JANUARY. 
9 
Truffaut's Pccony-flowered Perfection , which is one of the finest and most 
striking of the French improvements of this flower. This variety grows 
from 12 to 18 inches in height; the flower-heads are large and very double, 
they afford a good diversity of distinct colours, and are produced both in the 
incurved and reflexed forms. It is also a very fine sort for exhibition. To 
these three of the flat-petalled kinds add 
Boltze's New Dwarf Bouquet Double , which is the very best of the dwarf 
Asters. It is very dwarf, growing about 6 inches high; the flowers are all 
bi-coloured, and yield a great variety of colours ; small flat-petalled blooms, 
and very freely produced. It is exceedingly pretty, would make very at¬ 
tractive beds, and is suitable also for pot culture. 
It may be assumed as a general rule that the flat-petalled Asters are 
hardier in constitution than the quilled flowers, and are much more effective 
under ordinary circumstances : therefore it is that I have given a greater 
prominence to these. 
Let the amateur grower sow his seeds early in March in a cold frame if 
he can—that is, sow his seeds on a bed prepared in the frame; and as soon 
as the weather will permit, if they can be transplanted from the seed-bed 
to a warm and sheltered position for a time, so much the better. Let 
him be assured of this fact, when preparing the ground in which he wishes 
to bloom his flowers, that it should be liberally dressed with manure, and 
in dry weather he should not spare the watering-pot. If his plants are for 
garden decoration only, let them carry all the flowers they produce; but he 
should see that there be something at the roots to maintain them, such as a 
mulching of dung, or some liquid manure in scorching weather. If he 
desires to take a good position at the local exhibition, he should disbud a 
few of his strongest and best plants, and give them some liquid manure. 
It is surprising how fine Truffaut’s Asters will come under very ordinary 
treatment; but with a little stimulus added to the roots, flowers can be had 
that will gratify the grower, and bring him victory on that nobly-contested 
battle-field—the exhibition table. 
E. W. 
THE COLOURING OF GRAPES. 
Gardeners have both heard of and seen Grapes badly coloured, espe¬ 
cially Black Hamburghs. Some ascribe the fault to batl supplies from the 
roots, others to the want of sufficient sunshine, or light and air; but 
neither seems to be the chief cause, for large berries badly coloured may be 
seen upon very strong Vines, and the reverse on weak ones. In former 
days, when Vines were not so highly cultivated, and grown under green or 
dark glass, there were fewer complaints of Grapes being red instead of 
black. 
I have been long of opinion that the chief cause is to be traced to injured 
leaves and unripe wood. In such cases the supply of crude sap from the 
roots is not properly elaborated in the unhealthy leaves, nor in its way 
through the immature vessels in the green wood, on which the bunches 
hang. When this happens, I leave the laterals or young shoots beyond the 
bunches, instead of pinching them off, in order to encourage the Vines to 
gather or produce more nourishment for the fruit. I have noticed this 
before in these pages, and may have observed that there need be no fear 
of both the fruit and wood not ripening under the shade. For instance, the 
blackest Cherries are found under the shade of leaves; and without a proper 
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