676 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
case of various other subjects taken in hand 
by man ; but that the aboriginal home of 
the Vine is in Armenia to the south of the 
Caucasus where it climbs upon tall trees, 
and fruits in great abundance and variety. 
That it should do so in -a wild state explains 
how growers have been able to increase the 
varieties of the Vine almost indefinitely so 
to speak, for has not M. Andre Leroy, of 
Angers, catalogued some 417 varieties, or, 
at least, names, for it must be somewhat 
difficult to discriminate between many of 
them, the distinctions of which must be in¬ 
finitesimal. In the record of famous Vines, 
ancient and modern, we fail to note the 
Kinnell Vine, mentioned in our last issue, 
a Vine that can ripen 1,300 lb. of Grapes 
as a single crop is no common one. The 
“land of the mountain and flood” may not 
be celebrated for large Vines generally, but 
it still wears the blue ribbon for big bunches, 
for which growers in the land of cakes are 
justly proud. Trebbiano and Black Ham¬ 
burgh seem to be the most notable for the 
production of big bunches amongst modern 
varieties. Amongst ancient varieties Syrian 
gives large bunches, though the finest pro¬ 
duced by Speechly, of Welbeck, which 
weighed over 19 lbs., does not seem to have 
been surpassed in this country, whatever 
the bunch may have weighed which was 
gathered at the brook Eshcolby the twelve 
spies sent by Moses to spy out the land of 
promise. By the way, the modern belief is 
that this was the variety Syrian, known 
also as Raisin de la Terre Promise and other 
names. Carrying the bunch on a staff 
between two men may have been an ex¬ 
pedient to prevent injury to the berries, 
and not by reason of weight. 
Several chapters detail the process of Vine 
culture, commencing with the methods of 
propagation,which every son of the profession 
should thoroughly understand. The raising 
of new varieties, the making of Vine borders, 
houses for Vine growing, heating, planting, 
the general management, pruning and train¬ 
ing, the setting, thinning, and keeping of 
fruit, as well as the packing of Grapes, all 
form themes for chapters, which, in the 
aggregate, form a compendium of every¬ 
thing it is necessary that a gardener or Vine 
grower should know concerning the theory 
and practice of the subject. Other chapters 
deal with Vines under a multiplicity of con¬ 
ditions, the chapter on “ Commercial Grape 
Culture ” being of great importance at the 
present day, in view of the great and grow¬ 
ing importance of Grape growing for mar¬ 
ket. Grapes for dessert purposes are still 
more or less extensively introduced, but 
they are annually of decreasing impoitance 
except as a cheap supply of the commodity. 
British grown Grapes yield to none on the 
points of size, quality, finish, and the prices 
they command, so that so long as a good 
article is in demand, as opposed to a cheap 
one, home growers need not fear com¬ 
petition. It is strange that Grape culture 
(we refer to under-glass culture) should 
have been carried to greater perfection in 
this northern land than in any other country, 
the native country of the Vine not ex¬ 
cepted. This is no doubt due in part to 
the intrinsic merit of the varieties, but also 
to superior cultivation, as well as to the 
cultivation of sorts physically adapted for 
hothouse culture in a northern climate. At 
the same time we must not forget that our 
largest, most juicy, and finest looking 
varieties are not in all cases synonymous 
with the best flavour. That is a point that 
has been greatly neglected in Grapes of 
recent cr modern times in Britain. Many 
of the foreign favourites are really of 
superior flavour though lacking in flesh, 
juice, and size. We do not overlook the 
fact that many small berried varieties are 
grown in this country, but they lack popu¬ 
larity or admirers, and the growers are few 
and far between. One of the most valuable 
chapters in the book is that devoted to 
“ The Varieties of European Grapes ” ; for 
here we have a description of the first, 
second, and third-rate varieties grown, to¬ 
gether with their history, including origin, 
the special peculiarities of each variety, 
and the particular mode of treatment (if 
any) which certain varieties require. All 
these recorded facts are of the utmost im¬ 
portance to gardeners and growers in every 
branch of the profession, and render the 
book a handy manual or even an encyclo¬ 
paedia for reference when one is in quest of 
some or other particular or piece of infor¬ 
mation that has escaped the memory. In 
the compilation of up-to date manuals upon 
the subject of Grape-growing in the future, 
this chapter will have to be frequently con¬ 
sulted, for apart from cultivation and 
general management it is the most com¬ 
prehensive and most closely packed with 
information of a useful and instructive 
kind. 
Most of the old illustrations are again 
utilised, to which some new ones have been 
added, so that the book is well illustrated 
throughout. The figures are for the most 
part of a utilitarian character, meant to 
elucidate the text, and not merely for orna¬ 
menting the pages. There are 88 of these 
illustrations, including 30 figures of Grapes. 
Printing and binding leave nothing to be 
desired, so that the book is well worth the 
money. No gardener’s library should be 
without a copy of this standard work on 
“ Vines and Vine Culture.” 
-- 
Lectures at Chiswick.—In order not to clash with 
the Richmond Show, Professor Henslow’s lecture 
announced for Wednesday, June 27th, will be given 
on Tuesday, June 26th, instead.— W. Wilks, Sec. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The R. H. S. 
Committees meet at ir.30 a m. at the Richmond 
show on Wednesday next, 27th inst. ; and members 
will have to sign their names in the attendance 
books at the entrance. 
Orchis maculata, Scillas, Primroses, Anemone nemo- 
rosa and other pretty “ spring '' flowers are blooming 
in profusion in some of the Scotch Highland glens at 
present. The cold weather in spring had kept the 
Primroses back, and on the advent of fine weather, 
all the above were flowering together, though the 
Primroses were the first to reach the flowering stage. 
The blue and purple Viola lutea amoena is simply 
lovely, as is the Bog Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata.) 
A Giant Bay Tree.—There is an increasing 
interest in Bay trees, and large specimens when 
offered, may be expected to realise good prices. For 
the last three years there has been an annual im¬ 
portation into the United States of America of about 
5,000 trees from Belgium. The Bay is a very 
desirable decorative tree for a portico or corridor, or 
indeed, anywhere in close proximity to a building, 
and can be kept over the winter in a cellar free from 
frost. It would seem also, that a taste is generating 
in favour of well executed clipped trees. 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh.—On Friday, 
June 15th, a meeting of this society was held in the 
class-room at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. 
Mr. A. Robertson, M.A., B.Sc , St. Andrew’s, con¬ 
tributed a preliminary note on “ Witch’s Brooms.” 
He described and exhibited specimens found on the 
Larch, Ash, Thorn, Birch, &c., their cause being by 
fungus or insect agency. Mr. James A. Terras, 
B.Sc., assistant secretary, made a communication 
on “ The germination of the winter buds of Hydro- 
chatis Morsus-Ranae.” Specimens of Eucalyptus 
ficifolia were exhibited by Mr. Robertson, and 
another specimen grown in Rome by Miss Orrock. 
Geranium sjlvaticum was exhibited by Dr. Stuart, 
Chirnside. The first-mentioned specimens were in 
f uit, from garden near Arbroath. The plants were 
grown from seed sent from Australia several years 
ago. The young plants grew rapidly, and flowered 
freely in August. 
June 23, 190G. 
The Banana plant is said to produce more food 
in relation to the ground it covers than any other 
member of the vegetable kingdom. 
Mr. C. F. Wood, for some years head gardener to 
to St. Barbe Sladen, Esq. at Heathfield, Reigate, 
Surrey, and for some time previous to that with the 
late Sir George Macleay, Pendell Court, Bletching- 
ley, has been appointed head gardener to Col. R. G. 
Cosby, Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, Queen's Co., 
Irelanf. 
The Furze.—Has your correspondent " C. B. G. ” 
any authority for stating that the word “ Ulex,” the 
botanical term for the genus, is indicative of “all 
prickles ” ? If it be the fact that it has this meaning, 
how could it possibly be better rendered by " all 
flowers”? So far as I can glean, the derivation of 
the word is entirely unknown, but was used by 
Pliny as the name of a shrub allied to the Rosemary, 
though Linnaeus gave the name of Ulex to the 
Furze— J. C. Stogdon. 
Rose Souvenir de Catherine Guillot.—A coloured 
illustration of this Tea Rose appears in Rosen 
Zeitung for June. The variety was raised by J. 
Pernet-Ducher in 1894. The flower varies from 
medium to large size, and is described as of a beauti¬ 
ful yellowish carmine-red. Another description is 
that the particular tone is that of Azalea mollis, in 
Indian yellow overlying an orange-yellow ground. 
The bud stage of the bloom is very handsome, the 
interior being paler. As a buttonhole Rose or for 
house decoration in vases it is really very hand¬ 
some. 
Bye laws of the Royal Horticultural Society.— 
“ A special general meeting of the Fellows of the 
society will be held at the Drill Hall on Tuesday, 
July 3rd, 1900, at 4 p.m , for the purpose of adopt¬ 
ing, with or without alteration or amendment, the 
following Bye-laws for the society.” The above 
notice is printed at the heading of the pamphlet of 
the new Bye-laws prepared by the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, and, we presume, now 
sent to all the Fellows, so that the latter should be 
prepared to sanction the same with or without 
amendment on the above mentioned date, which 
coincides with the next meeting of the society at the 
Drill Hall. There are ninety-six Bye-laws arranged 
in fifteen chapters to te considered, so that Fellows 
will do well to read them over and go to the meeting 
prepared to sanction or amend the same, so that no 
time be lost on the date of the meeting. Otherwise 
the time taken to discuss them at the meeting will 
be long and serious. At the same time, however, 
there are many, in fact, the most of the Bye-laws 
are reasonable and their object obvious, so that after 
passing them any one can be altered or revoked at 
any subsequent general meeting, provided every 
alteration, revocation, or amendment of any one of 
them, or any new Bye-law is printed and circulated 
amongst the Fellows, at least twenty-one days prior 
to the general meeting. 
Onions in Bermuda.—Nowhere in the world (ex¬ 
cept Britain ptrhaps) are Onions grown to such a 
state of perfection as in the Bermudas. The balmy 
climate and lich soil of these islands combine to 
produce Onions that, for size and flavour, are peer¬ 
less. They are always sound, juicy and crisp, and 
about 30,000 crates of Onions are annually shipped 
to the United States. The American growers com¬ 
plain of the evil effect of these free-trade importa¬ 
tions on the local Onion markets. The Onions are 
selected, packed in crates of 160 lbs., and sent off in 
March and April. The Onions are then transmitted 
to the receiving wharf, and rigidly inspected. If 
any unsound or inferior bulbs are discovered, the 
farmer has to re-pack and select the whole lot. The 
seed of the Bermuda Onion is grown on Teneriff 
Island. Two kinds are raised, one producing the 
earlier white variety, the other the red bulb. The 
seed is sown in drills, 8 in. apart, about September, 
in enormously enriched land. The fields in which 
the Onions are grown are little pockets of earth 
scattered here and there over the islands, being 
deposits in the depressions between rocks. They 
are often surrounded by Oleander hedges to break 
the gales. The plants are set out in beds when 
about the size of a goose quill, and so many as 800 
crates have been taken from an acre. An account 
and illustration of “Onions in Bermuda” appears 
in American Gardening for May 19th. 
