THE GARDENING WORLD. 
25 
September 10, 1887. 
VINE-GROWING AT HARVEY 
LODGE. 
We recently had the pleasure of inspecting the Vines 
and witnessing the interesting experiments being quietly 
carried on by William Roupell, Esq., Harvey Lodge, 
Roupell Park, Surrey. Fine flavoured Grapes are his 
great favourites, so that we do not find his attention 
wasted on the large-berried and popular sorts of the 
day, such as Gros Colmar, Lady Downes, Gros Maroc, 
and similar kinds so popular in the London market 
and with a certain portion of the English community, 
whose pleasure in Grapes is communicated to them 
more through the eye than through the sense of taste. 
In this respect we differ greatly from the French on 
the other side of the Channel, who justly esteem Grapes 
for their excellent qualities in the way of flavour. 
The only Grapes planted out at Harvey Lodge are 
contained in a small span-roofed vinery about 35 ft. 
long and 17 ft. wide. The border arrangements of this 
house are inside, and rather unique in their way from 
the fact that a shallow bed is constructed beneath the 
wooden panelled pathway. A side border runs down 
each side of the house, and is necessarily narrow owing 
to the small size of the house. Extra feeding is there¬ 
fore considered necessary, and the side borders being 
raised, a brick wall built on arches runs along the front 
of each, so that the Vine roots can pass into and feed 
in the bed beneath the pathway. The material in this 
central bed is not bulky, but in compensation is well 
supplied with manurial plant food in a concentrated 
condition. On entering this house the visitor is struck 
with the air of neatness, cleanliness, and tidiness per¬ 
vading the house and its occupants. Even the piping 
and other accompaniments of the heating apparatus 
along the sides of the pathway are enclosed in a wooden 
casing that answers the purpose of seats. All is 
scrupulously clean, including the Vines, insect and 
fungoid pests being unknown. Ventilation both top 
and bottom, the latter especially since the Grapes 
began to colour, is carefully attended to, and no 
Asteiis. 
syringing has been done since the bunches became 
fairly visible in spring. This latter fact is very 
significant considering the healthy state of the Vines, 
and shows what can be done in the way of careful 
ventilation and general cleanliness. 
Muscat Hamburgh or Venn’s Seedling Black Muscat 
is grown in this house, but had ripened and the Grapes 
were cleared off before the time of our visit. It is a 
thin-skinned purplish black Grape, with a melting 
juicy flesh and a fine Muscat flavour. The Muscat of 
Alexandria is cultivated in three different forms or 
reputed varieties, namely, the Bowood Muscat, 
Wrighton Castle and the common form ; when young 
and vigorous they appear distinct, but as the Vines 
attain great age, the differences disappear. The dis¬ 
position of this grand Grape to crack is not 
displayed at Harvey Lodge. Mr. Roupell accounts for 
this by his special mode of treatment with regard 
to pruning and stopping ; his aim is to avoid a check 
to the flow of sap at critical junctures in the develop¬ 
ment of the fruit, and in this he has some argument in 
his favour. After the Grapes begin to colour the 
laterals are allowed to run on without check, and no 
stopping is done when they are swelling rapidly ; all 
the light possible is admitted to the bunches of this 
as well as other white Grapes, as soon as they commence 
to ripen ; while the fruit of black varieties enjoy a 
considerable amount of shade. The experience here 
with regard to planting is, that Vines of Muscat of 
Alexandria, planted in summer while in full growth, 
will soon overtake those a season or two older, if they 
happen to have been planted in autumn or while at 
rest. As a rule the rods are simply allowed to run to 
the top of the house on each side ; two of these short 
rods were found to carry seventeen bunches of fruit, 
and a rod allowed to pass down the other side of the 
house, so as to equal two of the ordinary length, 
produced the same quantity, so that there seemed no 
advantage of one system over the other. 
The Vines in another house are all grown in 13-in. 
pots, and trained up under the glass as if planted out 
in an ordinary lean-to vinery. A good compost is 
used in which to grow them, and bone-meal is added 
when potting. The after-feeding consists of a top¬ 
dressing of cow-manure, soot, and lime in spring, with 
a supply of liquid manure during the growing period 
and previous to the colouring of the fruit. Strong rods 
are produced by this system of treatment, and they are 
not retained after the second or third year. A young 
rod is allowed to develop from the base of the Vine at 
the same time that another is bearing fruit, so that the 
younger one is able to take the place of the old rod, 
which is cut away immediately after the fruit is 
gathered, and while it is yet in full leaf. The result 
of this is that the young rod acquires a greatly-increased 
vigour, and ripens its wood better than it would other¬ 
wise do. A rod of Dr. Hogg, we noticed, treated in 
this way, was 9 ft. long, and of remarkable strength 
throughout. 
Amongst fruiting Vines, Madresfield Court bore an 
excellent crop considering the small pots in which it is 
grown, there being eight large bunches with pro¬ 
portionately good berries. The Frontignan Grapes 
were highly interesting, especially considering how 
seldom they are cultivated in private establishments. 
The Auvergne Frontignan is one of the earliest as well 
as the best of Muscat-flavoured Grapes. It is a white- 
fruited variety, and was a great favourite of the late 
Thomas Rivers. Nine bunches were borne on a rod, 
and although classed as a white kind, the fruits were 
just beginning to acquire the golden tint for which they 
are noted. 
Equally conspicuous were two distinct varieties 
of the Grizzly Frontignan, likewise a Muscat Grape. 
The ordinary or old variety has round, thin-skinned, 
pale red or tawny berries—that is, striated with two or 
more shades of red, which give them a curious and 
unique appearance. The fruit is rich and pleasant, 
with a Muscat flavour. The other or new variety was 
very distinct, and readily distinguishable at the time 
of our visit by the much darker colour of the fruit, 
which was grown under the same conditions, the Vines 
being contiguous. The flavour of both is similar, but 
the bunches of the older kind are larger ; and the 
fruit, when allowed to hang till it shrivels, is very rich 
and grateful to the taste. The Purple Constantia, 
from which the liqueur wine is made at the Cape, is 
something of a novelty, and is very successfully cul¬ 
tivated here. The bunches are long and somewhat 
tapered, but not heavily shouldered. The fruit is 
round and of a dark purple colour, with a thin skin, 
faintly striated with red, and marked with dark 
blotches ; but as it ripens these markings disappear, 
concealed by the copious bloom covering the berries 
when they are perfectly finished, the accomplishment 
of which is successfully managed at Harvey Lodge. 
The flesh when ripe is firm, and of excellent flavour. 
Plenty of ventilation is given during the ripening 
period, and the hot-water pipes are just kept warm 
with a gentle heat. In grafting the Duke of Buccleuch 
on the White Frontignan by way of experiment, to 
test whether a greater fruitfulness of habit could be 
induced, a very curious freak of nature has presented 
Chrysanthemum-flowered Aster. 
Quilled 
