THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ November, 
igi 
set the berries properly. Thus special care is re¬ 
quired in setting, and a higher temperature is also 
requisite, to ripen the fruit thoroughly. Unlike 
black grapes, the Muscat of Alexandria is much 
benefited by leaving the fruit exposed to the direct 
influence of the sun. 
Season. —Late; will keep in good condition until 
late in spring. 
Merits. —First-class. The most handsome and 
highest-flavoured grape in cultivation. 
Muscat Bifere (58).—An oval wliite 
Muscat Grape. 
Vine. —Moderately robust in growth, and with a 
good constitution ; fruits freely. Leaves medium¬ 
sized, roundish. 
Fruit. — Bunches long, tapering, with broad shoul¬ 
ders ; freely set. Berries medium-sized, roundish- 
oval. Skin clear ; pale yellowish-green. Flesh 
firm, juicy, sweet, and with a very decided Muscat 
■ flavour. 
History, fyc. —Received from M. Andre Leroy, 
of Angers, and fruited at Chiswick. 
Cultural Notes. —Will succeed in any ordinary 
vinery. 
Season. —Early. 
Merits.— Second-rate. 
Muscat Blanc. —A synonym of White 
Frontignan : which see. 
Muscat Champion (73).—A round, red, or 
grizzly Muscat Grape. Synonym: Champion 
Hamburgh Muscat. 
Vine. — Growth somewhat gross and strong, the 
shoots often ripening badly, like those of the Mill- 
Hill Hamburgh ; shy-fruiting. Leaves large, much 
toothed, very flabby, dying off yellow. 
Fruit. — Bunches medium-sized, broadly shouldered, 
on very thick gross or fleshy stalks; an imperfect 
setter, many of the berries, although attaining a fair 
size, having no seeds. Berries very large, round. 
Skin thin, tender, of a dark-reddish or grizzly colour, 
seldom black. Flesh melting, very juicy, very rich 
and sweet, with a strong Muscat flavour. A noble 
and handsome grape. 
History. —Raised by Mr. Melville, gardener to the 
Earl of Rosebery, at Dalmeny Park, Edinburgh, about 
the year 1858, by crossing Mill-Hill Hamburgh with 
Canon-Hall Muscat. It possesses tho character¬ 
istics of both parents. It was sent out by Messrs. 
Veitch and Sons. 
Cultural Notes. —A somewhat difficult grape to 
cultivate, being slow in commencing to grow, and 
producing gross, badly-ripened wood. At Sandring¬ 
ham, Mr. Carmichael was particularly successful in 
its cultivation ; and Mr. Harrison Weir grows it 
with great success, in his low ground-vineries at 
Brenchley, Kent. 
Season. —Mid-season; will not keep long after 
being ripe. 
Merits. —First-class in quality, and very handsome. 
—A. F. Barron. 
CARNATION NOTES, 1881. 
HAVE found it not at all uncommon 
in past years, and of decidedly frequent 
occurrence this year, for Carnation 
seedlings to throw up a tree habit, and flower 
the same year. Out of a batch of seedlings 
froni Messrs. Sutton and Son’s Oren^dir) 
nation seed, no less than five have performed 
this freak, and come into flower in a decidedly 
perpetual manner—be., keep throwing up one 
flower after another—so that I expect to have 
them in bloom in the house all through the 
winter months. It is very convenient and 
agreeable to such an impatient florist as I fear 
I am, to know what my seed is going to do the 
first year. The school of Carnation growers 
will, I am afraid, pass a vote of censure on me 
for growing such things at all; but I like to 
experimentalise, apart from the florist section. 
2. Out of another batch of unorthodox 
French seed, I have had two remarkably fine 
instances of what I heard described, on July 
19th by Mr. Moore, as the “ Wheat-ear” Car¬ 
nation. This is not pretty, but it is most 
quaint, being a sort of hardening of a succes¬ 
sion of imbricated calyces about 1 in. long. I 
am curious to see whether this will remain 
constant. 
3. From the same packet of seed I had a 
cream-ground fancy, which ran up so fast and 
lanky that I planted it at the foot of a wire 
arch, and grew it up as a climber. It has suc¬ 
ceeded wonderfully, being still in flower, and 
about five feet high, straggling all over the 
trellis-work. It is most ornamental, and I shall 
certainly encourage its soaring aspirations. 
4. I obtained some seed from a yellow fancy, 
from the Tyrol, two years ago, and have ob¬ 
tained a bloom which, to my mind, is a decided 
improvement on most of our yellow grounds. 
It is a perfect rose-flake yellow-ground Carna¬ 
tion, good in form and substance, smooth at 
the edge, the colour in good, bold flakes. Mr. 
Dodwell, who alternately rather chaffs and en¬ 
courages his volatile pupil, tells me he fears I 
shall not be able to keep it through the year ; 
but I shall have a good try, and if I succeed, 
shall see what the judges at the show think of 
it next year. When the layers are ready, I 
shall send a pair to Mr. Turner, and if he 
approves of it at the blooming season, why, I 
shall be considerably pleased with myself. 
5. And lastly, I was considerably surprised at 
the beginning of the year by a curious instance 
of tenacity of life in Carnation pipings. By 
the courtesy of Mr. James Taplin, of Maywood, 
New Jersey, U.S.A., I obtained cuttings of 
half-a-dozen beautiful sorts of Tree Carnations. 
They reached me (beautifully packed) by post, 
