April 4, 1839. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
test, examples of artificial rocks—a work of great magnitude and as 
told and rugged as can te imagined, now well furnished with Ferns and 
other suitable plants. Nearing the kitchen garden we pass through 
“ walls of Yew ” to a series of herbaceous beds not occupied in the usual 
higgledy-piggledy style, hut composed to a large extent of plants 
generieally associated, which certainly does not render the collection 
less interesting. 
Having now passed quickly down the avenues, round the mansion, 
across the lawn and through the shrubberies, we find ourselves in the 
kitchen garden—an enclosure well stocked with excellent pyramid fruit 
trees, and walls well furnished with good examples of training. On 
one of them the Pear trees are alternately fan and horizontally trained, 
and both methods well carried out afford diversity to the surface. Mr. 
Crump, however, appears to prefer the fan-trained trees for usefulness. 
Gooseberries trained upright to wires form neat toun lary hedges, and 
perhaps more fruit can be obtained from a given extent of ground in 
that way than in any other. Not only mu-t the soil be good, but we 
thought the climate could not be very bad when wj saw a quarter of 
Cabbages nearly ready for cutting. 
the restoration, and that it is not bad was testified by a number of 
useful bunches in the Grape room. 
Though this is the home of the Madresfield Court Grape, this splendid 
variety has hitherto not been extensively grown, but its culture is now 
being greatly extended. The houses appear to have been occupied with 
a great number of varieties, and not many of each ; but now an increased 
number of a few of the most useful sorts are being established, Madres¬ 
field Court taking the lead. It is Lord Beauchamp’s favourite Grape, 
and that fact proves he is the reverse of a bad judge. Mr. Crump 
describes it as positively the very best black Grape grown for quality, and 
is of noble appearance, while it forces and crops well, the only fault being 
the liability of the berries to crack if grown with and treated the same 
as Black Hamburghsor other thicker skinned varieties. He isemphatic 
in his opinion, founded on much experience, that cracking is due to 
atmospheric influences entirely within the grower’s control. He wisely 
remarks that “ Prevention is better than cure,” and the safe course is to 
gradua'ly reduce atmospheric moisture, commencing just before the first 
berry shows signs of colouring, then judiciously increasing the ventila¬ 
tion, and maintaining the necessary temperature by the free use of the 
Fig. 42.—MADRESFIELD COURT. 
There are two extensive ranges of glass, one a three-quarter span- 
roof, the front, southwards, perhaps too sharply pitched, and the houses 
must be intensely hot in summer. In these Peaches, Pines, Figs, 
Cucumbers, Melons, and forcing generally is conducted, and he must 
be a very captious critic to find fault with what he saw. The larger 
range consists mainly of a series of very fine vineries, with a span-roof 
greenhouse at or near one end, and a stove at the other at right angles 
with the main lean-to range. The plants in the two houses were in 
excellent order, the spathes of Richardias being, I think, the finest I 
have seen. Grapes are extensively grown, but the old Vines appear to 
have seen their best days, and it is apparent, by the method of pruning, 
that the best is being made of them till others more young and vigorous 
can be established. The old Vines are in outside borders, and the young 
are planted in narrow inside borders next the front wall to be added to 
from time to time as the Vines progress and their roots need further 
extension. The growth the young Vines have so far made is of the 
most satisfactory character, the canes being very strong, firm, and short- 
jointed. A good extension of growth is allowed yearly, and splendid 
Grapes may be confidently expected, the old rods being cut away as 
the new require the space. Thus the Grape supply is maintained during 
hot-water apparatus ; or, in other words, affording “ plenty of fire and 
plenty of air,” yet avoiding sharp currents, and exercising proper dis¬ 
cretion in ventilating, by night as well as by day. The top ventilators 
are never quite closed during the colouring and ripening process, and 
previous to this liquid manure is supplied to the roots, sufficiently to 
carry the Vines over the dangerous period. That is what I gathered 
from the cultivator who has no difficulty in preventing this superior and 
tender skinned Grape from splitting. I am positive his method is the 
right one. I had the temerity to advance it a few years ago in the 
Journal, and had to stand firm against the criticism of able men. I said 
then, and say now, that the cracking of fruit is traceable to the action 
of osmosis, or the equilibrium of densities. When moisture passes 
through the skins of fruit from the air, as it does under certain con¬ 
ditions, that is known as endosmosis ; when it passes from the fruit to 
the air, that is known as exosmosis. When there is much moisture in 
the air it passes into the fruit, and tender skinned kinds split accordingly 
—the thinner fluid in the air being attracted by the denser fluid in the 
fruit. That is a law of Nature, and it is in obedience to this law that 
various fruits split, regardless of the condition of the roots. I have the 
satisfaction of knowing that the discussion to which I have alluded led 
