1884 .] 
LOED BEACONSFIELD KASPBEKRY.-THE SHANKING OF GRAPES. 
165 
William Allen Bichardson, a Noisette, very 
pretty as a bud, deep orange with a shade of 
yellow. Madame Lambard, salniony-rose, 
handsome flower. Catherine Mermet, flesh, one 
of the best. Hon. Edith Gifford, rosy-salmon, 
a fine new Tea. Beine Marie Henriette, deep 
rosy red, a very distinct hybrid form. Saffrano 
and Madame Falcot, both charming in the bud 
state. Jean Ihicher, a fine globular Rose. 
Marie Van Houtte, yellow. Madame Berard, 
a neater flower than Gloire de Dijon but in 
the same way. Beaute de VEiirope, brownish 
yellow. 
The above Roses were not only in fine 
bloom, but they were making vigorous healthy 
growths, which promised to flower as long as 
the weather would permit them to do so.— 
James Douglas, Great Gearies, Bford. 
LORD BEACONSFIELD RASP¬ 
BERRY. 
WAS much pleased with the figure and 
description of Mr. Faulkner’s new Rasp¬ 
berry in a recent number of the Florist, 
and as my lot is cast not far from Ink- 
pen, I took a trip to see it, and was much 
gratified with the sight. The canes are stout 
and long, nine to ten feet high, as if they were 
under the best of treatment, but I found to my 
surprise they were not so. The soil is very poor 
sandy stuft', which is sufficiently shown by the 
fact that the land at Inkpen lets for 58. per acre ; 
indeed it is almost worthless. Still this Rasp¬ 
berry far surpassed mine, and though I manure 
mine every autumn, and mulch them every 
summer, they are very far behind this seed¬ 
ling, Lord Beaconsfield. The fruits are much 
larger than any of my sorts—I grow Prolific, 
Fastolf, Red Antwerp, and Yellow Antwerp— 
and the crop heavier by ten to one. If any 
one is about to plant Raspberries this autumn 
I am sure he cannot do better than to plant 
Lord Beaconsfield.— Williabi Phillipps, Gar¬ 
dener, Chilton Lodge, Ilungerford, 
THE SHANKING OF GRAPES. 
N an article communicated to the Florist 
AND PoMOLOGiST entitled “Vine Borders,” 
and which appeared in November, 1883, 
I gave it as my opinion that this dread 
scourge of the Grape grower is the result of 
starvation. And as anything that throws light 
on the cause, or suggests a remedy for such 
a common enemy is acceptable, I make no 
apology for recording what I consider a con¬ 
clusive proof of that assertion. 
In a greenhouse here in which Grapes are 
grown, the Grapes two years ago, 1882, shanked 
very much, so as to disfigure very many of the 
bunches. In October of that year I had the 
soil of the border, which is outside, removed 
so as to uncover the greater portion of the 
roots, and having secured a quantity of turf 
from the Deer Park, old and tough like that 
from a down, the grass on it looking as if it 
had been newly shorn, I had it laid grassy 
side downwards all over the roots four or five 
turves deep, the entire width of the border. 
The old soil, which was very good and of the 
same nature as the turf just used, viz., a rather 
light warm loam, to which had been added a 
quantity of prepared bones, was replaced. In 
1883 the Grapes again shanked, although not 
to the same extent, and finished better. This 
year they have finished beautifully, and there 
is not a shanked berry in the house. 
In dealing with this vine border I learned 
what may be useful to some of your readers. 
I have said that a quantity of prepared bones 
had been added to the soil comprising the 
border, apparently dug in as a top-dressing. 
Wherever the bones came in contact in any 
quantity with the roots, the latter were dead— 
in fact entirely rotten ; and I have no doubt 
that the shanking of the Grapes was due in a 
great measure, if not entirely, to the injudi¬ 
cious use of bones. Thus, however valuable 
bones may be in the formation of vine borders 
(and they appear to be almost universally 
applied to that purpose), they ought to be 
used with judgment, and thoroughly incorpo¬ 
rated with the soil, and on no account be 
applied in quantities direct to the roots. Re¬ 
garding stimulants, my own opinion is that 
where old tough turf of a light loamy texture, 
either from an old park or down, can be had, 
very little else is required ; and a border formed 
and treated as directed in the paper referred 
to above, will last for a good many years. 
While on the subject of Grape growing, the 
mind naturally reverts to instances where vines 
have produced enormous bunches of beautiful 
Grapes for three or four years, but have then 
been heard of no more. On inquiry the reply 
usually is. Oh! they shank badly and seldom 
produce a respectable bunch. Nothing can 
be more unsatisfactory, and especially as there 
is no difficulty in securing the very highest 
standardof excellence, viz., really eatable Grapes, 
with moderate borders and with a greater 
degree of permanency in the way suggested, 
than is usually obtained from large borders 
reeking with stimulants.— Henry Eckford, 
Boreatton Bark, Baschurch. 
