THE GARDENING WORLD. 
267 
December 23, 1899. 
the outdoor garden will have to be inspected on 
some future occasion. 
■ 1 - 
CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY. 
From about the beginning of December till New 
Year’s week, it may be said that " Christmas " and 
its festivities are celebrated in Germany. During 
this period, in all the cities and the towns, travelling 
caravans, gipsies, circus folks and dealers, congregate 
and pitch their tents. Each town has its amuse¬ 
ments all of a very mixed kind and which by a 
British community would be termed a fair, this last¬ 
ing for the moDth. On every evening the streets 
and bazaars are thronged with buyers who make 
their purchases, the articles being hidden away 
until the happy eve of Christmas. Each member 
of a family endeavours some way or other to buy a 
present for each of the other members, so that where 
the family is large, the endeavour becomes quite a 
task to fulfil. 
Another piece of information which seems some¬ 
what "drawn” to our British conception, is that 
every family should be able to indulge in a private 
Christmas tree. But such is the case. Thousands 
of Spruce trees (Picea) are grown by many of the 
farmers, who find it a paying crop to grow these on 
land which is unfit for the growth of cereals. These 
trees vary in size to suit the requirements and the 
purses of all classes, and may be seen stacked up in 
all corners and spaces in the towns, for sale. The 
richer people buy trees of about 15 ft. or more in 
height; poorer folks are content with trees about 
6 ft. or 8 ft. high. He must be a very poor man 
indeed, who, in Germany, cannot indulge in a 
Christmas tree. (The use of Christmas trees was 
introduced, of course, to the British Isles by the late 
Prince Consort). 
Well, then, having had three weeks of jollity 
beforehand, on Christmas eve, all is silent out of 
doors from about seven o’clock. Walk along the 
streets and look in at the cosy rooms. The glad 
tones of friends for some time parted having met 
again, ring out, and the voices of the little ones 
playiDg games, with strains of music and all that 
happy reunion brings, roll out, giving to the 
listener just a little melancholy touch, because away 
in his own home in another part too far off to visit, 
there all his friends are likewise happily gathered, 
and at these gatherings all thought of outside strife, 
of contention and bitterness has for the time, van¬ 
ished, for are not the carol-singers giving the holy 
hymn, "Peace on earth, goodwill to men,” and 
"Unto you this day is born a Saviour, Christ the 
Lord.” 
Yes, Christmas is a season of reunion, of love and 
peace, throughout all the Fatherland. Within the 
homes too, it is no uncommon incident for the 
father, the grandfather it may be, for grown 
up sons, with their wives and children, and 
daughters with their husbands, one and all to visit 
the old home if it is at all possible. The father 
then, dresses up as " Santa Claus,” well disguised, 
and ccmes into the room where all are assembled, 
at which juncture, the presents, so long kept hidden 
away, are now brought forth and presented. Various 
questions are asked by the bogus “ Santa Claus,” 
as to what the children have learned for him. 
Verses of hymns and wise quotations are repeated 
and amid much laughter, good wishes and singing, 
the visitant passes out. Many of the larger boys and 
girls—even up to twelve years of age,—believe this 
to be the genuine Santa Claus of tradition. 
Christmas day is one of three really holy days 
kept in Germany, the other two being that of the 
first Sunday in Easter, and the first Sunday in Whit¬ 
suntide. All other Sundays are just of the ordinary 
Continental type—free in the early morning and 
entirely free to go to theatres, &c. .after 4 o’clock in the 
afternoon. Everybody, the master and his servants, 
rich and poor, great and small unite as one brother¬ 
hood on Christmas eve, dining together and spending 
the evening as one family. 
Mistleto, Holly, and other subjects of this kind, 
reverenced in the British Isles, are not specialised 
in Germany. All sorts of flowers and plants are 
used, but none more so than others. And lastly, 
while the living meet face to face exchanging filial 
greetings and vows,think you that the departed ones 
are forgotten ? No. On very many graves there 
may be seen the Christmas tree and the pretty 
little fairy lights and other beauties, which remain 
throughout the night as a renewed mark of respect to 
those who once were included in the happy band 
under the parent roof.— H. Lohrman. 
GRAPE NOTES, &c. 
The exhibiting of fruits for the end of this century 
is drawing to a close, and much has been done to 
educate the present generation by writers and ex¬ 
hibitors in the art of high-class culture, especially in 
Grape growing. The question may be asked if there 
has been much improvement in fruit culture during 
the last half century. I am not prepared to say 
there has during forty years past. Varieties have 
been increased, useful for all purposes, but some of 
the finer sorts in their species have not been sur¬ 
passed. For example, the best Grapes are very old. 
Black Hamburgh, Muscat of Alexandria, and Mus¬ 
cat of Cannon Hall hold the highest positions on 
the exhibition tables now, as they did in our earliest 
recollections, to which I will refer further on. 
Among Peaches some fine additions have 
been made; but are they superior to the 
good old Noblesse, Royal George, and Belle- 
garde ? The additions of late and extra early 
varieties have relieved to some extent the cultivator’s 
labours. A Peach which will be ripe weeks earlier 
than what the good old sorts were, and good sorts 
which will ripen weeks later than the older ones, are 
of much moment to those who have to cultivate on 
open walls and under glass. 
Pears have had many acquisitions of much value, 
but many of the oldest in cultivation are often at the 
front as prize-takers. The merits of Apples, Plums, 
Cherries, &c., may be reckoned on the same lines. 
In regard to our literature on fruits it has been 
volumous, and what is better, it has for many years 
past mostly come from the pens of those who have 
given tangible proof of their capabilities as cultiva¬ 
tors. 
The Grape has always been a subject to engage the 
attention of writers on fruits. This subject, during 
the last year, has been greatly in evidence in most of 
the horticultural papers. Also at associations where 
gardening matters are discussed. Perhaps some of 
the ablest utterances have been expressed by Mr. 
Buchanan, of Forth Vineyard, and who has given 
such decided proof of his talents as a cultivator, 
both on exhibition tables, in markets and at the Kip- 
pen Vineyard. At that rising establishment one may 
see that light cropping of Vines for prize bunches is 
nowhere visible. On the contrary, the crops are re¬ 
markably heavy, as well as the quality being of the 
highest order. Mr. Buchanan's address on Grapes 
at the Scottish Horticultural Association rooms in 
Edinburgh was greatly relished by the savants 
assembled. His experience at Clovenfords and other 
well known Grape growing establishments has 
enabled him to manage his vineyard on high-class 
lines. The Clovenfords manure is in much favour at 
Kippen. Liberally and judiciously applied it is a 
great factor in building up the constitution of the 
Vine. 
Reverting to heavy cropping, it is many years 
since pessimists adduced that it was impossible that 
the Tweed vineyard could maintain its high reputa¬ 
tion. The enormous cropping has continued and 
we learn on good authority that the excellence and 
quantity of the fruit is as much in evidence this year 
as ever. 
Much has been said and written of late on the 
success of Scottish Grape growing. The question is 
what progress has been made, say, during the last 
forty years ? or take notes from the season of the 
first International Exhibition inaugurated by the 
Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. The Black 
Hamburghs, tabled by Mr. Meredith in the various 
classes, have never been surpassed at any northern 
show; and the best one is accustomed to see are 
seldom better than third-rate. Then the Muscats, 
which came from Archerfield (especially in the 
Journal of Horticulture's prize), and at subsequent 
exhibitions, are rarely equalled. The Lady Downes 
bunches, 18 in. long, and the immense bunches with 
sensational berries also, from the late Mr. Fowler, 
Castle Kennedy, would cause wonderment at the 
present time. 
Take other fruits, Pineapples from Archerfield 
(Smooth Cayenne variety), and the Grand Queens 
from Dalkeith, at that great show,were in excellence, 
far beyond anything we have seen exhibited in the 
north for many years past. In fact, those tabled of 
late years are generally poor, both in size and 
quality. At the second " International ” exhibition 
of the Royal Caledonian Society, the debut of the 
late Mr. Johnson, of Glamis Castle—who is yet re¬ 
membered as the most successful competitor at that 
exhibition which has been known in the century— 
eleven first prizes and two seconds against very strong 
competition of leading cultivators from north and 
south of the Tweed, was enough to turn the heads 
of some men; but George Johnson appeared as one 
of the least concerned in the show rooms. His 
Muscat Grapes, Lady Downes, Alicantes, Ham¬ 
burghs, and Muscat Hamburghs for colour, size of 
berry, and weight of bunch combined were said to 
be, by many of the leading judges present, the finest 
which ever had been exhibited in Britain. A large 
company of southern growers went to Glamis to see 
the Grapes at home, and there were hundreds of 
bunches to be seen equal to those tabled at Edin- 
