January  30,  1896. 
-  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
99 
in  tbe  house.  Although  I  have  expressed  such  a  high  opinion  of 
Madresfield  Court,  I  do  not  advise  anyone  to  grow  a  large  quantity  of  it 
for  any  purpose.  It  requires  skill  to  grow  it  well,  and  when  grown  it 
requires  more  skill  to  keep  it.  A  Vine  or  two  to  produce  fruit  for  home 
consumption  where  it  is  appreciated,  or  for  exhibition,  is  all  very  well, 
but  for  market  purposes  an  inferior  Grape  will  be  more  profitable  till 
sucb  time  as  tbe  taste  of  the  public  becomes  more  cultivated. 
Next  to  Madresfield  Court  for  quality  I  place  Black  Hamburgh. 
But  it  must  be  black  ;  red,  purple,  and  grizzly  Hamburghs  will  not  do. 
Although  I  have  seen  it  stated  by  writers  that  red  Hamburghs  are  often 
as  good  in  flavour  as  the  blackest,  I  must  repeat  that  such  persons  are 
not  competent  judges.  You  may  at  a  certain  stage,  perhaps  even  when 
the  fruit  looks  at  its  best,  find  some  amount  of  acidity  in  the  blackest, 
while  red  ones  from  another  house  which  happens  to  be  a  little  earlier 
may  be  perfectly  sweet,  and  I  have  observed  that  sweetness  with  many 
people  goes  for  flavour ;  they  do  not  know  the  difference.  Red 
Hamburghs  never  have  the  delicious  vinous  flavour  so  conspicuous  in 
medium  sized,  never  very  large,  broadly  shouldered  ;  the  stalk  very 
thick  and  fleshy,  rather  thinly,  and  often  indifferently  set.  Berries 
very  large,  quite  round.  Skin  thin,  almost  transparent ;  reddish  black, 
seldom  quite  black,  with  a  thin  bloom.  Flesh  very  tender,  melting, 
juicy,  sweet,  rich,  and  pleasantly  flavoured,  superior  to  the  Black 
Hamburgh.” 
Of  Dutch  Hamburgh  the  same  author  says  Berries  very  large, 
roundish,  inclining  to  oblate,  having  an  uneven  surface,  giving  them 
a  hammered  appearance.  Skin  thick,  black,  adhering  to  the  flesh, 
covered  with  a  dense  bloom  ;  very  handsome.  Flesh  firm,  often  hollow 
in  the  centre,  coarse  and  harsh  in  flavour,  excepting  when  highly 
ripened,  when  it  is  sweet  and  sugary,  but  wanting  in  juiciness.” 
During  the  years  1859-60  I  had  the  privilege  of  working  under 
the  direction  of  my  almost  lifelong  friend,  Mr.  Barron,  amongst 
the  collection  of  Vines  in  the  great  house  at  Chiswick.  Every 
known  European  variety  under  every  known  name  had  then  been 
collected  and  established  there.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  number  of 
FIG.  15.—  PHAIO-CALANTHE'  SEDENI  ALB1FLORA. 
perfectly  coloured  fruit  ;  but  black  ones,  on  the  contrary,  though  you 
may  catch  them  on  the  exhibition  table  just  a  little  acid,  would  be 
certain  to  have  their  proper  flavour  if  allowed  to  hang  on  the  Vines  and 
receive  proper  treatment  till  fully  ripe. 
Unfortunately  the  Black  Hamburgh  is  not  now  popular,  but  I 
imagine  its  turn  will  come  round  again  unless  someone  succeeds  in 
raising  a  better  variety  than  any  at  present  in  existence.  It  will  not 
travel  or  keep  so  well  as  Alicante  or  Gros  Maroc,  consequently  when 
these  varieties  come  in  the  value  of  Hamburghs  is  depreciated  ;  and  if 
consumers  prefer  the  thicker-skinned  varieties  growers  and  retailers 
cannot  be  blamed  for  supplying  them. 
I  am  rather  surprised  that  considering  the  demand  for  large  showy 
berries  the  old  Dutch  Hamburgh  has  not  again  come  to  the  front.  True, 
its  quality  is  inferior,  but  it  has  a  noble  looking  berry  ;  and  Thave  no 
doubt  it  would  please  the  public  at  the  present  day. 
Mill  Hill  Hamburgh,  which  is  of  the  best  quality,  and  has  the  worst 
constitution  of  this  class  of  Grapes,  has,  I  am  afraid,  gone  quite  out  of 
cultivation,  the  Grape  which  is  grown  under  this  name  now  being  quite 
a  different  thing,  and  only  a  good  form  of  Black  Hamburgh,  otherwise 
Frankenthal.  Mill  Hill,  as  I  remember  it,  has  perfectly  round  berries, 
with  a  very  thin  skin,  is  very  large,  and  never  hammered.  Its  leaves 
are  of  a  light  shade  of  green,  and  rather  flabby.  Mr.  Barron  thus 
correctly  describes  its  fruit  in  “Vines  and  Vine  Culture  — “Bunches 
names  greatly  exceeded  the  number  of  varieties,  Black  Hamburgh 
especially  rejoicing  in  aliases  by  the  dozen. 
After  many  comparisons  and  weeding  out  of  names,  two  distinct 
types  were  found  to  be  there,  and  whatever  name  they  had  been 
received  under  they  were  called  respectively  Black  Hamburgh  and 
Frankenthal.  The  latter  was  the  more  showy  Grape  of  the  two,  and  the 
difference  was  unmistakeable ;  we  were  able  to  distinguish  the  one 
from  the  other  at  a  glance.  But  a  new  test  was  to  come.  Cuttings 
from  Frankenthal  and  Black  Hamburgh  were  taken,  and  the  plants 
raised  from  them  were  put  through  another  trial,  when  the  so-called 
distinct  varieties  were  found  to  be  identical.  The  mistake  had  arisen 
from  the  fact  that  half  the  Vines  at  the  conservatory  had  their  roots 
outside,  and  produced  Frankenthals,  the  other  half  being  confined  to  a 
very  small  piece  of  border  inside,  and  produced  Black  Hamburghs.  I 
had  left  the  Society’s  gardens  before  the  latter  part  of  the  experiment 
was  made,  but  it  was  reported  to  me,  and  it  will  be  found  fully  recorded 
in  “  Vines  and  Vine  Culture.” 
The  true  Dutch  Hamburgh  and  the  true  Mill  Hill  Hamburgh  bore 
every  test,  and  remained  under  all  conditions  perfectly  distinct  from 
each  other  and  from  the  true  Black  Hamburgh,  although  there  were 
spurious  ones  received  under  each  of  these  names. — Wm.  Taylor. 
(To  be  continued.) 
