148 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 16, 1894. 
growth. Few Orchids with which I am acquainted yield a better 
return for the room they occupy and the labour required in cultiva¬ 
tion. The flowers last well in a cut state, and are suitable for any 
purpose, especially for furnishing small vases. All my plants are 
grown in small shallow pans, 5 and 6 inches in diameter, and very 
little more than 2 inches deep. A good layer of crocks is placed 
at the base, and the plants potted in peat fibre and small lumps of 
charcoal, with a thin layer of moss on the surface. The plants are 
but slightly elevated, as they require very little rooting material, 
but what is given them should be open and sweet. From six to 
twelve good flowering pseudo-bulbs are grown in each pan.— 
Specialist. 
THE MANRESA VINE AND ITS CROP, 1335 lbs. 
I SEND you the last bunch from our large Vine, so that you 
may taste the flavour ; also a few leaves, that you may note their 
size and substance. A visitor here was so taken with the Vine he 
thought he would write about it. I can now give you the exact 
weight of the crop, which has deceived me very much, and I am 
sorry for leaving so much fruit on as 1335 lbs.—all about the same 
as this bunch I send. We have had many persons to see the Vine 
this season, including Mr. Kay, of Finchley, and every one was 
astonished.—M. Davis. 
Beino on a visit at present at Manresa House, I quite share in 
the satisfaction expressed by others in the Journal of Horticulture 
in regard to the celebrated Vine. It is my delight to visit it each 
day and feast my eyes on its beauty of form and bountiful produc¬ 
tiveness. For symmetry and cleanness of stock and branch as 
well as for vigour and vitality from root to tiniest tendril it 
appears to me a marvel. Its prodigious stretch is in no part 
affected by weakness or deformity—an immunity that rarely 
happens in cases of such abnormal growth. 
As for the fruit, it is a ravishing sight to view the heavy purple 
pendants hanging at short and regular intervals all along its 
immense branches, right and left. In my appreciation of the 
glorious clusters I have not been limited to the sense of sight. 
During the whole of last week I, with other guests here, was 
treated to an abundant supply of the Grape as dessert, and I never 
tasted any fruit of the kind more delicious, though I may call 
myself a connoisseur on this point, having lived for years in Grape¬ 
growing countries. The merits of the Manresa Grape as a table 
luxury consist in the satisfying size of the berries, the coolness and 
consistence of their juices, and a certain flavour which is at once a 
taste and a perfume that through sense reaches sentiment and 
exalts and refines the ideal while gratifying the material man. It 
is a tonic of the pure agro-dolce kind. 
I quite agree with the praises that have been bestowed in several 
issues of the Journal on Mr. Davis, the planter and caretaker of 
this Vine. It certainly adds very much to the interest and 
admiration the plant itself excites in the observer to know that it 
is of nowise doubtful or mysterious origin. Here stands the man 
who set the shoot thirty years ago from which this noble growth 
developed. Thus no conflicting array of grandfathers can be 
marshalled forth to account for the setting of the Manresa Vine, as 
in the case of other notable specimens of more ancient years. I 
would respectfully suggest that if there be an institute that gives 
honour where honour is due to horticultural enterprise and success 
it should bestow some distinction of title or insignia on Mr. Davis. 
—R. Howley, D.D., Manresa House, Roehampton. 
[We fear there is small chance of any distinctions being bestowed 
on anyone for meritorious work in practical horticulture in this 
country unless he can show something in a hall or a marquee. It 
seems very absurd that medals are granted for half a dozen bunches 
of Grapes, or less ; chosen, it may be, as the best from as many 
Vines, whereas an example of patient and skilful culture extend¬ 
ing over a generation, of a Vine bearing much more than half a 
ton of Grapes, immeasurably superior to half the Black Hamburghs 
which are seen at shows, should have no oflicial mark of recognition. 
But so it is. 
Mr. Davis could not take bis crop of 12 cwt. of Grapes from a 
Vine of his own rearing to a show, and therefore his unique accom¬ 
plishment is ignored. The “last bunch” of the season’s crop was 
of first class exhibition character, not for its weight, though it was 
heavy enough, 3 lbs., so much as for the size, colour, and quality 
of the berries. They averaged 3;[ inches in circumference, some 
being 31 inches, and all as black as Sloes, fleshy, juicy, and equal 
to the best in flavour we have tasted. 
No living man, other than Mr. Davis, can point to a Vine of 
his own raising approaching the noble specimen at Manresa in size, 
health, training, and high condition, the result of masterly cultiva¬ 
tion over the period above named ; and Dr. Howley must be 
surprised to learn that we have no institute in this country to 
bestow well-merited honour for such an unparalleled achievement. 
The largest leaf sent was 15 inches in diameter, of remarkable 
substance, and the best of colour. These leaves and the fruit do 
not suggest that the crop has been unduly exacting.] 
NATIONAL ROSE SOCIETY. 
Amateur Championship Trophy Class and Multiplicity of 
Exhibits. 
I THINK the correspondence sent you so far on these subjects has 
proved incontestably that those most directly interested in one of the 
subjects—viz., the amateur trophy class, are in favour of their future 
exhibits consisting of thirty-six and not forty-eight varieties. When 
Mr. Lindsell, Mr. Pemberton, Mr. Machin, and Mr. Slaughter, who have 
competed in this class for many years, say they desire this alteration 
surely there are strong and substantial reasons for the proposition. 
Mr. Lindsell distinctly states that only twice Las he in recent com¬ 
petitions for forty-eight varieties considered the winning box to be 
worthy of its position. I knew that he and other amateurs of experience 
were in agreement with me that there is always a considerable “ tail ” in 
the exhibits of this class, and notwithstanding the opinion expressed by 
another writer in contradiction to Mr. Lindsell that he has seen a 
considerable number of boxes without a single bad flower, his opinion 
as an expert can hardly be said to be on an equality with that of the 
great Hitchin amateur rosarian. 
In regard to the multiplicity of exhibits I was fully aware I should 
be trampling on the susceptibilities of several exhibitors, some of whom 
no doubt feel there is justification in my proposals, but I am confident 
that I have not gone very far wrong in what I have stated, nor in my 
proposal, which was tentative, and no doubt open to improvement; and I 
may here say I did not intend to suggest that garden Roses, new Roses, 
or the open classes should come within its scope. It will be granted 
that everyone reserves his best flowers for the contests in which he 
more especially wishes to win, and that the Roses placed in his other 
exhibits of minor consequence are flowers of a quality inferior to the 
boxes he is principally interested in. This proposition being granted, 
and every exhibitor of position and experience will agree with it, I 
further state that more than frequently these minor exhibits are not 
only of no advantage to the shows of our Society, but in reality are 
discreditable to us as the leading Society in Rose culture. I contend, 
therefore, that the objection made on the score that the Society may 
suffer by fewer exhibits is one that will not bear criticism, as I consider 
the National Rose Society shows will stand higher if the flowers staged 
are of a more select class. 
I go further than this and say that the numbers of exhibits will not 
suffer, as the knowledge that A, B, C, D, or L, M, N and O, are restricted 
from over-exhibiting, and cannot in future show more than a reasonable 
number of Roses, will stimulate competition in classes which the more 
timid rosarians may then hope to gain honour in. As I have said before 
in the Journal of Horticulture so I now repeat, I should be delighted 
if the winning of money could be expunged from the arrangements of 
our amateur classes. We should soon see who were true amateurs, and 
whether some would be anxious to gain honour merely as their guerdon 
of success. 
I have this year been, through the disability imposed on me by the frosts 
of May, to many shows without any obstacle to the full enjoyment of 
the flowers staged by others for exhibition, and I have had more than my 
usual opportunity of discussing N.R.S. matters in many places with 
rosarians as far south as the Isle of Wight and as far north as York¬ 
shire, Having been north and south twice, as well as in the metropolitan 
and midland districts, I have come to the conclusion that although 
it may suit some to write in lofty tones, in the manner of Joseph 
Surface, of the absence of grumbling in the N.R.S. and the general 
superiority of ourselves, as also on the immorality of jealousy, 
there is a want of candour in such statements, as it is well known that 
they are totally at variance with the true position of affairs, and that 
there is much grumbling as well as jealousy. There is cause for 
annoyance, and it is idle to ignore the fact, or pretend to do so. 
It is with the object of removing this soreness that I have asked you 
