159 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 15 1857. 
boiled Potato. The parting from the stalk, too, is 
taken as another criterion ; but this, I think, must not 
be implicitly relied on. This condition mnst surely 
point simply to the fact, that Nature has performed her 
intent with regard to the seed ; and that the tree 
and its produce may fairly part company any time. If 
j these things can be admitted, it becomes a question at 
what period ought fruits to be gathered ? For my 
own part, I am sorry to say, that I cannot answer this 
on any set principle ; and to do it otherwise, is to use 
no small degree of boldness. 
It has been urged much of late, that the warm sum¬ 
mer has been the cause of fruits decaying so soon : 
but this, in my opinion, is a very doubtful matter. It 
is more likely to be the unusually warm autumn which 
lias hastened fruits to their maturity, and carried 
many in an untimely way beyond it. Since fruit in 
general was gathered, we have had a continuance 
of weather, which has been more like a fine Sep¬ 
tember than November; the thermometer here has 
generally been from 48° to 56°: this is extraordinary 
for the time‘of year. The nights too, for two or three 
weeks in November, were ranging from 36° to 40°: 
this is most unusual for the period. Now, it must 
very naturally be supposed, that such must exercise 
no small influence on fruits already hastening to 
maturity. Between this and an average of 30° what 
a disparity! Thus, this autumn, the Winter Nelis, 
which, in ordinary seasons, comes into use in the end of 
November, and lasts until Christmas or into January, 
was ripe and in use by the second week in November, 
and was all over by the end of the month. The 
Marie Louise, which usually is a November Pear, 
suffered a similar fate, being all over by the second 
week in November. The Glout Morceau is now 
(December 3rd), in full perfection: these we did not 
think of using in ordinary seasons until nearly Christ¬ 
mas. Reurre Ranee, too, strange to say, is now 
nearly fit for table, although generally a February 
and March Pear. 
Of Apples, Ribstons, threaten to be over-ripe very 
shortly ; Nonpareils are fit for table, and these used 
to be a Christmas-to-April affair : and so on with some 
others. One tiling may be observed:—all Pears are 
well-flavoured and melting this season. Those usually 
good are excellent; and those which used to be 
middling, are first-class fruit. 
Amidst these considerations, the question of stocks 
very naturally comes in view. I do not know how 
others have fared with their dwarf Pears on Quince 
stocks, but I find some kinds very poor in a warm 
summer, and to be liable to crack, and to become what 
gardeners term hide-bound, and this in the best of 
soil. We all know that the Quince roots are fibrous, 
and near the surface, as compared with those of the 
free or wild stock ; and this circumstance points to 
their greater susceptibility of drought. I am of opinion 
that in all light-soiled gardens, a good deal of an ad¬ 
hesive loam should be used in the compost; and that 
good mulchings should be annually applied after a 
soaking May rain. This will both encourage and 
engender surface fibres, and protect them from ex¬ 
tremes when produced. 
Still, I am persuaded that if the free stock could bo 
I treated as it deserved, there would be less occasion for 
i the Quince. To those possessing small gardens, and 
1 who do not understand Pear trees, the Quince stock is 
i of much importance. The free stock, however, should 
be transplanted every year after the second, until the 
! season previous to grafting or budding, in order to 
I produce fibrous roots ; for by no other means, as far 
: as I am aware, could it be accomplished. Thus, about 
i three annual transplantings consecutively, and each 
j time the roots pruned—cutting away every coarse and 
downward root—the tree would be found to become 
almost as fibrous-rooted as a Quince ; and would pos¬ 
sess, in my opinion, a larger endurance. 
Speaking of the keeping of fruits reminds me of a j 
paper by Mr. Wighton in the number for Dec. 1st, 
It appears he has tried many experiments, but can • 
draw no positive conclusion in favour of any of the j 
various plans he has tried. He names one experiment 
the trying them on damp turf. This, I suppose, was 
to imitate, as far as possible, the conditions a fallen i 
fruit is frequently found under, having escaped the 
gatherer—being snugly ensconced amongst the decayed j 
leaves of the tree. I well remember in former days 
having found fruit fresh in such situations, and that 
long after those carefully stored had decayed. But one 
thing may be remarked: they are apt to become 
somewhat insipid in such a situation. Mr. Wighton 
bears testimony to this fact ; and his general remarks 
are worthy of much attention, for he is a practical man 
of long standing. R. Eeeington. 
THE ESPERIONE GRAPE VINE. 
Who could have foreseen the turn of the tide, when, 
in 1852, I planted my experimental Vine to see 
whether the English or the Russian gardeners came 
the nearest in their practice to the theory of Vine 
culture ? But I had stirred the cauldron after the 
manner of a man-cook, and not before it was “ high 
time as it would seem from the thick parts of the 
contents which were burning at the bottom of the 
cauldron, besides the quantities which were sticking 
round the sides, going to “ wastie,” as poor Sandy 
McPharlan, the “claft body,” would say. But, again, 
if ever one stir the English, the Irish, or the Scotch, 
in the matter of fact or figures, the Rose and Shamrock 
will put forward the Thistle side of the question, and 
prick him to the very bottom of his ribs. I had no 
more intention at the lime of stirring up, or stirring 
round, the contents of this or that kettle, than I have 
at this moment of troubling you with the account of 
the weight or strength of the artillery which was 
brought to bear on this question from either side of 
the “borders.” Suffice it to say, that there was no 
general at Sebastopol, on either side, with whom I 
should sooner measure cold steel than this general of 
true English blood and pluck, who never spares, or 
cares to be spared, himself; and in the following 
narrative I have his entire consent to “cull anything 
from what he said bearing on the subject,” except the 
strength of our artillery, “ which was only for our¬ 
selves.” 
He opened the battle with this broadside :— 
cc You ought to know how the Rsperione Vine can be 
distinguished; (by the way, have I not heard somewhere 
that the Grape and its name are both Spanish ?) and so I 
send you two leaves—the purple from the Rsperione , and the 
other from the Hamburgh. The Vines are standing side by 
side, in pots, in the house. If you want to see Grapes, you 
should come here. On my sandy slopes, on Vines tied to 
stakes, I have had bunches weighing 2 lbs. 2 ozs. No matter 
how they arc pruned, they toill bear. 
“ Three times out of five the Jlamburgh has been sold for 
Rsperione , which I know to my cost.”—Tnos. Rivers, Nur¬ 
series, Sawbndgeworth. 
To gain time to “ organise ” my resources, I an¬ 
swered, “ If you have been growing and selling this 
purple-leaved Vine (the Black St. Refers, to all ap¬ 
pearance,) all these years, no wonder the gardeners 
could not make out my Grapes in Willis’s Rooms last 
week ;” and this encouraged him to offer a challenge 
“to clear up the matter.” 
“ I enclosed the leaves of the Vines to you in a sort of 
