LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
447 
vines, goes far to induce the suspicion that the disease is somehow 
connected with our house-management. 
We never saw shanking prevail in early-forced vineries; of this, 
however, we are not quite certain, and we should thank Mr. Stafford, 
or any other correspondent, to enlighten us on this point. We always 
noticed the Black Hamburgh to be most subject to this disease, par¬ 
ticularly those grown in greenhouses, and consequently ripening late. 
In a vinery we once had charge of, there were two vines which were 
had from Welbeck, viz. the Aleppo or Leopard grape (from its being 
party-coloured, black and white), and the Petro-Semina, a white- 
fruited variety, and generally yielding large bunches. Both were 
inferior-flavoured fruit, but good bearers, seldom failing, except by 
shanking, as were the bunches of a White Muscat of Alexandria in the 
same house; which latter, by-the-by, was in too cold a situation, to 
which we then attributed its failure, and that of the two others, to 
excessive crops. 
At this moment, however, we are, like Mr. Stafford, bound to confess 
that we certainly know of no remedy, except only that which Mr. S. 
has proved to be of no avail, namely, reducing the number of bunches 
to ease the tree. 
One of our correspondents (Mr. Bale, we believe) makes a distinc¬ 
tion between withering and shanking . The former we have often 
noticed to occur at the points of the bunches, indicating a want of 
vigour in the system to mature the whole bunch; at least so we con¬ 
ceived it to be, though in this we may be also mistaken. 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
LETTER EIGHTEEN. 
It is somewhat remarkable that the approaches, the fencing, and the 
various domestic conveniences, platforms for exercise, and prospects 
from a lordly country seat, bear some resemblance to those strongholds 
which, in former and turbulent times, were found necessary as places 
of refuge and security to the owners. To be secure from hostile foes, 
moveable bridges, deep moats, embattled walls and ramparts, narrow 
portals, and massive gates, were all necessary to prevent a forcible 
entrance. 
In the erection of those strongholds much ingenuity was necessary 
to ensure the safety of those within from the missiles of the foe without. 
