150 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ July, 
The mechanical operation of thinning Grapes is thus performed :—Procure a 
little cleft or forked stick about six inches long to use with the left hand, in 
order to hold the bunch firmly without touching it, and take a pair of grape- 
scissors in the right hand. Trim the bunch if required into proper shape first, 
then continue by cutting out all the inside berries, next all the small berries, 
and then the side berries. The expert hand will cut these off two or three or 
more at a time, not singly, as the hesitating, unpractised hand will do. This, it 
will be found, will have materially lessened the work, and all that will remain to 
be done is to go on, and regulate the remainder to the required distance apart. 
The time that is occupied in thinning grapes is very great, but it must be 
given to the operation if good grapes are desired. It will take about five minutes 
for an expert hand to thin properly a 1-lb. bunch. With larger bunches it is fre¬ 
quently desirable to tie the shoulders up, and so spread the bunch out, or loop 
them up to the trellis with S-shaped pieces of thin wire of the requisite length ; 
others prop the shoulders up from underneath with little bits of wood ; but for 
ordinary cultivators none of these aids are required ; the berries as they swell lift 
one another up, and the clusters thus remain compact. Care should be taken 
not to make the bunches too thin, as when that is done they are so loose when 
cut as to spread all over the dish. They should be so thinned, that when ripe 
and cut they will remain firm, whilst yet every berry has been allowed to freely 
develop itself.—A. F. Barron. 
THE BEDDING PANSIES AT CHISWICK. 
the spring months few hardy flowers are more effective as bedding plants 
than the race of Pansies known as Bedding Pansies. Their colours are 
generally rich and decided, while the blooming season of the true bedding 
sorts is continuous for a considerable period. About 90 varieties have 
been grown this year at Chiswick, whole beds being devoted to many of them. 
The following have been selected as the cream of the collection :— 
Dark Purples. 
Mulberry (Dean).—A dwarf compact-growing variety, of spreading and free- 
flowering habit; the flowers are dark reddish plum-purple, with very small 
yellow eye, and they are well displayed. A First-class Certificate awarded by 
the Floral Committee last year was confirmed on the occasion of a recent (June 
9) critical examination of the collection. 
Lothair (Dean).—A novel and attractive variety, having a dwarf compact 
habit of growth ; the flowers are large, deep purple, with small yellow eye, and a 
broadish bronzy spot just below it on the lower petal; a distinct and rich-looking 
flower. Awarded a First-class Certificate. 
Cliveden Purple. —This variety was not in the collection, but it is noticed 
here as being considered by growers the finest of its colour—a rich plum- 
purple. 
Tyrian Prince (Dean).—A handsome variety, awarded a First-class Certifi¬ 
cate last year, but this year voted a Second-class only ; it is of fine compact, but 
stout-growing habit; flowers large, dark velvety mulberry-purple, with small 
yellow eye. 
