January 27,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
G3 
I dare next September, all being well, put a sample of Alicante 
grafted on Black Hamburgh, and also the same grafted on Buckland 
Sweetwater, with every confidence, by the side of Mr. Taylor’s 
Black Hamburgh ripened at the same time, sending them on to you, 
Mr. Editor, and leave not only the Grapes but also the results in 
your hands. 
As my late Alicante on their own roots are started late, these 
are not in the field for flavour until after Christmas, and the nearer 
Lady Day the bettei. Experienced growers have during the last 
few days confessed they never knew such flavour to be developed in 
Alicante and Gros Maroc. Alicante on Buckland Sweetwater for 
its very sweetness at this date would not suit me, but in September 
it was prime. A few weeks ago I saw a very large number of 
Alicante being grown, nothing else being done. The Vines were 
forced, and the Grapes sold in July, for the simple reason that they 
pay so much better than Black Hamburgh, and as the grower ex¬ 
pressed it, if flavour was not there they could not hold their own in 
the open market so long. I tasted Alicante from its own roots, well 
grown, and ripened at the end of September, and these were good, 
just right for using the last week in November. Here again the later 
ripened fruit of the same variety in other houses for keeping was 
not useable if flavour is the question. 
Gros Colman I have left till now for a few lines. This can be 
had with fair if not good flavour in September, if ripened and 
coloured well, but cannot be at its best until February, March, or 
April. Perhaps some will say then it has no flavour. Without 
putting up a very high standard in this respect for the variety, I can 
only say that the better this Grape is grown the better the flavour. 
In March I prefer it to Alicante. At the present date Gros Colman 
on Muscats is very good indeed ; this, too, with being late ripened. 
Here is a hint for private growers, who, desiring fine fruit, yet wish 
for flavour, and this is one of the best for packing. Being very 
much interested in the flavour of Grapes, I would like to know 
from some of our scientific friends the composition of Grape skins. 
I cannot think that the one analysis would agree for all varieties. 
Just now I am inclined to believe that Alicante skin would contain 
more flavour and nutriment than any, unless it is Alnwick Seedling. 
Then, again, a red or badly coloured berry surely cannot compare 
with a black berry. The “ red ” Grape, provided it is not shanked, 
is always much the sweetest, and again, this red berry is not fit for 
keeping. 
I now come to Muscat of Alexandria, and here the less I say the 
better. I have never before seen it stated in print that it is culti¬ 
vated for its appearance. I should suppose the flavour is of the 
first importance. Comparing the selling prices of Golden Queen 
and Muscat sent to market at the same date, I may remark that the 
first-named was very fine in berry and of good colour, the latter 
about the worst I ever cut ; they would not have been cut had they 
been in good condition, yet these poor Muscats realised double the 
price of the Golden Queen. In this case it must have been flavour, 
and this was good I know. In 1886 Muscats were as good as Black 
Hamburghs were faulty. How is this ? I cannot suppose for a 
moment that as a body of intelligent progressing men. that we are 
losing our skill ; if so, the sooner we wake up the better. 
I shall only be too pleased to see others record their opinions on 
these matters. No doubt in different localities varieties will differ, 
but a balance can be drawn, and much instruction gained. It has 
just occurred to me that no doubt the flavour of any Grape is 
influenced by the amount of potash contained in the skin, and 
possibly iron ; lime cannot count here, I think, or phosphoric acid. 
—Stephen Castle, West Lynn. 
ROSE-GROWING FOR BEGINNERS. 
(Continued from page 10 .) 
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 
The first thing to be considered in any attempt at Rose-growing 
is the preparation of the soil. Roses do best in a heavy deep loam, 
or loam resting on clay ; they do worst on a poor dry sandy soil 
resting on rock or shingle. 
Let us suppose we have a heavy clay soil, unchained, where the 
water lodges in pools, and where after a day’s rain you drag a con 
siderable portion of the property after you attached to your boots. 
Provided your air is pure, and you get a fair amount of sunshine, 
on this land you should grow splendid Roses. All the land wants 
is draining, trenching, and manuring. If you intend making de¬ 
tached beds on a lawn to plant your Roses in, you may dig out the 
soil about 3 feet deep and put in about a foot of stones and broken 
bricks, laid edgeways, with very small stones on the top, laying on 
the top of this sods face downwards, or small branches and twigs 
to prevent the fine soil from washing down and choking the drain- 
age. Then replace the soil, working in at the same time lots of 
good old manure and old turf. 
But Roses are best grown in rows as in the nurseries, and in 
this case the best way is to thoroughly drain the whole of the land 
with stone or pipe drains, put in 20 or 30 feet apart, and from 
2 feet 6 to 3 feet deep, and laid out so as to get as much fall as 
possible. If the piece of land be extensive it will be found 
cheaper to engage a professional drainer for the work. Presuming 
you make the detached beds and throw out the soil as advised, no 
further trenching would be necessary before planting, but it would 
not be advisable to replace the original soil if anything better could 
be obtained. But if it be decided to plant the whole piece of 
land as suggested, it will require to be trenched or dug very deep, 
and the manure worked in as the work proceeds. If the land be 
very heavy, perhaps about a foot of loam, and below that dense 
yellow or blue clay, sand, road scrapings, charcoal, wool, hair, refuse 
from tan yards (some people recommend ashes, I do not) or any¬ 
thing of a like nature that will make the land lighter or more 
porous should be added if they can be obtained. There is one 
other thing which acts more energetically, and is of more value on 
heavy land than any other material—in fact it comes next in im¬ 
portance to draining—and that is lime. It is such an important 
factor in Rose-growing that I propose to devote a short section to 
the consideration of it. The action of quicklime on heavy land is 
to make it more open, more friable, and consequently easier to 
work, and you cannot well have too much of it. 
Although the grandest results, I believe, are got from heavy 
land, there is no doubt more difficulty in preparing the same, and to> 
do tbe thing well some little time would be required. First, the 
draining would have to be done, and dry weather in the early 
autumn would be the best time to begin it ; at the same time a 
good dressing of hot lime might be strewn on the surface with 
advantage. After the draining was completed the land might be 
trenched, plenty of quicklime being worked in in the process. It 
would be, no doubt, very advantageous to mix in the manure as the 
work proceeded, but this is not advisable, as the hot lime coming 
in contact with the manure would decompose it too quickly, while 
on the other hand, if mild lime were used, it would not produce the 
mechanical effect required. It would be better therefore to hold 
back the manure until the time of planting, or even until after¬ 
wards, if the manure be fresh and hot. In this case the best plan 
would be then to strew it on the land, and the winter rains would 
make it fit for digging in in the spring. 
I said early autumn would be a good time to begin this work, 
but if possession of the land be had in the spring, I should prefer 
to crop it with Potatoes or other vegetables, when the knocking 
about the land would get would be very beneficial, and it would be 
in grand condition in autumn for planting the Roses. 
On a light soil draining in rarely requisite, except the land lies 
low or is very flat. Here all our efforts must be directed to making 
the soil heavier, and retaining as much moisture as possible. If 
detached beds are proposed on a light soil it would be necessary to 
dig out the soil to a depth of about 3 feet, and put in at the bottom 
about a foot of clay, refilling the bed with the best soil obtainable,, 
in which may be thoroughly mixed a fair amount, say one-third of 
the whole, of well pulverised clay, together with some good old 
manure and chopped turf. In preparing a piece of light soil, it 
should be trenched 2 feet deep if the undersoil is good enough, 
but it would be no use burying good soil for the purpose of bringing 
a lot of rubbish or shingle to the surface. If the land is too shallow 
for trenching we must be content to dig as deep as we can and be 
as liberal as possible with our manure. On this soil cow manure is 
better than any other, as it holds the water longer, but care must 
be taken not to allow it to come into contact with the roots of 
the Roses while it is in a green state or it will rot them. If the 
land is deficient in lime it may be added in a mild state at any time. 
It is not advisable to use quicklime on any light soil. 
Nothing answers better on a light soil than clay, th» difficulty 
being to get it worked in well and thoroughly mixed with the 
natural soil. The only plan is to keep the surface of the soil 
strewed with it summer and winter, and when it is well pul 
verised, to dig it in. Buried in great lumps here and there it 
will be of little use. Keep on doing this, and trenching or digging 
deep occasionally, and the land will soon show signs of improve¬ 
ment. It is very difficult to get old cow manure fit for digging in 
with Roses at the time of planting, so one has to be content gene¬ 
rally with it in a fresh or green state. On a light soil all manure is 
best added in the spring time, as otherwise winter rains and snow 
wash so much of its virtue away. A good plan is to lay the green 
manure thickly on the surface after planting (not allowing it to 
touch the stems of the plants). The winter will mellow it, and it 
may be safely dug in in the spring. 
On heavy soils winter manuring may be practised, these soils 
being more retentive, and consequently not so easily deprived of 
their contents ; horse manure, too, being most suitable, and decaying 
much more quickly (because of its heating so readily) may generally 
