up our minds that this variety 
does need an appreciably larger quantity than others we must have fur¬ 
ther evidence. 
If Gros Colman evaporates more water from its foliage it will follow 
that it will dry more quickly at the root; and if this or any other variety 
suffered from lack of water sufficiently to cause the injury I mentioned at 
page 576, it would not recover sufficiently in one season to produce Grapes 
fit for the exhibition table the next year. When I say that the Vines 
alluded to were grown by myself in 1884, and that they included those 
which bore the Muscats shown in Bath in September, 1885, so highly 
eulogised by Mr. Coleman at the luncheon as the best Grapes in the exhi¬ 
bition, and also by your special reporter, as probably the best Muscats 
that had ever been grown in pots ; and further, that two bunches of Gros 
Colman shown at the same time off one of the Vines that suffered the most 
was pronounced by your reporter to be the blackest he had ever seen of 
that variety, it will go some way towards proving that the lack-of-water 
theory will not apply in this particular case. Whether Gros Colman needs 
more water than other varieties can scarcely be tested practically when it 
s planted amongst others in a border ; but when grown in pots it can b 
readily tested. 
In this case I happen to know that Gros Colman took and required less 
water than the others during part of its growth ; but I will explain that 
that fact cannot be used against your correspondent’s argument. As I 
have before stated, its foliage was the first to become discoloured, and it 
suffered more than any other variety for the lack of something. TheD, as 
a matter of course, it could not evaporate the water so fast, and when I did 
not apply the water myself I invariably tested the pots, and those contain¬ 
ing Gros Colman were many times marked by placing a stick in the soil 
as a reminder to my deputy that they were not to be watered. This is, of 
course, fixed on my memory. I cannot say whether they took more water 
than others during their healthy condition, but I certainly am under the 
impression that I should have noticed it if they did. 
“ Thinker” says “If tb.e absence of potash al ne is the predisposing cause 
of the collapse of the foliage, how is it that shaded leaves continue fresh 
the longer ? ” As well ask how can a man who never used his muscles, 
and is never exposed to unpleasant weather, be preserved to look well till 
he reaches the age of threescore ? To look at, he appears as good as 
another man ; but appearances are misleading, both in men and foliage.— 
Wm. Tayloe. 
THE PLANTING OF THE FITTEST. 
Should anyone when the weather i3 favourable (for it will even then 
not be too late to set fruit trees, since the sap must still be dormant) have 
a spare corner in garden, field, or orchard for another Apple tree or two, 
let him try Bramley’s Seedling. The tree is very hardy in growth and 
good in habit; fruit certain, beautiful, and profitable. Bramley’s Seed¬ 
ling is not as well known as it mignt be. The Apple is large, round in 
shape, eye full and deep set, colour in swelling a peculiarly intense green, 
changing as it ripens to soft yet brightest, fullest red, diffused flush-like 
more or less all over the fruit, and, unlike other high-coloured Apples , 
having nothing of that hardness in appearance which resembles painted 
or waxen imitations. 
Bramley’s Seedling ripens in October, is good for table, excellent for 
cooking, hard-fleshed, white inside, and with common care can be kept 
for months. On fruit-storing, though so late, I should like some time to 
say a word or two which might be helpful. 
The weather has been severe, with heavy snow from the north. In 
my notes last week “growing Poppies” should have been “glowing 
Poppies.”—A. M. B,, Mid-Lincoln. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 39.) 
NUMBER OF PLANTS REQUIRED TO GIVE BLOOMS IN FORTY- 
EIGHT, TWENTY-FOUR, AND TWELVE VARIETIES. 
Young growers are often much puzzled to know how many 
plants they should cultivate with the intention of having a given 
number of exhibition blooms at a certain date. Many persons 
think it right to grow a very large number of varieties, but in this 
case the old adage, “ Safety in numbers,” does not apply ; quite the 
reverse. It is far better to select a fixed number of varieties best 
suited for the purpose intended, growing a number of plants of 
each, than to be burdened with a host of kinds that cannot be relied 
on for the object in view. Several varieties are admittedly useful 
for other purposes than supplying exhibition blooms of the highest 
quality ; but if the production of these is the main point, varieties 
that do not afford them should be eschewed. I strongly advise all 
who have not had experience to bear in mind when forming collec¬ 
tions that variety may have charms, but not in all cases value. 
If an exhibitor wishes to stage forty-eight distinct blooms, 
twenty-four of which maybe incurved and the remainder Japanese, 
he should grow at least thirty-six varieties in each section, as all 
are not to be depended upon to produce what is required. In some 
seasons one sort is quite useless, whereas the next year quite the 
reverse may occur. Casualties, too, may hapDen during the season 
of growth quite unexpectedly, such as shoots being broken at a 
critical period by wind, and other unforeseen circumstances ; there¬ 
fore not less than the number stated should be depended upon to 
insure success. These should consist of the very best, as named in 
the list previously given. It will be necessary to have 300 plants 
to effect the object in view, or 150 in each section. In the twenty- 
four class, supposing them to be half incurved and the remainder 
Japanese, twenty-four varieties in each section are not too many 
to grow, and the total number of plants should not be less than 150. 
When confined to a smaller class of, say, twelve distinct, either 
Japanese or incurved, the selection should be more rigid than in 
the larger classes, as there is not so much margin allowed for an 
inferior specimen or two in smaller, where all are expected to be 
of the first merit. Twenty-four names should be chosen, and 
about seventy plants grown, giving the preference to those named in 
the first part of my list in each section. 
To afford blooms for a stand of twelve varieties the selection 
should be rigorously made (even more so than in the large classes) 
