February 17,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
135 
cristata alba, as at Lianaway House, Godaiming, under the care of the 
experienced gardener, Mr. Robert Jordan, there may now be seen a 
specimen which has borne fifty spikes, the much greater number show¬ 
ing five flowers on each spike, and these of the purest white.—M. 
BUCKLAND SWEETWATER AND BLACK HAMBURGH 
GRAPES. 
Mb. Jenkins (page 108) appears to have misunderstood my remark 
concerning Buckland Sweetwater Grapes. I did not mean that I would 
place it before well finished examples of Duke of Buccleuch or Foster’s 
Seedling, both of which I consider superior in flavour to Buckland 
Sweetwater. But when the last named variety is in perfection, and the 
others only moderate, I think it should have the preference, for when of 
a clear amber colour it is good in flavour. It is when it assumes a reddish 
brown tinge that it loses flavour. 
quality is sweetness, what becomes of the “ Hamburgh flavour ”, which 
has always been considered unique in this Grape, and which is \often 
referred to in describing the flavour of other Grapes? Black Hamburgh 
is always described as a rich and highly flavoured Grape, and such it 
unquestionably is when in its true character. I do not know what 
your correspondent calls “real flavour,” and which he says Black 
Alicante possesses, but he certainly cannot claim for it anything like the 
rich and vinous flavour of the Black Hamburgh. It is a good second- 
rate Grape if eaten while the berries are plump, but to place it before 
Black Hamburgh is giving it a place it cannot maintain.—A. Bakkek 
Hindlij). 
AURICULAS—CAMPBELL’S GREEN-EDGE. 
I FIND that the sale of Mr. Cunningham’s stock took placei-before 
not after, his death. Had I been able to call at first on Mr. Campbell 
Fig. 22.— Vanda teres Aurora. 
Duke of Buccleuch, as I have seen it exhibited by Messrs. W. Thom¬ 
son & Son, I should certainly place before any white Grape (Muscats 
excluded), but I have never seen it in anything like the perfection to 
which it is grown at Galashiels, although, I believe, there are a few 
places where it is well grown and finished. As generally seen at exhi¬ 
bitions it is small in bunch, uneven in berry, and with a greenish look 
suggestive of setting one’s teeth on edge. 
Foster’s Seedling when well finished, in my opinion, should be bright 
and of a pale yellow colour ; but at some of our London exhibitions the 
preference is given to bunches that are pale green in colour. I have 
tasted and compared berries in both stages to find out the reason of this 
decision, and have always come to the conclusion that the yellow berries 
were the best flavoured. I quite agree with Mr. Jenkins that it 
improves by hanging, and in a late vinery it will hang until December 
and retain ite flavour. 
I cannot help noticing here Mr. Stephen Castle’s remarks upon Black 
Hamburgh (page 62). If, as he says, it has no flavour, and that its only 
as I have now done, I should have spared Mr. Douglas some trouble 
Mr. Campbell showed me the letter requesting his presence at the sale. 
It is dated February 4th, 1873, and the sale took place on the Saturday 
following. There the green edge in question was obtained. The seed¬ 
ling did not bloom that year ; it did so the next, and in 1875 the plant 
itself was sent to Mr. Douglas. An offet was given to the late Mr. 
Jeffreys, and Mr. Campbell says that from these two have been obtained 
the existing plants of what is not his but Cunningham’s flower. He is 
confident that there cannot possibly be more than the one variety in the 
hands of anyone. I may mention that Mr. Campbell remarked that he 
named a well-known self of his own raising Lord (not Marquis) of 
Lome. 
As to my giving the names of good old sorts, Mr. Douglas knows 
what he has himself recommended as varieties worth growing, and I 
repeat that I do not know new varieties to surpass these when they are 
properly grown. I do not consider those I have myself to have added 
greatly to the meiits of my collection.—A Nobthebn Amateue. 
