104 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1,  1895. 
It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  above  are  the  only  points  to  be  con¬ 
sidered  in  potting,  far  from  it;  there  are  many  others  of  equal 
importance,  well  known  to  those  experienced  in  the  art,  and  easily 
acquired  through  careful  observation  by  any  who  are  aspiring  and 
anxious  to  learn.  To  such  I  would  say  that  there  are  two  ways  of 
doing  everything — namely,  the  right  and  the  wrong ;  and  though  the 
former  is  often  attended  with  extra  trouble  and  labour,  it  is  the  only 
safe  course  to  follow,  and  the  only  one  by  which  success  is  sure  to  be 
the  result. — G.  H.  H. 
MODERN  GRAPE  GROWING. 
The  Flowering-  Period. 
{^Continued  jrom  page  57.) 
This  is  an  anxious  time  with  cultivators,  and  close  attention  to 
many  little  details  is  requisite  ;  even  then,  if  the  previous  treatment 
has  not  been  correct  partial  failure  frequently  follows.  The  most 
important  point  to  attend  to  in  my  opinion  is  the  condition  of  the 
border  in  which  the  roots  are  growing.  This  should  neither  be  too  wet 
nor  too  dry,  and  it  must  be  sweet.  It  frequently  happens  that  more 
water  is  given  at  the  time  the  buds  are  bursting  than  is  required,  and 
this,  too,  not  of  the  purest  quality.  Where  they  are  not  composed  of 
soil  which  is  of  a  retentive  nature  it  is  advisable  to  mulch  all  inside 
borders  before  the  bursting  of  the  buds,  and  nothing  is  better  for  this 
purpose  than  farmyard  manure,  in  which  there  is  a  good  proportion  of 
cow  excreta.  This  is  more  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  soil  drying 
too  fast  at  a  later  stage  than  for  the  fertilising  matter  it  may  contain, 
and  it  is  applied  at  this  time  because  if  it  contains  much  ammonia 
there  is  considerable  risk  in  applying  it  when  the  young  leaves  are 
expanding. 
If  it  is  allowed  to  become  partially  dry  after  being  placed  on  the 
border  all  will  be  well  ;  but  if  it  ia  deluged  with  water,  with  the  idea  of 
making  the  Vines  start  vigorously,  it  will  not  have  that  effect,  and  it 
may,  as  it  cannot  be  taken  up  by  the  plants,  have  the  effect  of  making 
the  soil  sour,  and  consequently  unsuited  for  the  roots  to  start  in.  Vines 
cannot  be  fed  at  this  stage,  and  although  it  is  a  common  practice  to  do 
so,  there  is  no  use  in  applying  quickly  acting  manures,  whether  natural 
or  chemical,  for  this  purpose;  and- if  they  have  been  fed  and  watered 
during  the  previous  summer  as  required,  they  will  want  very  little  of 
anything  till  after  growth  has  commenced. 
A  few  days  before  the  flowers  expand  the  borders  should  be  examined 
with  great  care.  I  generally  make  a  hole  or  two  with  a  small  trowel, 
and  although  a  few  roots  may  be  injured,  it  is  better  to  injure  a  few 
than  that  all  should  suffer.  If  the  soil  is  found  to  be  in  a  good,  sweet, 
workable  condition,  and  will  not  bind  together  when  slightly  pressed,  it 
should  be  watered,  and  it  is  not  safe  to  delay  the  operation  a  single  day, 
for  the  Vines  have  commenced  to  drink  in  earnest,  and  it  is  astonishing 
what  a  difference  there  will  be  in  the  soil  in  a  few  hours.  If  it  has  not 
been  done  before,  this  is  a  good  time  to  apply  a  stimulant,  either  in  the 
form  of  weak  liquid  manure  or  a  light  dusting  of  one  of  the  good 
fertilisers  advertised. 
Borders  are  often  damped  too  frequently,  especially  when  they  have 
to  be  walked  on,  all  interstices  becoming  filled  up,  and  I  have  even  seen 
moss  making  an  attempt  to  grow  on  them.  Very  little  air  can  then 
enter  the  borders,  and  they  cannot  be  in  a  suitable  condition  for  the 
roots.  Damping  is  required  as  much  during  flowering  as  at  any  other 
time,  but  it  should  not  be  done  late  in  the  day,  unless  through  some 
mismanagement,  the  atmosphere  has  become  too  dry.  The  proper 
time  to  do  it  is  in  the  morning  of  a  bright  day,  after  the  flowers 
have  become  sufficiently  dry  for  the  pollen  to  be  active  and  any  neces¬ 
sary  artificial  impregnation  of  the  flowers  has  been  performed. 
Night  temperatures  should  not  be  allowed  to  fall  much  below  60°  for 
the  shy  setting  varieties  at  this  stage,  or  there  will  be  too  much  dew  on 
the  flowers  when  the  sun  rises  in  the  morning,  and  it  is  essential  that 
they  be  sufficiently  dry  for  the  pollen  to  be  active  by  10  or  11  A.M. 
Air  ought  to  be  admitted  as  soon  as  the  sun  begins  to  make  itself  felt 
in  the  morning,  and  should  be  increased  as  the  temperature  shows  signs 
of  rising. 
A  sott  and  balmy  air,  with  every  ventilator  and  door  wide  open,  and 
the  thermometer  standing  between  80°  and  85°,  is  the  thing  to  be  desired  ; 
then  if  everything  has  been  done  properly  there  will  be  little  difficulty 
in  getting  a  good  set  of  most  varieties.  Indeed,  if  there  is  no 
structural  deformity  in  the  flowers,  such  as  we  find,  for  instance,  in 
Alnw’ick  Seedling,  fertilisation  will  take  place  easily  and  naturally,  but 
it  is  almost  certain  there  is  an  advantage  in  cross-fertilisation,  one  of 
the  results  being  a  more  speedy  and  more  regular  setting  of  the  flowers  ; 
therefore  it  is  my  practice,  and  I  believe  that  of  many  good  growers,  to 
go  over  all  the  principal  bunches  with  a  bit  of  fur  or  a  large  camel’s  hair 
brush  every  morning  during  the  time  of  flowering,  frequently  changing 
from  one  variety  to  another.  If  there  is  a  house  of  Muscats  we  would 
go  over  few  bunches  of  some  other  variety  first,  then  a  few  Vines  of  the 
Muscats,  next  a  few  of  some  other  variety,  and  back  again  to  the 
Muscats. 
By  this  time  there  will  be  a  mixture  of  pollen  on  the  brush,  and  we 
proceed  any  w'ay  we  like  till  all  are  finished,  excepting  always  Alnwick 
Seedling,  which  must  be  specially  attended  to.  The  flowers  of  this 
variety,  in  addition  to  being  deformed,  seldom  or  never  get  dry,  conse- 
•quently  the  brush  can  only  be  used  on  two  or  three  bunches  before  the 
pollen  becomes  clogged.  The  brush  must  then  be  dried  and  charged 
with  a  fresh  supply  of  pollen  from  another  variety,  or  if  there  are  many 
qunches  to  operate  on  it  is  necessary  to  have  more  than  one  brush. 
By  the  time  most  of  the  flowers  are  expanded,  say  in  three  or  four 
days  after  they  commence  opening,  another  operation  will  be  necessary, 
and  this  is  more  especially  the  case  with  Muscats.  There  are  always  a 
great  many  unfertilised  flowers  in  the  bunches  of  this  class  of  Grapes, 
and  if  they  are  not  dislodged  now  there  will  be  some  difficulty  in 
getting  them  out  at  a  later  stage.  Each  bunch  receives  a  smart  tap 
daily  sufficiently  hard  to  shake  out  all  the  small  berries  which  have 
become  loose.  This  can  be  done  by  tapping  the  stem  with  the  thumb 
nail,  but  when  there  is  a  large  number  of  bunches  to  be  operated  on 
and  some  of  them  out  of  the  reach  of  one’s  hand  I  know  of  no  better 
plan  than  having  two  sticks,  one  of  small  size  to  be  placed  on  the  stem 
of  the  bunch  or  on  the  lateral  close  to  it,  and  the  other  to  give  the  first 
stick  a  smart  tap. 
Some  varieties,  as  Lady  Downe’s  for  instance,  will  not  clean  them¬ 
selves  in  this  way,  and  the  small  berries  must  all  be  cut  away  with  the 
scissors  at  a  later  stage,  which  is  a  very  tedious  operation.  Luckily  for 
the  rising  generation  this  splendid  Grape,  not  being  so  showy  as  some 
others,  is  not  now  in  much  request.  Gros  Colman  sets  all  its  flowers, 
but  the  berries  are  very  easy  to  thin  out. 
In  the  absence  of  sun  for  two  consecutive  days  while  the  Vines  are 
in  flower  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  the  pipes  rather  warm  before  noon, 
rising  the  temperature  up  towards  80°,  and  having  at  least  a  little 
ventilation  at  the  top  of  the  house,  otherwise  some  flowers  of  the  shy 
setting  varieties  when  they  are  most  wanted  may  not  be  fertilised. — 
WM.  TAYLOR.  (To  be  continued.) 
THE  LATE  MR.  T.  H.  RABONE. 
In  our  last  issue  we  made  brief  mention  of  the  death  of  Mr.  T.  H. 
Eabone,  the  well-known  gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury  and  Talbot 
at  Alton  Towers,  Staffordshire.  Born  sixty-two  years  ago  in  the  little 
village  of  Wellsborne  in  Warwickshire,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
father  at  an  early  age,  and  was  therefore  thrown  on  his  own  resources. 
He  commenced  his  horticultural  career  in  a  neighbouring  establishment, 
and  subsequently  served  as  a  young  gardener  at  Packington  Hall, 
Shrubland  Park,  and  Trentham,  where  he  received  an  efficient  training. 
On  leaving  the  latter  place  he  became  head  gardener  to  S.  Adderley, 
Esq.,  at  Barlaston  Hall,  Staffordshire,  and  left  there  about  the  year 
1859  to  enter  the  service  of  the  late  C.  M.  Campbell,  Esq.,  then  at 
Hartshill,  Stoke-on-Trent,  with  whom  he  afterwards  removed  to  Wood- 
seat,  where  he  made  for  himself  a  name  as  an  efficient  fruit  grower, 
winning  prizes  at  many  of  the  principal  shows  in  the  country. 
It  is  not  surprising  that  when  the  position  as  head  gardener  at 
Alton  Towers,  which  is  only  four  miles  distant,  became  vacant  about 
1868,  the  untiring  energy  of  Mr.  Eabone  prompted  him  to  make  an 
effort  to  obtain  the  appointment.  The  effort  was  successful,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  he  held  the  reins  of  management  of  the 
extensive  domain  under  his  charge.  He  was  a  man  of  many  resources, 
and  when  some  years  ago  the  arduous  duties  of  estate  steward 
were  added  to  his  already  large  task,  he  proved  quite  equal  to  the 
occasion,  and  was  as  much  at  home  superintending  the  erection  of 
a  building,  managing  a  farm,  sowing  a  bed  of  Onion  seeds,  or  the 
more  delicate  task  of  pitting  the  finishing  touches  to  a  dinner-table 
decoration. 
No  undertaking,  however  large,  daunted  him,  and  whatever  occupa¬ 
tion  claimed  his  attention  he  was  sure  to  bring  the  whole  force  of  his 
energy  to  bear  on  it.  To  this  he  owed,  in  a  great  measure,  his  success 
as  a  gardener  and  estate  steward.  His  many  other  duties  compelled 
him  to  give  up  growing  for  exhibition  at  Alton,  though  as  a  judge  at 
many  of  the  large  shows  he  was  well  known.  As  Alton  Towers 
Gardens  are  open  to  the  public  Mr.  Eabone  not  only  had  the  wants 
of  a  large  household  to  cater  for,  but  had  also  to  provide  the  many 
people  who  annually  visit  the  gardens  with  something  on  which  to  feast 
their  eyes.  That  he  performed  this  effectually  is  testified  in  the  fact 
that  many  tourists  and  others  visited  Alton  year  after  year,  always 
certain  of  finding  something  fresh,  and  if  personally  acquainted  safe  to 
receive  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  genial  gardener. 
As  a  horticulturist  his  occupation  was  his  chief  delight,  the  garden 
was  his  home,  and  possessing  as  he  did  an  ardent  love  for  it,  we  can 
imagine  no  place  more  suited  for  a  man  with  his  tastes  than  the 
charming  domain  which  was  depicted  in  a  recent  issue  of  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture.  As  a  man,  he  was  one  of  “  Nature’s  gentlemen,” 
frank  and  straightforward  in  manner,  generous  to  a  fault,  always 
ready  to  exult  with  a  brother  gardener  in  days  of  success,  or 
sympathise  with  him,  and,  what  is  more  to  the  point,  help  him,  if 
possible,  in  days  of  adversity.  Many  men  now  holding  good  positions 
as  gardeners  owe  their  success  in  a  great  measure  to  Mr.  Eabone,  and 
never  was  he  so  indefatigable  as  when  doing  good.  His  wide 
sphere  of  duties  led  him  beyond  the  precincts  of  his  garden,  where 
he  made  many  acquaintances,  and  whether  of  a  friendly  or  only  a 
business  nature,  won  the  profound  respect  of  all. 
In  accordance  with  his  energetic  nature  he  died  in  harness.  His 
hitherto  strong  constitution  first  showed  signs  of  giving  way  a  few 
months  ago,  but  he  continued  to  superintend  his  charges  until  a  few 
weeks  prior  to  his  death,  when  he  rapidly  sank  and  passed  peacefully 
away,  surrounded  by  his  family,  on  July  20th,  as  stated  in  our  last  issue. 
He  was  interred  at  the  little  village  of  Alton  on  July  23rd,  and  thus 
ended  the  race  of  a  true  and  respected  gardener  whose  chief  aim  was  to 
further  the  interests  of  horticulture  and  do  his  duty  towards  his 
fellow  men. 
