374 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June i, 1907. 
Fruit Growing 
7.-GRAPES. for Amateurs. 
(Concluded.) 
For the illustrations mentioned in this article see previous numbers. 
Shanking. — There is nothing much 
more disappointing in connection with 
Grape culture than the shanking of the 
bunches and berries. The shanking 
occurs just when you see the result — as 
far as the crop is concerned—of your 
labour of half a year, and are priding 
yourself on having managed all so well. 
Shanking means the shrivelling of the 
footstalks of the berries. The latter soon 
fill with a concoction similar to sour 
water, or water into which some acid has 
been dropped. Sometimes a whole bunch 
will shank, at other times a few berries 
only will shrivel up. When once shank¬ 
ing occurs there is no remedy ; you must 
cut out the affected berries. 
The chief causes are overcropping, de¬ 
ficient root action, unduly forcing the 
Vines at that stage when the berries turn 
colour for ripening and subjecting the 
crop to sudden and violent atmospheric 
changes. 
Now, the cure, or preventive treatment 
will be clearly seen. Avoid overcropping. 
See that the roots are healthy and active, 
and not deep down in a. cold, waterlogged 
border, but near the surface ; do not keep 
the pipes too hot at nights when the berries 
are ripening, and attend to the ventila¬ 
tion of the structure. 
Mealy Bug. — Of all insect pests this is 
the most repulsive (see Fig 21). If you 
are sure that your Vines are free from in¬ 
sect pests, be very careful not to introduce 
any plants into the vinery which are har¬ 
bouring insects. Very often a few Azalea 
plants and others from the stove or green¬ 
house are put in the vinery for a period 
because the temperature is suitable, and 
it is in this way that mealy bug, thrips, 
and red spider is introduced to the Vines. 
Thoroughly clean off all loose bark from 
the rods in the autumn and winter, but do 
not peel the rods, stripping off hard bark 
(see Fig. 15). If mealy bug is found, stop 
every crack in the rod with Gishurst Com¬ 
pound, but do not touch the buds with the 
mixture. 
When the Vines are started in the spring 
carefully examine every rod about 10 
o’clock in the morning when the sun is 
shining, as if there are any mealy bugs 
left they will come out. Kill them, and 
follow up the hunt every morning. 
These pests increase rapidly and spread 
over the bunches, rendering the latter un¬ 
fit for use. Cleanse the rods of brown 
scale in a similar way (see Fig. 20). 
Thrip. —These pests are white when 
quite young, but soon turn to a dull yel¬ 
low. and finally to black. They infest the 
leaves when the latter are about half 
matured (see Fig. 19). Examine the 
under portion of the leaves, and where 
found sponge off the insects with 
soft soap and water. Sponging may be 
resorted to in the case of attacks of 
Red Spider. —A hot, dry atmosphere 
soon causes red spider to appear on the 
leaves. The insects are generally first 
found near chimneys and the hot water 
pipes. If you see several leaves turning 
brown, examine them for red spider. The 
insects are very small, but very numerous. 
Attack them early in their career. 
Painting the hot water pipes with milk 
and sulphur mixed, and heating them to a 
high degree will cause the death of red 
spider. But unless carefully carried out 
the remedy may prove worse than the 
disease in the destruction of much foliage. 
Sponging the leaves is the best plan, and 
occasionally sprinkling a little dry soot on 
the floor of the house, also a small quan- 
titv of manure water. If a little liquid 
manure is kept in the evaporating troughs 
on the hot water pipes the red spider will 
not give much trouble. 
Varieties for a Cool Vinery. 
Black Hamburgh, round-oval shaped 
berries, blue-black when ripe; flavour 
first class. 
Foster's Seedling, round-oval shaped 
berries, amber colour; flavour first class. 
Lady Hutt, round berries, amber colour, 
long tapering bunches; flavour second 
class. 
Madresfield Court, large oval-shaped 
berries, jet black when ripe, handsome in 
bunch and berry; Muscat flavour, first 
class. 
Esperione, round berries, large; colour 
purple-black ; flavour first class. 
Appley Towers, berries round - oval 
shaped, bunches and berries medium 
sized ; colour black ; flavour first class. 
Buckland Sweetwater, berries round, 
large; colour pale amber; flavour first 
class. 
Varieties for a Heated Vinery. 
Alicante, berries round-oval shaped, 
flesh firm and sweet; colour jet black; 
flavour first class. A late keeping variety. 
Gros Maroc, berries oval shaped ; colour 
deep purple, a good variety to finish well; 
flavour second class. 
Lady Downes, berries round-oval 
shaped, firm sweet flesh; colour jet black, 
a very late keeping Grape; flavour first 
class. 
Muscat of Alexandria, berries oval 
shaped, both bunches and berries are 
large, the bunches being long and taper¬ 
ing ; colour pale amber; flavour extra 
good, the best of all white grapes. 
Gros Colmar, berries quite round, extra 
large ; colour black ; flavour very good ; 
a thin-skinned variety much liked by in¬ 
valids. 
Bowood Muscat, a seedling from Mus¬ 
cat of Alexandria, which it resembles only 
it is freer setting. 
Mrs. Pearson, berries nearly round; 
colour amber; flavour first class ; a good 
late keeping variety. 
For Open Air Culture. 
Black Cluster, bunches and berries 
medium sized ; ripens well outside. 
Reine Olga, berries tawny or grisly, 
ripening well outside. 
The above are the best sorts to grow foi 
cool house, heated house, and open air. 
G. 
(To be continued.) 
Horticultural Societies’ 
Diary 
of Forthcoming Meetings. 
Abbreviations used. 
A.—Association 
Am.—Amateurs 
Ohy.—Chrysanthemum 
c.m.—Committee meeting 
Oott.—Cottage or Cottagers 
D.—District 
G.—Gardening or gardener 
Thus :—The Templeton 
Gardeners, Amateurs’ and 
ment Horticultural Society. 
H.—Horticultural 
M.I.—Mutual Improvt 
ment 
m.m.—Monthly meeting 
S.—Society 
w.m.—Weekly meeting 
G. Am. and Oott. M.ITLi 
Oottagers’ Mutual Improv. 
NOTICE TO SECRETARIES. 
Will secretaries of horticultural societie 
kindly send us at their earliest convenienc 
dates of shows and meetings to be heh 
during iqoj ? 
June. 
^rd.—Horsforth G.M.I.S. (w.m.); Walsal 
Florists’ S. (m.m.) ; Four Elms G.S 
(m.m.); Mansfield H.S. (m.m.) 
Kirkby Malzeard H.S. (m.m.). 
4th. ^Dundee H.A. (m.m.); Sevenoak 
G. and Am.M.I.S. (bi-m.m.); Yeo 
vil and D.G.S. (m.m.); Barkin; 
and Ripple Chy. S. (m.m.); Bourne 
mouth and D.G.M.I.A. (m.m.) 
Addiestone, Chertsey and Otter 
shaw G.M.I.A. (m.m.); Professiona 
Gardeners’ Benefit S. (m.m.); Cro\ 
don and D.H.M.I.S. (m.m.'' 
Loughborough G.M.I.A. (m.m.) 
Dulwich Chy. S. (m.m.); Rothei 
ham Chy. S. (m.m.); West Londo: 
(Hammersmith) H.S. (m.m.); Sea 
ton Delaval and New Hartley F. 
and H.S. (m.m.); Stirling an 
D.H.A. (Excursion). 
5th.—Forest Gate and Stratford Chy. £ 
(m.m.); Wood Green and D. Am 
H. S. (m.m.); Woburn and D. Coti 
G. S. (m.m.); Bideford and D.HF 
(m.m.); Tibshelf FI. H. and Ros 
S. (m.m.); Terrington and Marsh 
land H.S. (m.m.); Sheffield FI. an 
H. S. (m.m.); Newport (Mon.) an. 
D.G.M.I.A. (m.m.); Ipswich an 
•D.G. and Am.A. (m.m.); Wargrav 
and D.G.M.I.A. (m.m.). 
6th.—Woking H.A. (m.m.). 
7th.—Caterham H.S. (m.m.). 
8th. — Leeds Paxton S. (w.m.); Thornto 
Heath and D.H.S. (m.m.). 
Reading and District Gardeners' Mutual In 
provement Association. 
The closing meeting of the session wa, 
held in the Abbey Hall recently, Mr. V 
Turnham presiding over a good attei 
dance of members- The subject for tr 
evening was “Annuals,” and was intrc 
duced by Mr. W. Tunbridge, The Gai 
dens, Three Elms, Remenham Hill, "h 
dealt with the subject, not only in a prai 
tical manner, but also in a most interes 
ing way. He first touched upon tl 
management and culture of a garden di 
voted to annuals, mentioning that the fir: 
