1:34 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ June, 
practice thereby reformed. Such an idea, based upon certain observed facts, has 
occurred to me in relation to the ripening of Grapes. The question is whether, 
in view of assuring [perfect colour, perfect size and flavour, &c., it is best to 
withhold water at the ripening period or the reverse. I do not refer to the 
absolute need which exists of withholding water when the fruit are really 
flnished, but rather to its use or otherwise during the later stages of ripening ; 
not even then do I treat with the matter definitely, but solely from a suggestive 
stand-point. In a vinery here, at Valentines, which last season was treated as a 
late one, exist (1) the aged parent of the Hampton Court Vine^ from the base of 
which two vigorous sucker-rods have grown, the roots attached being, so far as I 
know, within the house ; (2), three very old vines, having each several rods 
very heavily fruited, the roots of these being outside the house ; and (3) 
many young vines planted a year or two ago. Now, it is a fact that the 
young vines, most watered, ripened first; the old vines having their roots bodily 
out-of-doors in the wet soil of the past summer, second; and the young 
rods from the old vine, with their roots inside, and probably most beyond the 
reach of water, last. The inference is that water, free and abundant, has been 
the inducing cause of berry-ripening, and at the same time of a higher degree of 
berry-colour. Not only are the old vines which have their roots out-of-doors, in 
the coldest dampest place ; they are, besides, at the colder end of the house. The 
young vines were watered freely, from the simple fact that good growth was, 
under the circumstances, of greater importance than the fruit, and yet the result 
was earlier and blacker fruit. 
It is said that Mr. Coleman, one of our best exhibitors of fruits—and I think I 
heard the statement from his own lips—has the roots of the vines, which bear those 
grand grapes he exhibits, out-of-doors ; that he adds fresh soil to the surface 
occasionally, so increasing the depth of soil, and, need I say, with it the extent 
of latent moisture around the roots—and see the result I Again, in regard to 
pot-vines, who withholds water until the crop is assured, good, and ripe ? More¬ 
over, if but a fair atmosphere and a fair sky exists, who has occasion to find fault 
with the July and August down-pourings with which all out-door-grown grapes 
are sometimes visited, and yet ripen well; they at least never shank I never 
show the red berry I—William Earley, Valentines. 
BLANDFOEDIA PEINCEPS. 
® HE accompanying figure of this fine new Blandfordia, from Mr. Bulfis 
Catalogue^ speaks for itself. It was shown several times during the summer 
1875, and always carried off the highest awards that could be given to 
it. Mr. Bull thus describes it;—“ This strikingly handsome greenhouse 
perennial gained the first prize as the best new flowering greenhouse-plant at the 
Eoyal Horticultural Society’s Exhibition in the summer of 1875. The stiff sub¬ 
erect distichous leaves are narrowly-linear, five to eight-ribbed, with a serrulate 
border. The scape is a foot high, bearing a corymb of many flowers, which are 
