September 4. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION. 403 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
i c * 
Weather near London in 
1853. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
SEPTEMBER 4—10, 1855. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches, 
4 
Tu 
Convolvulus Hawk Moth. 
30.351—30.302 
80—35 
E. 
— 
18 a 5 
40 a 6 
10 26 
23 
0 58 
247 
5 
W 
Death’s-head Moth. 
30.421—30.410 
68—36 
E. 
— 
20 
38 
11 20 
24 
1 18 
248 
6 
Th 
Humming-bird Moth. 
30.378—30.236 
73—38 
N.E. 
21 
36 
morn. 
25 
1 37 
249 
7 
F 
Oak Egger Moth. 
30.237—30.206 
76—46 
E. 
23 
33 
0 a 23 
26 
1 £)/ 
250 
8 
S 
Great Prominent Moth. 
30.221—30.176 
67—43 
N.E. 
—— 
24 
31 
1 34 
27 
2 IS 
251 
9 
Sun 
14 Sunday after Trinity. 
30.174—30.139 
68—32 
N.E. 
— 
26 
29 
2 45 
28 
2 38 
252 
10 
M 
Pale Prominent Moth. 
30.191—30.101 
68—33 
N,E. 
— 
28 
26 
3 56 
29 
2 59 
253 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest tern- 
peratures of these days are 69 .1°, and 48.1°, respectively. The greategt heat, 83°, occurred on the 5th, in 1848; 
on the 4th, in 1850. During the period 101 days were fine, and on 95 rain fell. 
and the lowest cold, 30°, 
THE FRUITS AND FRUIT-TREES OF GREAT 
BRITAIN. 
NO. IV. 
THE STOCKWOOD GOLDEN HAMBRO' GRAPE. 
Scarcely a season passes in which we have not some¬ 
thing new in the way of fruits; but it rarely happens 
that they possess anything more than novelty to recom¬ 
mend them. The mass of new fruits puts us in mind 
of that host of rhym9ters, who, having only a dreamy 
vision of Parnassus, never reach it, yet, nevertheless, 
fancy themselves poets. But as it rarely happens that 
we have mor^than one good poet, or two, at most, in a 
generation, so also, if we obtain one or two, really good, 
enduring new fruits in the same period, we may be 
thankful. Within the last twenty years we have had 
“ Victoria,” and many other sorts of Hambro’, all of 
which made a great noise in their day ; but they were 
soon forgotten, and men betook themselves to the old 
Black Hambro’ again. The variety which we have this 
week chosen for our subject is one which is not likely 
to be so soon forgotten, but which, there can be no 
doubt, will be as enduring as its parents, the old Black 
Hambro’ and the White Sweet-water. 
The Stockwood Golden Hambro’ was raised from 
seed by Mr. Busby, the excellent gardener to S. Crawley, 
Esq., of Stockwood Park, near Luton. It was not ob¬ 
tained by chance, as many of these things are, but was 
the result of a careful process of hybridization, which 
was pursued with the view of obtaining just such a re¬ 
sult as has been arrived at. It was raised from the 
Blade Hambro ’ impregnated with the pollen of the 
White Sweet-ivater. There was only one flower impreg¬ 
nated, and the operation was successful; a fine berry 
being produced, which contained five seeds, four of which 
vegetated. Two of the plants were thrown away; one was 
destroyed by accident; and the survivor is the variety 
which, through the kindness of Mr. Busby, we are ena¬ 
bled now to introduce to our readers. The growth of 
the vine bears a stronger resemblance to the male parent 
than-to the Hambro’, being short-jointed in the wood; 
but the foliage is more similar to that of the Hambro’, 
being large, five-lobed, and the veins and footstalks 
tinged with red. The bunches are large, loose, branch¬ 
ing, and shouldered, varying from six to nine inches in 
length, and the footstalks are short and stout. The 
berries are large, and hang loosely on the bunches, an 
inch long, and seven-eighths of an inch wide, and of an 
uniform oval shape. The berry stalks are rather long, 
stout, and considerably warted. Skin thin and tender, 
of a pale yellow colour, but, when highly ripened, of a 
pale amber. Flesh delicate and melting, very juicy, and 
remarkably rich, sugary, and vinous, leaving on the 
palate a full and luscious flavour. Each berry contains 
from two to three seeds. 
Our figure is taken from a bunch kindly forwarded to 
us by Mr. Busby, and although our space would not 
admit of a full representation, still there is sufficient to 
show the character of this excellent new fruit, whict is, 
No. CCCLXIL Vol. XIV. 
