September 20, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
37 
then was a sturdy, sharp and active young man named 
John Dawe, chosen by Mr. Pince as likely to suit the 
new place. That same John Dawe is gardener there 
now, and although age is creeping on him, he can still 
grow Mrs. Pince’s Muscat to perfection, and last week 
he wrote me saying that the Vines at Pitt were planted 
in May, 1853, and amongst them a sort labelled Red 
Muscatel. In 1859 this Vine produced an immense 
crop, the black oval-shaped berries being unusually 
fine. He took a bunch to Mr. Pince that season, hoping 
to obtain from him its correct name. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Pince were much pleased with 
its flavour and appearance, and curious to relate, Mrs. 
Pince discovered two stones or seeds in the fruit, which 
were perfectly round and different from the others. 
These Mrs. Pince sowed, and from them sprang a 
white Grape and a black Grape ; the former was named 
Mrs. Pince’s White Muscat, and is sometimes met with 
even now, but it never became popular, and the latter 
is the Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat. Mr. Dawe further 
records that a Black Prince grew on one side of the 
aforesaid Red Muscatel, and a Black Frontignan on the 
other, and remarks that the form of the bunch of Mrs. 
Pince’s Black Muscat partakes of the character of the 
Black Prince. All he says concerning its culture is :— 
“To grow it well you must treat it the same as yoil 
would the Muscat of Alexandria, otherwise it is likely 
to set badly, and it is worthy of notice that the most 
perfect bunches come from the older Vines, and if 
ripened by October will keep free from damp and 
shrivelling for several months.’’ 
I have just returned from Devonshire, and on 
Saturday week, in conversation with one of the 
largest and most successful market growers in that 
part—viz., Mr. Brown, of Exeter—he remarked that 
he was about to plant Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat 
extensively for market work, so high was his opinion 
of it. His famous house of Black Hamburgh were all 
over then, but he showed me, among others, a large 
vinery about 100 ft. long, by 8 ft. wide (span-roofed), 
of the Muscat of Alexandria —a truly magnificent 
display of the Grape-grower’s art, which can, perhaps, 
only be thoroughly appreciated by the initiated, but 
•has nevertheless enthralling beauties of its own. 
It was the year after Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat was 
distributed that I started as a crock boy at the old 
Exeter Nursery, and so for many years had ample 
opportunity of observing how it was cultivated there, 
the great feature being to always remember that this 
Grape is most essentially a late Grape, and to treat it 
as such.— TV. Napper, Chelsea. 
--- 
ZINNIA HAAGEANA FLORE 
PLBNO. 
In characters and general appearance this plant closely 
resembles Z. elegans, and has flower heads similar in 
size. The leaves are, however, narrower, hairy, and 
although sessile or shortly stalked, they do not clasp 
the stems in the same way as those of Z. elegans. The 
flower heads of the type or single form have golden 
yellow or orange rays, and continue to be produced 
throughout the summer. The stems grow from 12 ins. 
to 18 ins. in height according to soil, the amount of 
space they are given to develop, and the nature of the 
season. The species is supposed to be a native of 
Central America, and requires similar treatment to the 
Mexican and better known Z. elegans. As in the case 
of the latter, the double form represented by our 
illustration is more ornamental and more appreciated 
in gardens than the single. The large, closely imbri¬ 
cated heads are certainly more conspicuous, and there¬ 
fore most effective in the flower garden. A bed of well- 
grown Zinnias, whether of Z. elegans or Z. Haageana, 
is a welcome relief to the overdone Pelargoniums. 
-- 
HYBRID STREPTOOARPUS. 
Since the late Mr. Charles Green used to bring up in¬ 
teresting specimens to the South Kensington meetings, 
no one seems to have done much with the genus until 
Mr. Watson, of Kew, took it in hand. Previous to 
the introduction of S. Dunnii the colours of the flowers 
were confined to blue, violet, white, or a mixture of 
these hues. The flowers of S. Dunnii are of a brick- 
red, and therefore added something entirely fresh to 
the list of Streptoearpus in cultivation previous to that 
time. With the exception perhaps of S. polyantha and 
S. Dunnii, all the kinds produce a number of leaves 
from the crown or rootstock. The solitary leaf of the 
latter under favourable conditions attains a length of 
3 ft., and 18 ins. in breadth or more. The flower 
scape develops a large cymose panicle of tubular flowers. 
The flowers of S. Rexii (generally twin on a scape) were 
crossed by pollen taken from S. Dunnii, and from the 
result the hybrid seedling S. kewensis was obtained. 
This produces large flowers of bright reddish mauve, 
striped in the throat with brownish purple. A number 
of flowers are produced on a scape. 
Another, and even a prettier variety, is found in 
S. Watsoni, which was obtained from S. parviflorus, 
fertilised with the pollen of S. Dunnii. The flowers 
are smaller than those of S. kewensis, and rosy purple, 
striped with red in the white throat. The flower stems 
are numerous from the base of the solitary leaf, and 
carry from ten to sixteen flowers each. Another 
seedling from the same parentage as the last, and named 
White Pet, has white flowers, striped with yellow and 
violet in the throat. All are easily grown in pots, but 
they also succeed wonderfully when planted out along 
the borders of the walks in a greenhouse or conservatory 
in properly prepared light soil. The quantity of 
bloom produced is simply wonderful. It is to be hoped 
that the improvement already effected will not be 
allowed to rest or lapse into oblivion at this juncture, 
but that improved strains will continue to be produced 
till improvements have been effected similar to what is 
seen in the Gloxinias of the present day. 
-- 
HOPS. 
It seems but a few weeks since, that a committee of the 
House of Commons was sitting, giving patient investi¬ 
gation to the troubles, real or assumed, of the Hop 
industry. The general conclusion seemed to be, from the 
evidence, that only protection in some form, such as 
checking the importation of foreign Hop3 or of putting 
some stop to the use of other ingredients in the manu¬ 
facture of beer, would do the Hop growers any good. 
It sounds very odd now, and after so short an interval 
also, to learn that Hops are fetching remarkably high 
prices in the market—indeed, are obtaining tip-top 
prices, with the result that those who have good 
samples will this year make small fortunes. The Hop 
industry is certainly a very uncertain one. It seems 
to be quite as uncertain as is hardy tree fruit culture. 
When there is a poor season, prices rule high ; when 
we have a good season they are low, for the simple 
reason that the bulk produced largely exceeds the 
demand. But if Hops be a speculative crop, it does 
seem as if those who speculate in them have their wins 
sometimes, as this year, when sums almost fabulous 
in amount are being netted. After all, we may ask, 
what have the Hop growers to contend with that is 
more exasperating than is late white frost with fruit 
growers, or disease with Potato producers ? It would 
be stupid to demand protection from these evils, 
because the Legislature cannot give it, and whilst Hop 
growers have found in cold springs, excessive blight 
and mildew, and attacks from bees, reverses hard to bear, 
they have also found occasional gains, as the present 
season shows. As horticulturists, we have no great 
concern with Hop growers, but all the same desire to 
see the prosperity of all sections of soil cultivators. 
Still, there must be no legislation for this or that soil 
industry which is intended to specially favour certain 
growers at the expense of all other persons. We have 
got past the days of legislative protection, and may 
now take it for granted that after the extraordinary 
prices now being paid for Hops, we shall hear no 
further demand for it in relation to Hop cultivation. 
--»2<e-- 
NOTES FROM FELIXSTOWE. 
The yellow cliffs of Felixstowe, with their wonderful 
antediluvian remains, have doubtless an ancient 
history dating back far into the remote ages of the 
past. Here the geologist may pursue, to his heart’s 
content, his fascinating pastime of digging out and dis¬ 
covering fossil treasures, which to him are rewards of 
his labour and his love. Not so is my mission ; I look 
rather to the surface of the earth for my pleasure and 
profit, than presume to dive down into the bowels of 
our mysterious planet. Enough for me is it that the 
earth is fair to behold, and full of the marvels of 
vegetable matter. 
The visitor to Felixstowe, whether he be geologically 
or botanieally inclined, cannot fail to find much food 
for reflection and digestion. With a salubrity of 
climate not to be excelled on the east coast, by virtue 
of its unique position, it is at once a splendid field for 
the rambling botanist, and an admirable temporary 
home for those in search of health and rest. Situated 
between the rivers Orwell and Deben, on a high 
plateau of land, it is claimed that the aqueous vapours 
brought down by these tidal rivers commingling with 
the vast volumes of marine air from the German Ocean, 
produce such an exhilarating and yet warm and sweet 
atmosphere as to be suited to all classes of invalids. 
And what is agreeable to these prostiate people, must 
surely have a wholesome effect on vegetation. Trees 
have, however, not yet been submitted to trial, as 
Felixstowe is in a condition of transition, and art has 
not yet been invoked to mend nature. Shrubs are 
pretty plentiful, and embrace such things as Arbutus, 
Laurel, Lilac, Weigela, Cupressus, Tamarisk, &c., this 
latter graceful shrub assuming, where not cut down 
annually, tree-like proportions. 
Houses here and there exhibit some pretence to and 
love of floricultural decoration, but for the most part 
Flora’s aid is little dreamt of. This I attribute to the 
ephemeral character of Felixstowe as a health resort 
during the summer months. The lover of nature— 
vegetable nature—however, need not repine, for an 
excursion to the salt marshes just outside the town will 
refresh his vision with many beautiful marine subjects, 
now in their full glory, glistening and glowing in the 
warm September sun. The sweet-scented pink-flowered 
maritime plant, the Thrift or Sea-pink (Armeria 
vulgaris), is especially abundant, as is also the white, 
dwarf, and interesting Bladder-Campion (Silene mar- 
itima). Patches of Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) 
occur frequently, and that pretty trailing Grass-vetch, 
Lathyrus Nissolia, raises its beautiful pea-shaped 
flowers for our admiration. Many other less rare but 
not less beautiful wildings waste their sweetness on the 
desert air. Even the Sea-barley (Hordeum maritimum) 
here persists, often to the exclusion of everything else. 
One reason for the existence of such a variety of 
flowering plants in the neighbourhood of the crag cliffs, 
is the presence of numerous springs issuing out from 
the junction of the crag strata and the London clay. 
The possibilities of Felixstowe, which at the present 
Zinnia Haageana flore pleno. 
