THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 10, 1857, 
79 
size, exactly as.one .of my correspondents predicted— 
the one who came nearest the mark, and whose letter 
of the 28tli of September I shall inclose to the Editor, 
that I may not even seem to have the least partiality 
either one way or the other. I had five other main 
shoots of last year’s growth in fruit under the experiment, 
j and each of them turned out exactly like this one. 
The longest shoot of the five was thirty-five eyes long, 
and the bunch weighed 15 ozs., full. The next was 
j twenty-five eyes, the next fifteen, and so on; but the 
scales alone could tell the difference in all of them, and 
three of them were sent to a dinner party without being 
weighed: the smallest bunch on the Vine was over 
11 ozs. They were very regular all over. Next week, 
or the one after, I shall tell how the Vine is treated, and 
how I think all Vines out of doors would pay best, 
give my opinion and my very best thanks to my Wood- 
stock correspondent, and my blessing to all who had 
a finger in the pie. D. Beaton. 
[Mr. Aiton, writing in the Horticultural Society’s 
j Transactions, iii., 93, where a coloured drawing is given 
of this Grape, says, “ I first noticed the Esperione Grape 
about the year 1804 in the catalogue of Mr. E. Williams, 
; the respected nurseryman at Turnham Green. Struck 
with the novelty of the name I procured from him three 
healthy Vines, which were planted the same year in 
His Majesty’s gardens at Windsor in a south aspect, 
and 800 square feet of wall were allowed for their 
culture. This space was completely covered in the 
fourth year, and since that time the plants have always 
produced and matured large crops of fruit. Unfavourable 
as was the last season (1817) they ripened about 1200 
bunches of well-coloured Grapes. The Esperione is 
prolific to an extraordinary degree, very hardy, and of 
most luxuriant growth, perfecting its fruit equally well 
and early with the Sweetwater and Muscadine, and in 
; unfavourable seasons has a decided advantage over these 
! varieties, and, indeed, over any other hardy Grape that 
j I am acquainted with. The wood of this Vine is strong 
and high-coloured; the buds are large, round, and 
woolly. The fruit is produced on large bunches, hand¬ 
somely shouldered, differing little in size from the 
Hamburgh. The berries vary much in size, being some¬ 
times round, frequently flat-rotund, and indented on the 
head with the remains of the style. A groove or channel 
is often observed on one or both sides, decreasing from 
the head downwards. The skin, which is covered with 
a thick blue farina, is of a deep purple colour, inclining 
to black. The flesh adheres to the skin, and, though 
neither high-flavoured nor melting, is pleasant. The 
leaves are variously cut, and die upon the tree of an 
orange hue. I have no doubt that it is the same Grape 
as Turners. Langley has figured it in his ‘Pomona,’ 
plate 45, but without giving a description.” 
Lindley, in his “ Guide to the Orchard,” copies the 
above, but gives no additional information. In the 
“ Catalogue of the Horticultural Society ” it has the 
synonymes “ Hardy Blue Windsor, Turner’s Black, 
Cumberland Lodge, and Red Port (of some).” With 
regard to the name we believe it to have reference to its 
being raised from seed here in the west, esperios, in 
Greek, being westerly. —Ed. C. G.] 
REMARKS ON A EEW WINTER FLOWERS. 
I have before adverted to the forcing of hardy shrubs, 
and now intend to point to a few features of culture in 
some other adjuncts to the forcing house, and which 
may be made to blossom from the end of November to 
the end of March—some longer still. 
Camellias. —Some desire the blossoms of Camellias 
in March and April rather than in the autumn; others 
from November onwards: to the latter I, for the present, 
address myself. When Camellias are well managed, 
however, there i3 no difficulty in getting a collection of 
even a dozen bushes to blossom from the beginning of 
November until the middle of April. I have a house 
which thus blossoms every year, and during the period 
I have alluded to produces thousands of flowers. Thus 
has it succeeded for many years, and at this period, 
October 16th, it is more full of blossom-buds than ever, 
and many just on the eve of opening; some few 
blossoms liave already expanded. These trees were 
forced into wood in May, and, the buds being as large 
as Marrowfat Peas by Midsummer, they were placed out 
of doors in the early part of July, and housed in the early 
part of September. From the period at which they were 
turned out they have constantly had the benefit of weak 
liquid manure, but so weak that the water is just fairly 
coloured by it, and they will continue to receive it 
through most of the winter. I may now allude to the 
treatment such require during the blossoming season, 
for this is somewhat important. In order to continue a 
succession of blossoms a certain average of temperature 
is necessary, and were I to fix a uniform standard I 
should say 50°. But days and nights differ, and ought 
to do; therefore let us say night minimum 35°, maximum 
458 ; day minimum 40°, maximum 60°. And here let 
me point to ventilation matters. However much young 
growing stock of Camellias may enjoy a closed and 
damp atmosphere, I am assured that as liberal a 
ventilation as the weather will permit should be 
exercised towards those blossoming. It will be found 
that they expand with more boldness, their markings 
are better, and the colours more vivid; added to this 
they will endure longer. But there exists yet another 
reason for a liberal ventilation : it is indispensable that 
no drip lodge on the flowers, or floating vapours become 
condensed. The dissipation of confined vapours depends 
on two powers acting in concert, viz., heat and ventila¬ 
tion ; in other words, a motion promoted in stagnant 
atmospheres and a means of escape for the vapour, 
which, otherwise condensing by contact with the cold 
roof, must descend in the form of drip. In order, 
therefore, to encourage this ventilation a sufficient 
amount of fire heat must be had recourse to. Liberal 
waterings must be given, and will be required if the 
plants are in health and are right at the root; if not it 
is difficult to advise. The chief point after these 
matters are attended to is to be cautious in the use of 
much fire heat, and to endeavour at all times to fall back 
on as low a temperature as the weather and the con¬ 
dition of the plants will permit. 
Violets. —Another winter pet, and, albeit not a 
greenhouse shrub, as Camellias, &c., yet must not be 
neglected if a continual produce is looked for. I .have 
been in the habit of producing winter Violets for thirty- 
five years, and have, therefore, had ample means for 
watching their habits. As to their habits as a wild 
plant on the hedge back, Nature has provided for them; 
but they become so modified in character fly attempts 
to what we call force them, that a little nice handling 
becomes requisite. I have at this time a four-light pit 
planted with balls of earth in the end of September, and 
they are the finest lot of Neapolitans I ever saw, being 
now covered with their sweet and exuberant blossoms. 
These were early runners planted out in the end of 
April; they are now compact little tufts, and have a 
comfortable home in a good brick pit, but devoid of any 
artificial heat. They have been once well watered, 
and it is extremely probable they will have no more. 
But let us look into the requisites for their winter 
management. The first thing to be secured is an 
immunity from frost. It does not signify their being 
subjected to a low temperature every night; such is, 
indeed, desirable; but they will not endure frost as to 
