20 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  14.  898. 
avoided  mainly  by  careful  attention  to  the  temperature  and  ventila¬ 
tion.  That  is  my  experience  in  various  districts  over  many  years. 
The  Grapes  I  have  found  most  liable  to  scald  are  Lady  Downe’s 
and,  in  lesser  degree,  Muscats.  Hamburghs,  however,  will  scald, 
especially  when  the  Grapes  are  exp-'sed  to  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun 
after  a  period  of  dull  cold  weather.  The  scalding  almost  always 
occurs  at  the  close  of  the  stoning  period,  just  before  the  Grapes  change 
colour  for  ripening,  but  it  also  happens  after  the  colouring  has  com¬ 
menced,  particularly  with  Muscats,  and  in  the  latter  case  mainly  on 
that  part  of  the  berry  most  exposed  to  the  sun.  The  liability  to  scald 
may  precede  the  general  colouring  by  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  and 
extend  to  the  Grapes  becoming  well  advanced  in  that  process. 
All  Grapes  are  the  better  by  having  an  increase  of  warmth  and  of 
air  when  the  stoning  has  been  completed  and  they  are  taking  the  last 
swelling,  this  promoting  higher  colour  and  superior  quality  in  the 
fruit,  always  provided  the  crop  is  not  too  exacting,  and  the  night 
temperature,  as  compared  with  the  day,  relatively  low.  This  must 
not  be  accompanied  by  a  close  atmosphere,  for  it  is  the  surcharging  of 
the  berries  with  moisture,  the  condensation  of  it  on  their  surface, 
and  the  heating  of  it  there  by  atmosphere  surroundings  caused  by 
the  sun  the  following  morning,  which  cause  scalding.  For  these 
reasons  I  admit  air  rather  freely,  especially  in  the  early  part  of  the 
day,  with  a  little  at  night,  and  keep  genial  warmth  in  the  hot- water 
pipes,  so  as  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  65°  to  70°.  Under  these 
conditions  scalding  can  scarcely  ensue.  The  circumstances  I  admit 
are  not  always  the  same,  but  generally  this  procedure,  begun  from 
the  completion  of  stoning,  and  continued  until  the  Grapes  are  ripe, 
has  the  most  satisfactory  results. 
In  certain  cases  a  slight  shade  is  advantageous  at  this  period  of 
liability  to  scald  and  during  the  early  stages  of  ripening,  particularly 
for  Muscats,  a  double  thickness  of  herring  nets  drawn  over  the  roof 
lights  being  of  great  service  in  breaking  the  sun’s  rays  at  the  time 
of  the  Grapes  finishing  stoning.  This  applies  to  structures  with  large 
panes  of  clear  glass,  and  particularly  when  not  too  abundantly,  or 
rather  inadequately,  provided  with  means  for  ventilation  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  weather.  The  great  evil,  however,  is  not  admitting  air 
soon  enough  in  the  morning,  for  with  the  moisture  dissipated  before 
the  sun  acts  powerfully  on  the  house  neither  scorching  nor  scalding 
occurs  to  a  material  extent. 
Shanking  may  be  due  to  imperfect  nutrition  or  suspended  root  action 
and  indifferent  assimilation  at  a  critical  period.  I  find  it  the  least 
virulent — indeed,  generally  absent — where  the  borders  are  properly 
made,  the  components  and  staple  of  the  soil  excellent,  the  drainage 
thorough,  and  the  Vines  well  managed.  By  the  latter  I  mean  the 
foliage  must  be  fully  exposed  to  light,  no  more  growths  being  allowed 
than  can  have  ample  space  for  development,  and  at  no  time  encouraging 
growth  by  a  thicket  of  shoots,  which  must  sooner  or  later  be  removed 
in  quantity.  When  this  occurs  a  check  must  be  given,  or  rather 
first  a  surfeit  and  afterwards  a  failure  of  supplies.  Sufficient  foliage 
should  be  encourag<d  as  can  have  due  exposure,  and  no  more  allowed 
than  can  be  kept  in  a  healthy  state ;  then  the  supplies  of  nutrition 
may  be  steadily  and  adequately  maintained,  not  otherwise.  The 
formation  of  starch  and  the  storing  of  chlorophyll  depends  upon 
nutrition  and  assimilation,  and  the  conversion  of  these  at  the  proper 
time  into  Grape  sugar  and  the  purple  black  or  golden  amber  of  the 
Grapes.  This  can  only  be  effected  by  providing  a  border  of  sound 
materials,  and  in  such  condition  as  to  supply  wholesome  food.  Then 
the  foliage  must  be  stout  in  consequence  of  judicious  ventilation  in 
the  early  stages  of  development,  not  keeping  the  air  too  moist  and 
close. 
The  great  cause  of  shanking,  however,  is  unsuitable  border  material, 
inefficient  drainage,  or  roots  running  deeply  in  a  poverty  stricken  sub¬ 
soil.  Heavy  coverings  of  manure  in  autumn  or  winter  allowed  to 
become  soapy,  soddening  and  souring  the  earth,  and  then  exposing 
this  soil  to  the  heat  and  drought  'of  summer,  are  certain  means  of 
producing  shanked.  Grapes.  Souring  the  border  with  liquid  manure 
destroys  the  all  too  few  fibrelets  that  remain,  and  the  Grapes  shank ; 
in  tact  the  evil  of  shanking  is  a  consequence  of  errors  in  treatment. 
There  is  no  remedy  for  shanking.  When  it  once  commences  it 
cannot  be  stopped,  but  the  malady  can  be  prevented.  Lifting  the 
Vines,  removing  the  effete  material  and  supplying  fresh  compost  of 
the  right  kind  over  good  drainage,  never  fails  when  the  after  manage¬ 
ment  is  appropriate.  This  procedure,  however,  cannot  always  be 
carried  out,  and  if  often  happens  that  a  soured  soil  may  be  made 
sweet  by  a  dressing  of  ground  gypsum,  not  calcined.  Failing  this, 
similar  results  may  follow  the  use  of  lime  spread  on  the  surface  and 
left  there  to  become  chalk  or  carbonate  of  lime,  the  rain  or  watering 
taking  down  its  solvent  properties  from  time  to  time,  and  the  Vines 
are  improved.  The  border  needed  sweetening,  the  food  made  whole¬ 
some  and  nutritious,  and  the  gypsum  or  lime  are  means  to  that  end. 
This  chemical  change  may  be  effected  in  other  ways,  such  as  aeration 
by  means  of  draining  a  wet  border,  breaking  up  close  soil  and  adding 
opening  material,  so  that  air  can  circulate  through  the  mass.  Im¬ 
provement  may  also  follow  from  a  top-dressing  of  some  fertiliser 
different  from  that  with  which  the  soil  may  be  surcharged.  Native 
guano  has  done  good  when  the  soil  was  deficient  in  humus,  but  with 
a  deficiency  of  this  silicate  manure  has  had  better  eff<  ct  in  mitigating 
the  shanking  of  Grapes. — Practitioner. 
THE  PICK  OF  THE  PEAS. 
The  garden  prototype  of  the  man  bo  often  met  with  in  the  tram, 
who  demonstrates  his  intimate  knowledge  of  everything  in  the 
universe,  sometimes  starts  on  the  subject  of  Peas,  only  to  be  swiftly 
confounded.  The  constantly  increasing  number  of  varieties,  combined 
with  their  variation  under  differing  circumstances,  presents  a  study 
which  these  shallow  minds  find  overwhelming.  Sir  Walter  Besant 
always  says  that  it  does  not  matter  in  the  least  how  many  books  are 
produced,  the  public  may  be  trusted  to  make  its  own  selection. 
Assuming  this  to  be  true,  we  may  straightway  appropriate  the 
argument,  and  apply  it  to  other  things,  including  Peas.  Of  course, 
the  pr  cess  suits  the  producer  of  vegetables  just  as  it  does  the  writer 
of  books,  because  as  there  is  never  any  cessation  in  the  introduction  of 
fresh  aspirants,  the  unfortunate  public  never  gets  out  of  the  experi¬ 
mental  stage,  but  must  always  keep  on  buying. 
Peas  are  good  this  ye«r,  and  the  rising  reputation  of  several 
comparatively  new  sorts  seems  likely  to  be  augmented.  First  among 
them,  although  not  absolutely  the  earliest,  is  Gradus.  It  will  be 
a  very  surprising  thing  to  me  if  this  Pea  d  es  not  elbow  out  large 
numbers  of  the  standard  earlies.  When  you  get  a  3^  foot  Pea,  that  is 
only  a  few  days  later  than  Lightning,  that  has  as  fine  a  pod  as  Duke 
of  Albany,  and  that  possesses  sweet  marrow  flavour,  you  have  a  sort 
to  which  that  much-abused  phrase  “  a  great  acquisition”  deservedly 
applies.  Although  strongly  prepossessed  in  favour  of  the  variety 
before  sowing,  fnm  seeing  it  so  good  last  year,  1  was  inclined  to  lock 
coldly  on  it  in  tbe  early  stages  of  its  growth  this  season,  as  it  was 
rather  “niggly”  and  slow  in  development.  When  Lightning,  Early 
Giant,  Springtide,  Early  Morn,  Wm.  Plurst,  English  Wonder,  and 
Chelsea  Gem  were  full  of  bloom,  Gradus  was  in  a  very  leisurely 
manner  proceeding  to  develop  its  first  flowers.  When  fairly  started, 
however,  it  went  ahead  with  such  leaps  and  hounds  as  to  outstrip  all 
except  Lightning  and  Springtide.  Though  btrely  so  early  as  these,  it 
is  in  the  main  a  vastly  superior  P<a. 
Daisy,  in  its  turn  a  few  days  behind  Gradus,  is  a  spl<  ndid  sort. 
It  bears  the  fine,  imposing  pods  of  a  main-crop  Marrow  on  haulm 
barely  2  fe<  t  in  height.  It  is  a  very  healthy  grower,  with  plenty 
of  colour  and  substance.  A  septuagenarian  of  my  acquaintance 
pulled  me  up  in  a  few  words  of  praise  about  it  a  short  time  ago.  It 
was  splendid  the  first  year,  he  said,  but  no  good  the  second.  Be 
knew,  because  he  had  tried  it.  Moreover,  there  could  be  no  more 
infallible  test  than  that  to  which  he  had  submitted  it,  inasmuch  as  he 
had  saved  his  own  seed.  The  hesitating  way  in  which  the  veteran 
denied  having  eaten  the  best  of  the  crop,  and  utilised  only  the  fag-end 
for  seed,  was  not  without  significance. 
Suttons’  Early  Giant  and  Carters’  Early  Morn  are  running  a  close 
race  for  favour.  .  They.are  of  similar,  pod, -habit,  height,  and,  season,  .so 
that  both  are  not  wanted  in  the  same  garden.  Certainly  no  one  need 
desert  his  favourite  seedsman  on  account  of  either.  Each  is  good. 
Nor  is  it  easy  to  make  a  choice  between  Chelsea  Gem,  English 
Wonder,  and  Wm.  Hurst  for  a  first  early  dwarf.  I  have  them  all, 
and  as  they  take  up  so  little  room  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  I  shall 
cast  any  of  them  into  the  shades.  But  Chelsea  Gem  is  a  grand  little 
Pea.  Mr.  S.  Deadman  showed  me  a  series  of  rows  of  it  on  the  boys’ 
plots  at  Wye,  Kent,  a  few  days  ago,  which  were  a  picture  of  health 
and  productiveness  ;  and  one  of  the  best  of  Kentish  gardeners,  Mr. 
Rowe  of  Squerryes  Court,  Westerham,  tells  me  he  sows  a  gallon  of 
