January 3,18S9. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3 
I am ready to admit that no outside Vine border, if well made and 
drained, received too much water from the clouds during the period 
above named. But if we c >me to consider the quantity of water 
given to an inside Vine border by first-rate Grape-growers during a 
bright season, we shall find they receive quite double the quantity 
per square yard that outside borders have received in a given period 
during the past season, and I maintain that if inside borders have 
been watered at the same rate this year, they would get into a 
sodden condition, with the result that many of the tender fleshy 
roots, upon which the perfect development and finish of the fruit 
depend, would be killed outright—result, “red” Hamburghs. I 
have had no experience of the conditions under which Hamburghs 
colour best in bright seasons so far north as Lancashire, but here in 
the sunny south all the most successful exhibitors shade lightly in 
very bright weather, especially where they have to deal with the 
light houses of modern construction. I do not think it at all 
surprising in the case of your correspondent that the Black 
Hamburgh planted in a late house with Lady Downe’s and 
Alicante did not colour well, as it is seldom indeed that these 
varieties do well together. The Alicante generally colours better 
under almost any conditions than the Hamburgh, and the Lady 
Downe’s require more fire heat than is good for the last named 
variety. 
With regard to Madresfield Court cracking when front ventila¬ 
tion is given, I am entirely in accord with Mr. Hilton when he 
says, “I maintain that bottom ventilation will not cause Madres¬ 
field Court to crack if it is judiciously given.” It is this very fact 
that I attach so much importance to, but I fail to see how the 
leaving of top and bottom air on a house continually independent 
of the great and sudden changes in external conditions can be 
called ventilating judiciously. Where does the exercise of judgment 
come in ? Now I can point out several ways to prevent the cracking 
of the Grape in question, but the plan advised has been found 
the most successful here, and a reference to back numbers of the 
Journal giving reports of the Southampton summer shows of the 
last few years will bear ample testimony to the quality of the 
Madresfields exhibited from these gardens. I do not dispute that 
this Grape may ba grown without the berries cracking when front 
ventilation is left on continually, but I maintain that to keep 
enough heat in the hot-water pipes to prevent it under such con¬ 
ditions, and when the ram is descending in torrents as it did last 
season for hours in succession, entirely spoils the prospect of 
getting this noble Grape really well coloured, as it is one of the 
worst of all Grapes to suffer from the influence of strong fire 
heat during the colouring process The aim should be to just 
keep enough heat in the hot-water pipes to maintain the required 
temperature and a dry atmosphere, and during heavy rains leave a 
little air on the top of the house and have the front ventilators 
quite closed, taking especial care to have the latter opened again as 
soon as the rain ceases, and whenever the weather is likely to be 
stormy during the night close the bottom ventilators when the 
fires are banked up the last thing and open slightly the first thing in 
the morning if fine. 
These are the means we have always adopted to prevent the 
cracking and ensure the colouring of this splendid Grape, and I 
think the results have justified the means. Even during the past 
unpropitious season we have had this variety quite black to the 
footstalks. It is by no means uncommon to see as fine bunches of 
Madresfield Court as those mentioned by your correspondent 
without a cracked berry in them, but it is extremely rare to see 
such examples perfectly coloured. And again, one of the most 
certain methods of preventing the Grape in question cracking 
is to crop heavily, and to do this means deficiency of colour, and 
though there may be great bulk, such crops are never regarded by 
good cultivators as evincing that any great amount of skill has been 
brought to bear upon their production.— H. Dunkix, The Gardens, 
Longford Castle, kalisbuiy. 
To begin with the Black Hamburgh, I may safely say I have 
never had the least trouble in growing it to perfection, provided the 
border was right and care taken to ventilate freely, especially early 
in the morning. I have occasionally noticed the berries with a 
bluish covering on them towards 9 a.m., when other work was so 
pressing that sufficient time could not be given to the ventilating. 
This was very well understood to be due to steam arising from the 
border and settling on the berries, but with careful ventilation it 
does not occur. On the other hand, if not observed by the man in 
charge and the sun is allowed to shine on the dewy berries, they 
will be scalded badly. Young gardeners would do well to make a 
note of this, and before leaving their vineries to perform other 
duties do as I have done many a time in one of the finest ranges 
of vineries in this county—namely, that at Wrotham Park. It was 
my practice while there to run through and put on say 3 inches of 
top ventilation the fiist thing in the morning, and an hour after¬ 
wards the same number of inches was allowed on the front venti¬ 
lators with a genial warmth in the pipe3 ; there was r.ezer any 
scalding. This treatment applies in like manner to Muscats and 
other varieties, but not to Madresfield Court. When taking 
charge of these gardens ten years ago I found this in the late 
house along with Mrs. Pince, Lady Downe’s, Alicante, and Gros 
Colman. However, it did not do well, and I lifted it into a warm 
corner in the second house. The portion of border set apart for it 
was very carefully drained, and a mixture of good loam and lime 
rubble used in planting it. The Yine grew splendidly, showing 
on every spur, but a very light crop was allowed to remain on 
for the first two or three years ; but for several years it bas carried 
a full crop of magnificent Grapes ; however, so they ha^e been 
pronounced by those who are best able to judge, and so thought 
the Committee at our local Show last August, for they gave me a 
medal for six bunches off this Vine, which were staged not for 
competition, and yet proved to be by far the best Grapes in the 
Show. 
Now as to ventilation for this grand Grape. I never allow the 
front sashes to be closed at any time, and I firmly believe that if 
gardeners would only ventilate more freely both with this and 
Lady Downe’s we should hear a deal less of scalding and cracking. 
It is just this. If the moisture is allowed to hang on the berries 
and the sun touches them they must scald, or in the case of 
Madresfield crack ; but if enough air is given at all times, and 
enough heat in the pipes to warm that air, then they can both be 
grown without fear of damage.—G. Merritt, Kimpton Hoo 
Gardens. 
SOME ROSE3 OF RECENT INTRODUCTION. 
I have made the following notes during the past season upon some 
of the newer or more notable Roses, but I need hardly say that the 
summer of 1888 was a very bad test of the merits of any Rose new or 
old, and it "would be unfair to condemn a variety for failing to show to 
advantage in such an ungenial time. 
HYBRID PERPETUALS. 
Benoit Comte (1883).—Something like Alfred Colomb in flower, 
though very different in foliage. Although a fine bloom, it is so late in 
flowering as to be quite useless to me for exhibition purposes. 
Caroline (VArden (1888).—Shown at Manchester by Messrs. Dick¬ 
son, and considerably admired. It seemed to me to be something like 
Marquise de Castellane in wood and general appearance. 
Earl Dufferin (1887).—I did not get a good bloom of, but it is 
evidently a good grower, and all amateurs should be well supplied with 
this fine new sort. 
Edouard Her re (1881).—A good grower and much commended, but 
I must speak of a Rose as I find it, and from eight to ten good plants 
I have not had a decent bloom in the last two seasons, one of which 
surely ought to have suited it. 
Grace Darling, H.T. (1884).—Has been too loose and unstab’e with 
me for exhibition, but in a certain short stage of its existence it is a 
charming flower. 
Grand Mogul (1887).—Said to he too much like Jean Soupert. I 
happened to have a dozen plants of each of these sorts growing close 
together, and I must say that a careful comparison throughout the 
season failed to find any point of distinction whatever. Two or three 
times I thought I did detect an improvement in the newer Rose, but on 
each occasion a Jean Soupert came into bljom as like it “as two peas.” 
It is a pity, as the latter Rose only wants improvement in a few points 
to take quite a high position. It seems remarkable that Grand Mogul 
should be a seedling of A. K. Williams, which is of later introduction 
than Jean Soupert. 
Gloire de Margottin (1887).—The only bloom of this variety which 
I have seen was cut by Mr. B. Cant on December 10th in the open. 
It certainly was uncommonly bright, especially for the time of year, 
and went far to justify his statement that it will prove the brightest 
red Rose yet known, but I am rather afraid the petals will be somewhat 
thin, and the fact of its expanding in December would tend to strengthen 
this idea. This should be a useful Rose for market purposes, if it will 
grow and flower well and hold its colour after being cut. 
Jean Lillevere (1879) is not a new Rose, but almost an unknown 
one, I think. Twice during the season I saw a good bloom of this 
variety in the stands of Mr. Frettingham of Beeston Nurseries, Notts, 
and everyone else seemed to have quite forgotten it. It is dark, and 
perhaps a trifle dull in colour, but of good shape and size, and I should 
think well up to exhibition standard. It requires a good deal of expe¬ 
rience to decide on the merits of a new Rose in its first season. We all 
know that unmerited praise is sometimes bestowed on an unworthy 
