1874. ] 
CHOICE HOTHOUSE CLIMBERS. 
227 
meet two judges whose opinions are alike in regard to flavour. Some prefer 
everything to be sugary, whether it may be the correct flavour or not. Sugar is 
only one portion of the substance of any fruit, and where that predominates to a 
very great extent, the fruit becomes nauseating to experienced palates. The same 
may be said of Grape-tasting. We observe that the custom is in full force at 
many country shows still. By experienced judges a berry is judiciously ” picTed 
from the portion of the bunch next the ‘‘ board ” on which it lies. If the 
bunch has shoulders of any size, it will be found that at the points of the 
shoulders the fruit invariably is more acid and altogether different from 
the top of the bunch. Such has always been my experience, especially during 
the past season. It always has appeared to me that Melons are the only fruit 
which one can judge of with anything like correctness by flavour. At a 
recent exhibition, we tried to give an opinion by colour, fine smell, and a 
handsome exterior, before we cut any of the fruit. The result was that we fell 
lamentably short of the mark. When the fruits were cut, it was found that 
handsome Melons, with what might be called a “ delicious perfume,” were totally 
unfit to eat, while others which had a plain exterior, were deep in the flesh, thin 
in the skin, and had scarcely any smell, were excellent. Among that class were 
Golden Perfection and Tilly’s Queen. An argument for cutting Melons is that 
we often find green-fleshed kinds exhibited among scarlet-fleshed varieties, and 
vice versa. —M. Temple, Blenheim. 
CHOICE HOTHOUSE CLIMBERS. 
<J^2^LIMBEES stand somewhat in the same relation to a plant-house, as the 
trappings of an upholsterer to a drawing-room; they are each necessary as 
^ a means of covering bare surfaces^ and in fact, of imparting a furnished 
appearance to the apartment. We mention here a few which are well 
suited for Hothouse-culture:— 
The magnificent Passiflora princeps, though so free to afford its racemes of 
finely-coloured flowers, and so much better than any other Passion-flower, from 
its long continuity of bloom, is scarce, compared with what it ought to be. The 
flowers are splendid for indoor decoration on a large scale, and drooping over the 
edge of vases, large baskets, &:c., have a fine effect. It enjoys a brisk heat, and 
to be trained rather near the light. Planted carefully, in good soil, under the 
front bench of a stove, with a front passage, and trained along in graceful 
wreaths, so that the flowers hang down over the front bench, it has an exquisite 
and original effect. It might also be trained in the form of larger wreaths 
higher up, but with their points as near the glass as could well be managed. 
Bignonia venusta is also a magnificent stove-plant when grown firmly but 
freely near the light, and allowed to descend from wires a foot or two above the 
walking-spaces of the passages in the stove. Its rich dark orange flowers are of 
a high order of beauty. Like the preceding, it is most easily obtained, but not 
half so often seen as it should be. 
