44 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[March, 
very large, deeply toothed, very downy on the under 
side. 
Fruit. — Bunches very large, loose, and straggling, 
with long thin shoulders; sets freely. Berries 
medium-sized, round. Skin thin, membranous, 
pale greenish-white. Flesh moderately firm, juicy, 
sweet and pleasant to the taste when well ripened, 
hut by no means rich. 
History, fyc. —This is a very old grape, the name 
appearing in all the old lists; it is, however, not cul¬ 
tivated to any extent now. There is some confusion 
between this White Nice and the Syrian, although 
they are very distinct. Mr. Fowler, of Castle Ken¬ 
nedy, is reported to have exhibited a hunch weighing 
17 lbs. 2 oz.; and Mr. Dickson, of Arkleton, others 
respectively weighing 18 lbs. 7 oz., 19 lbs. 5 oz., and 
25 lbs. 15 oz. 
Cultural Notes .—Requires treatment similar to 
that of the Black Hamburgh, but takes a somewhat 
longer time to ripen. Keeps well after ripening. 
Season .—Late ; improves by keeping. 
Merits. —Second-rate. 
White Portugal. —A synonym of White 
Lisbon: which see. 
White Raisin. —A synonym of White Lis¬ 
bon : which See. 
White Romain (12).—An oval white Sweet¬ 
water Grape. 
Vine. —Growth moderately robust; very free- 
fruiting. 
Fruit.—Bunches small, broadly shouldered, com¬ 
pact; freely set. Berries medium-sized, oval. Skin 
thin, very transparent, pale greenish-yellow. Flesh 
thin, juicy, sweet, and very pleasant. 
History, fyc. —Received, from Mr. Rivers, and 
fruited at Chiswick. In the Fruit Manual it is 
stated to have been named White Romain, to distin¬ 
guish it from Muscat Romain, under w T hich name it 
was imported. 
Cultural Notes .—Requires treatment similar to 
that of the Royal [Muscadine; also suitable for or¬ 
chard-house culture. 
Season. —Early. 
Merits .—Second-rate ; adapted for pot-culture. 
White Sweetwater.— A synonym of Royal 
Muscadine : which see. 
White Tokay (94). — An oval white Vinous 
Grape. 
Vine. —Growth remarkably strong and vigorous, 
with a fine free constitution; the young shoots very 
strong and always ripening well; very free fruitiDg. 
Leaves large, deeply toothed. 
Fruit. — Bunches above medium size, on strong 
foot-sf alks, regularly formed, bavin g stron g shoul ders; 
compact, always freely set. Berries large, ovate. 
Skin thick, greenish-white, becoming pale amber- 
coloured when fully ripe. Flesh firm, yet tender and 
juicy, with a sweet pleasant or sometimes rich flavour. 
History, Sfc. —An old grape at one time much 
more extensively grown than it is at present, and 
confused to some extent with the Muscat of Alexan¬ 
dria, which, in the north, used to be called Charles- 
worth Tokay. Mr. Roberts, gardener to Baroness 
Rothschild, at Gunnersbury, is cultivating it largely. 
Cultural Notes. —Will succeed in any house suit¬ 
able for the Black Hamburgh, but is better if 
allowed a little longer time to ripen the fruit 
thoroughly. 
Season. —Late ; much improved by keeping. 
Merits .—A first-class late white grape, very worthy 
of cultivation. 
Wilmot’s Hamburgh.- —A synonym of Dutch 
Hamburgh : which see. 
Zante. —A synonym of Black Corinth: 
which see. 
—A. F. Barron, Chiswick. 
DISBUDDING. 
11 THIS is one of the forms of pruning, and 
Rj j it is practised usually on shrubs or 
eS-p small trees to regulate shape, to induce 
' c fruitfulness, to check exuberance. It 
is a common saying in regard to arresting 
vicious habits, that they should have been 
“nipped in the bud.” A wild rose in the 
hedgerow has a strong shoot three or four feet 
high, and terribly beset with hooked prickles. 
Now this wilding has perhaps been mistaken 
for something better, but it was in vain that 
better things were expected from such a sub¬ 
ject, and in the long run five pale petals will 
be all it can produce in the way of flower; so 
it becomes clear, when too late, that it should 
have been nipped in the bud. In the Peach 
blossom usually three buds are found to¬ 
gether, the centre one is a wood bud, wTiich 
in due time will bring a healthy shoot, and 
extend the tree; but for this purpose it is of 
no use to save the flower-buds, for they will 
not produce either healthy shoots or ripen 
fruit, since there will be no leaves to draw up 
sap for them. These, if I may use the ex¬ 
pression, will disbud themselves. Now care 
must be taken to leave foliage if we expect 
fruit, for although there may be what botanists 
call adventitious buds, that may arise on the 
stem or elsewhere, yet these are not fruit- 
buds and cannot discharge the duties of 
buds duly matured. 
I have scarcely seen an old Pear-tree on a 
wall that did not stand in need of Disbudding 
all over, for every foreright shoot that now 
cumbers the w'all would at the bud stage 
have wanted little but searching out, and the 
shoots that at midsummer would fill a w'heel- 
barrow might have been carried away in the 
crown of the gardener’s hat without labour 
and without any litter left behind. The fore- 
right shoots are just the weeds of our wall- 
trees, and should be treated as such. 
So much has been done with the Rose, and 
done well, that I need not name it, except as 
an example of Disbudding not to be surpassed, 
