July  28,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
63 
SCALDED  GRAPES. 
Scalding  generally  occurs  when  the  berries  have  finished  stoning 
and  whilst  green,  but  it  sometimes  takes  place  when  the  berries  are 
young,  tender,  and  growing  fast,  and,  when  slight,  has  been  termed 
“  spot,”  a  whitish  mark  appearing  on  the  side  of  the  berry  as  if  it  had 
been  bruised  in  some  way.  The  pulp  beneath  dries  up  and  contraction 
occurs,  the  berry  soon  assuming  a  one-sided  irregular  form.  In  some 
cases  this  whitish  mark  appears  over  the  whole  of  the  berry  and  even 
of  a  bunch,  and  over  a  Vine  or  house.  Such  berries  usually  shrivel  or 
may  drop  off  the  bunches.  This  “spot"  is  simply  “scalding”  at  an 
early  stage,  and  has  no  connection  with  spot  as  caused  by  the  fungus 
Glaeosporium  lasticolor,  though  this  pest  and  “spot,”  alias  scald, 
commonly  assails  Lady  Downe's  and  Muscats  more  than  any  other 
Grapes. 
Scalding  appears  to  have  been  unusually  prevalent  this  season,  the 
numerous  specimens  of  Grapes  so  affected  having  been  submitted  to  the 
Editor,  who  considers  the  portrayal  of  a  characteristic  example  may  be 
useful. 
As  stated  on  page  77  scalding  generally  occurs  when  the  berries  are 
from  half  to  three  parts  grown.  Sometimes  only  a  few  berries  here 
and  there  are  affected,  but  not  unfrequently  the  entire  side  of  a  bunch 
(fig.  12,  A  at  a)  may  be  ruined,  while  the  other  side  remains  perfect,  and 
in  not  a  few  cases  nearly  the  entire  crop  has  been  spoiled  through  the 
scalding.  When  a  berry  is  only  affected  in  part  (B)  a  whitish  mark 
appears,  then  the  pulp  beneath  dries  up  and  a  contraction  occurs,  the  part 
appearing  sunken  (6).  If  the  whole  skin  of  the  berry  is  affected  it  appears 
whitish  all  over,  and  such  berry  usually  shrivels  up  (C). 
In  the  case  of  a  berry  b°ing  scalded  on  one  side  it  may  remain  and 
even  ripen,  but  it  will  have  a  shrunken  patch  as  shown  at  c  in  the  figure 
D,  while  the  seeds  remain  intact  (cl).  A  similar  clean  berry  is  shown 
at  A,  the  berry  in  both  cases  having  completed  stoning.  After  this  the 
berry  swells  considerably  whether  scalded  or  not,  but  this  does  so  very 
indifferently,  as  indicated  by  the  outline  in  D,  whilst  the  other  swells 
evenly,  and  has  a  perfect  well  finished  appearance  (F). 
The  scalding  “  is  caused  through  late  or  imperfect  ventilation  on  some 
bright  sunny  morn,  whilst  the  internal  atmosphere,  and  even  the  berries, 
are  saturated  with  moisture” — (Barron).  It  would  be  superfluous  to  refer 
to  prevention,  the  subject  being  so  fully  referred  to  on  page  19,  but  the 
illustrations  may  be  useful  to  those  unacquainted  with  the  evil  of  scalding 
in  Grape  culture. — G.  Abbey. 
[It  is  not  common  to  see  a  bunch  affected  so  completely  on  one  side 
as  the  one  depicted,  the  other  side  remaining  sound,  though  the  case  is 
by  no  means  a  solitary  one.  We  have  seen  too  many  “  scalded  ”  berries 
on  the  shaded  side  of  bunches,  and  traced  the  cause  of  the  calamity, 
mainly,  to  low  night  temperatures  accompanied  by  an  excess  of  moisture, 
and  too  late  and  too  liberal  (at  once)  morning  ventilation.] 
CALLS  IN  THE  NORTH. 
Few  things  are,  perhaps,  more  disappointing  than  the  feeling  that 
you  are  in  the  vicinity  of  friends  on  whom  you  would  like  to  call 
hut  cannot,  through  the  inexorable  claims  of  duty  elsewhere.  Thus 
it  was  with  the  writer  when  he  found  himself  in  the  great  city  on 
the  Tyne  on  the  13th  inst.,  and  had  to  rush  southwards  the  next  day. 
But  first  he  was  induced  to  take  a  sniff  of  ozone  from  the  German 
Ocean,  and  this  was  accomplished,  though  it  involved  a  night  in  a 
cemetery.  It  may  be  thought  this  is  not  the  most  cheerful  of  places 
for  spending  a  holiday  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  hours.  Apart  from  the 
fact  that  this  particular  haven  of  rest  might  easily  be  mistaken  for 
a  park  or  a  garden,  when  two-thirds  of  those  hours  are  spent  in 
*weet  sleep,  any  rising  feelings  of  pity  for  the  jaded  journalist  may  be 
complacently  suppressed.  The  desire  for  the  ozone  was  brought  about 
in  this  way. 
Disturbed  at  Dinner. 
The  author  of  the  article  on  Mr.  D’Ombrain’s  garden,  on  page  42 
last  week,  and  which  would  be  perused  with  pleasure  by  many  readers, 
seems  to  have  been  impressed  by  the  sententious  remark  of  some 
autocratic  editor.  Perhaps  the  said  editor  had  at  some  time  or  other 
taken  the  liberty  to  cut  down  or  otherwise  “  spoil  ”  one  or  more  of  his 
contributions,  over  which  he  had  struggled —let  it  it  be  said  laudably, 
for  effect.  The  editor  would  naturally  be  an  “autocrat”  then; 
though  perhaps,  if  the  truth  were  known,  all  he  had  done  was  the 
removal  of  a  few  weeds,  which  the  awed  writer  had  mistaken  for 
flowers  of  literature.  However  that  may  be,  he  seems  to  have  profited 
by  contact  with  his  mentor,  and  striven  to  find  a  “  good  heading  ” 
for  his  articles.  This  seems  to  have  led  to  the  discovery  of  an  obvious 
fact,  that  the  “  subject  is  its  own  heading.”  Of  course  it  is,  if  you  are 
content  to  take  things  as  they  are.  If  you  are  really  disturbed  at  dinner, 
why  not  say  so?  It  is  something  you  are  not  likely  to  forget,  if  it 
was  a  good  dinner.  It  is  the  predominating  idea  in  your  head,  and 
therefore  no  one  can  say  it  is  not  a  natural  heading. 
Captured. 
It  was  at  the  reception  dinner  given  to  the  representatives  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  the  palatial  Station  Hotel  at  New¬ 
castle  that  a  card  was  handed  in  bearing  the  inscription,  “Mr. 
Bernard  Cowan,  F  R.H.S.,”  requesting  an  interview.  If  Mr.  Cowan 
does  not  hail  from  the  Emerald  Isle,  he  is  endowed  with  the  insinuating 
eloquence  of  its  people,  which  winds  itself  about  you  till  you  are  a 
captive.  He  was  formerly  gardener  to  Sir  Henry  Calverley,  but  has 
by  his  ability  and  character  won  for  himself  a  position  which  many 
gardeners  might  envy,  in  his  breezy  and  beautiful  home.  “  Sorry  to 
Fig.  12.— Grapes— Scalded  versus  Normal. 
Refi-rencet. — A,  bunch  of  Laily  Downe’s  Grapes  (much  reduced)  ;  a,  scalded  side. 
R,  berry  scalded  in  part;  b,  shrunken  portion.  C,  shrivelled  berry  the  result 
of  being  scalded  all  over.  TJ,  partly  scalded  berry;  c,  shrunken  patch;  d, 
seeds.  E,  sound  berry  at  time  of  scalding.  F,  perfectly  finished  berry. 
(R  to  F  natural  size.) 
disturb  you,”  was  his  greeting,  “but  thought  I  really  must  call  and 
ask  you  to  run  down  after  the  show  is  over,  and  spend  a  night  by  the 
sea ;  a  most  beautiful  coast  it  is,  the  air  so  pure,  it  will  do  you  good. 
I  see  you  need  rest.  You  look  weary  and  worn  by  overwork — pallid 
and  thin.  You  really  must  have  some  ozone — the  best  in  the  world,” 
and  so  on.  He  evidently  knew  the  weak  point  in  the  journalist’s 
economy,  and  touched  the  potent  spring  of  “overwork.”  All  the 
fraternity  like  others  to  think  of  them  as  overworked  martyrs,  denying 
themselves  repose,  and  struggling  incessantly  for  the  weal  of  the 
nation  and  the  good  of  their  fellow  men.  It  was  useless  pleading 
lack  of  time  for  a  visit  to  the  sea.  “  Having  to  go  South  the  next 
day  ”  was  met  with  a  bland  “  Yes,  I  know,  and  a  run  down  will  brace 
you  for  the  journey.  A  carriage  will  meet  us  at  8  p.m.  for  a  coast 
drive,  and  will  take  you  to  the  station  in  the  morning  in  time 
for  the  London  express;  all  is  arranged,  and  I  must  not  go  home 
without  you,  or  Mrs.  Cowan  will  be  so  disappointed.”  What  can  even 
a  robust  toiler  with  the  pen  do  under  such  pleading  ?  He  can  simply 
do  nothing  but  succumb,  and  the  end  of  it  was  we  started  for  the 
cemetery. 
South  Shields. 
Gliding  along  westward  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Tyne,  which  runs 
along  in  a  deep  gorge  on  the  left,  we  see  on  the  rising  ground  on  the 
opposite  side  how  surprisingly  the  city  of  Newcastle  has  grown  during 
the  past  few  years,  spreading  over  hill  and  valley  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach.  The  railway  route  is  not  picturesque,  except  to  the  man  of 
coal  and  iron,  whose  ideals  of  beauty  are  lofty  chimneys,  smoke,  steam, 
and  cradled  ships  in  all  stages  of  growth  in  preparation  for  their 
destiny.  The  smoke  becomes  thinner  as  we  go,  and  arriving  at  the 
terminus  we  are  in  clear  air  and  an  almost  treeless  plain  reaching  to 
the  sea.  The  wind  blows  cool  and  fresh  and  sweet.  No  wonder  so 
many  busy  men  emerge  from  the  smoke  and  make  this  great  marine 
