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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  17,  1898. 
Grapes.  The  easily  grown,  showy,  and  scarcely  second-rate  Grapes 
have  met  with  an  extent  of  encouragement  which  they  do  not  deserve, 
as  compared  with  the  more  difficult  but  most  worthy  of  culture  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  year.  For  the  sake  of  gaining  the  admiration 
of — in  this  matter — the  uneducated  crowd  that  attend  such  exhibitions, 
but  do  not  appreciate  the  products  by  any  other  standard  than  mere 
size  and  appearance,  this  may  be  so  far  right. 
Judges  are  often  sorely  puzzled  in  coming  to  a  conclusion,  and  in 
making  awards  to  satisfy  themselves  when  dealing  with  collections  of 
mixed  and  unspecified  Grapes ;  and  very  often  when  they  think  they 
have  done  right  in  giving  most  points  to  quality  instead  of  size  or 
appearance,  they  cause  dissatisfaction  to  the  exhibitor. 
It  would  do  more  justice  to  the  respective  varieties  if  the  larger 
collections  of  six  and  eight  Grapes  could  each  be  pitted  against  the  same 
varieties.  Instead  of  this,  one  mixed  lot  is  pitted  against  another 
mixed  lot  of  diverse  kinds,  and  the  correct  decision  becomes  more 
difficult.  Surely  such  large  classes  could  be  arranged  the  same  as 
for  one,  two,  and  three  bunches  which  in  the  same  schedule  are 
confined  to  one  variety.  I  am  quite  certain  fine  Grapes  as  regards 
quality  suffer  injustice  from  being  thus  mixed  with  others.  No 
lover  of  really  fine  Grapes  would  choose  size  and  appearance  as  against 
quality  and  the  best  finish  of  the  high-class  Grapes.  Surely  more  of  fine 
and  beautifully  finished  Black  Ilamburghs,  if  treated  on  their  merits, 
should  find  their  way  to  our  September  shows.  You,  Mr.  Editor, 
must  have  had  an  example  of  large  houses  full  of  Black  as  Sloes 
Hamburghs  in  the  autumn  of  the  year,  and  there  is  no  reason  why 
plenty  of  good  ones  should  not  be  in  evidence  till  December  at  any 
rate. 
Take  the  case  of  Tomatoes  as  an  illustration  of  how,  in  some 
instances,  quality  has  to  take  a  back  seat  in  order  to  suit  the  public 
taste.  Here  the  case  is  somewhat  reversed.  Small  ones  are  preferred 
up  to  a  certain  size,  and  they  must  be  round  and  not  a  wrinkle  in 
their  skin.  No  matter  if  they  have  a  thick  rind  instead  of  a  thin 
skin,  and  be  next  to  a  bagful  of  seeds  and  green  core,  provided  they  he 
the  orthodox  size.  The  larger  ones  may  be  almost  seedless  and 
entirely  coreless,  the  flesh  mellow  and  of  the  finest  flavour,  yet  the 
market  will  have  none  of  them.  I  bought  Tomatoes  last  season  for 
the  first  time,  but  did  not  continue  the  ex[)eriment. 
When  Excelsior  came  out  many  years  since  I  thought  more  of  it 
than  any  of  the  many  I  had  previously  tested,  having  the  quality  I 
have  indicated  in  a  fine  Tomato.  For  a  number  of  years  I  selected 
from  it,  choosing  the  fruits  with  fewest  seeds  and  no  cores  or  open 
lobes.  The  result  was  a  selection  I  have  never  seen  equalled  by  any  of 
the  numberless  market  sorts  I  annually  tested  against  it ;  but  the  market 
would  not  patronise  it  simply  because  it  was  too  large,  and  yet  not 
very  large,  and  some  of  the  fruits  came  not  quite  round  and  smooth. 
Here  appearances  carried  the  day,  and  I  think  you  in  this  instance 
can  endorse  what  I  have  said  of  its  qualities.  I  like  to  see,  and  have 
produced,  size  in  many  things ;  but  I  think  quality  should  be  the 
predominating  feature. 
I  will  give  one  more  illustration  from  Celery.  Large,  tall,  coarse 
growing  Celeries  are  much  run  after  in  preference  to  dwarler  sorts  that 
are  white,  firmer  in  their  growth,  nutty  in  flavour,  and  because  of 
their  stature  much  less  laborious  to  grow.  No  matter  how  tall  and 
bulky  a  Celery  may  be,  its  useful  part  is  never  in  proportion.  When 
sent  for  use  the  salad  mixer  and  the  cook  strip  them  of  their 
coarse  outsides  till  they  are  of  comparatively  small  dimensions.  If 
sent  up  as  a  cooked  dish  they  have  to  be  stripped  to  obtain  what  is 
vvhite,  solid,  and  useable,  till  they  are  little  if  any  larger  than  the 
dwarf,  compact,  and  more  solid  and  better  flavoured  sorts.  I  remember 
a  sample  of  large  heads  being  sent  to  a  ducal  kitchen,  but  they  were 
condemned  by  the  chef  as  coarse  and  soft.  More  subjects  could  easily 
be  named  to  illustrate  how  in  relation  to  them  a  false  ideal  is  aspired 
after,  but  I  will  refer  to  only  one  more  instance. 
Strawberries  for  preserving  give  an  excellent  illustration  of  the 
sacrifice  of  quality  for  size.  It  is  not  at  all  an  uncommon  practice 
to  grow  some  large  variety  for  the  purpose,  and  one  that  produces  a 
preserve  that  cannot  be  admired,  either  from  an  aesthetic  or  flavour  point 
of  view.  It  cannot  possibly  in  these  respects  be  first-rate.  Looking 
at  the  preserve  it  might  be  called  almost  any  name,  for  no  signs  of  a 
berry  can  be  recognised  in  it.  They  all  boil  to  a  pulp.  All  fir.st-class 
housekeepers  and  confectioners  with  whom  I  have  had  to  do  condemned 
that  state  of  matters.  The  Strawberry  I  have  found  them  to  like  best, 
and  I  quite  approve  of  their  decision,  is  the  old  Grove  Eud  Scarlet. 
It  has  almost  every  good  point  for  this  purpose.  It  is  below  medium 
size,  of  a  brilliant  red  colour,  and  when  picked  at  the  proper  stage  of 
ripeness  is  of  good  flavour,  and  when  boiled  the  b^Tries  remain  whole> 
and  the  colour  is  a  bright  red.  It  should  be  gathered  immediately  it 
is  fully  coloured,  and  before  it  gets  in  any  way  soft.  It  has  still  more 
good  points — it  bears  abundantly,  and  the  same  plants  will  do  so  four 
or  five  years ;  and  as  it  gives  many  pickings  in  succession  it  is  bad  to 
beat,  even  for  bulk  of  produce. — D.  Thomson. 
[We  are  in  general  agreement  with  our  correspondent.  It  is  true 
we  have  seen  magnificent  Black  Hamburghs  from  the  end  of  April  till 
the  end  of  October  and  later,  but  the  finest  late  house  we  can  call  to 
mind  was  at  Drumlanrig  in  1896.  We  also  know  our  friend’s  Tomato 
very  well — its  substance,  colour,  and  quality.  We  know  of  no  Straw¬ 
berry  for  preserving  equal  in  all  points  to  the  Grove  End  Scarlet,  but 
we  have  to  be  content  with  small  fruits  of  Vicomtesse  Hericart  de 
Thury  now.  These,  preserved  with  h  lb.  of  sugar  to  1  lb.  of  fruit, 
have  retained  their  shape  and  lost  little  of  their  flavour  when  gathered 
but  lack  the  clear  brightness  of  the  Grove  End  Scarlet.  We  are  disposed 
to  think  that  the  cult  of  size  worship,  especially  in  vegetables,  is  on 
the  decline;  but  this  remark  does  not  apply  to  Onions.  We  wonder 
what  our  esteemed  correspondent  thinks  of  those  which  approach  the 
size  of  footballs.  He  does  not  object  to  large  Tomatoes,  when  they 
are  also  good.] 
NOTES  ON  INDIAN  AZALEAS. 
Indian  Azaleas  are  among  the  freest  and  showiest  of  our  spring¬ 
blooming  plants.  They  merit  a  place  in  every  cjllection.  They  do 
not  require  a  higher  temperature  at  any  period  of  their  growth 
beyond  what  can  be  given  them  in  an  ordinary  greenhouse  or  vinery. 
The  range  of  white  and  beautifully  coloured  flowers  which  a  large 
collection  of  these  plants  is  capable  of  supplying  entitles  them,  how¬ 
ever,  to  put  forth  a  powerful  claim  for  a  separate  and  exclusive  house, 
seeing  that  the  flowering  period  may  be  extended  all  through  the 
spring  months,  and  as  far  as  June. 
Azaleas  are  raised  by  grafting  on  free-growing  stocks,  such  as 
Azalea  alba,  and  by  cuttings.  The  latter  method  requires  that  a 
certain  state  of  the  cutting  should  be  secured  when  inserting,  and 
skilful  attention  in  carrying  out  the  details  necessary  to  obtain 
success  in  rooting  them.  I  am  acquainted  with  a  good  cultivator  bf 
Azaleas,  who  propagates  many  plants  by  the  cutting  system,  and 
thus  constantly  renews  his  stock.  T’he  average  grower,  however, 
wants  plants  to  begin  with  that  are  already  prepared  to  flower  when 
a  decision  is  made  to  grow* them.  Fortunately  he  can  be  supplied 
quickly  and  cheaply,  good  plants,  with  splendid  symmetrical  heads 
full  of  bloom  buds,  being  obtainable  at  2s,  6d.  each.  Many  can  be 
had  at  less  rates,  though  necessarily  smaller  plants,  while  larger 
may  be  had  at  proportionate  prices. 
Although  the  material  Belgian  plants  have  been  grown  in  is  quite 
different  from  that  we  employ  for  Azaleas,  they  nevertheless  usually 
do  well  under  our  treatment.  On  the  Continent  they  are  grown 
entirely  in  leaf  soil,  and  according  to  their  appearance  when  they 
arrive  here  it  appears  to  suit  them  admirably,  but  the  leaf  soil  is 
natural,  or  unfermented,  being  quite,  suitable  for  the  growth  and  per¬ 
fection  of  the  Azalea.  As  we  mostly  understand  leaf  soil  in  this 
country  the  leaves  are  decomposed  quickly  by  fermentation  in  large 
heaps.  This  would  not  prove  good  for  Azalea  cultivation  in  a  general 
way,  but  on  the  Continent  it  is  prepared  in  a  more  natural  manner. 
In  this  country,  however,  leaf  soil  cultivation  is  out  of  the 
question,  peat  of  a  turfy  fibrous  character  taking  its  place.  In  the 
North  the  best  peat  is  considered  to  be  Kent  peat,  but  from  what  part 
of  Kent  it  is  obtained  I  cannot  say,  but  wherever  it  comes  from  it 
should  be  full  of  vegetable  fibres,  which  hold  it  compactly  together, 
but  can  be  pulled  to  pieces  by  the  hand.  That  which  falls  into 
dust,  and  contains  a  large  proportion  of  the  rhizomes  of  Ferns, 
especially  the  common  Bracken  (Pteris  aquilina)  is  unsuitable  for 
hard  wooded  plants  in  pots;  it  is  usually  spongy,  and  soon  becomes 
sour. 
