136 
OURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
February  13,  1896 
plants  out  of  the  pots,  remove  most  of  the  old  soil,  and  repot 
in  the  same  size  of  pot,  keeping  moist  and  shaded  until  the  plants 
have  recovered  the  potting,  and  then  expose  them  fully  to  light, 
pinching  out  the  points  of  the  shoots  as  required  up  to  July,  so 
as  to  secure  a  good  shape,  and  by  the  middle  of  that  month  they 
should  have  the  final  shift.  The  size  of  the  pots  will  of  course 
vary  with  the  size  of  the  plants,  but  these  should  not  have  very 
much  pot  room,  as  when  this  is  liberal  they  are  apt  to  have 
long  joints  and  weak  shoots,  which  do  not  produce  good  heads 
of  bloom. — Grower. 
MUSCAT  GRAPES. 
Though  I  can  grow  black  Grapes  fairly  well,  Muscats  seem  to 
beat  me,  and  I  do  not  know  why.  Can  you  tell  me,  in  your  answers 
to  correspondents,  what  they  particularly  need  in  the  way  of  soil, 
heat,  and  all  the  rest  of  it  ?  The  garden  is  rather  low,  and  although 
the  Yines  grow  freely  enough  the  crops  do  not  suit  me. — Working 
Gardener. 
As  we  can  scarcely  tell  our  correspondent  what  he  desires 
about  soil,  heat,  and  “  all  the  rest  of  it,”  in  the  form  of  a  brief 
reply,  we  commend  the  following  notes  by  a  successful  cultivator 
to  his  attention  : — 
So  much  has  been  written  about  this  Grape  that  it  may  be 
thought  that  nothing  new  can  be  advanced  regarding  it.  Such  may 
be  the  case,  but  I  would  venture  to  say  that  the  Journal  is  always 
having  added  to  its  numerous  readers  young  men  just  beginning 
life  as  gardeners  who  have  not  read  all  that  has  gone  before  on 
Yines  and  other  horticultural  subjects.  There  are  also  always  new 
readers  being  added  among  the  amateurs,  and  some  of  them  may, 
perhaps,  find  the  following  notes  of  use  ;  at  any  rate  I  offer  them 
with  that  hope. 
First  of  all  it  may  safely  be  said  that  Muscat  of  Alexandria  is 
a  grand  Grape,  which  should  be  grown  by  all  who  wish  for  high- 
class  fruit.  It  is  well  worth  the  additional  trouble  sometimes 
required  to  have  it  in  perfection,  and  those  who  are  successful  in 
its  culture  are  always  found  extolling  it  in  every  way. 
Nothing  is  more  calculated  to  prove  disastrous  to  the  welfare 
of  Muscats  than  too  deep  and  ill-drained  borders.  Much  time, 
labour,  and  expense  have  been  laid  out  on  Yine  borders  sometimes, 
which  is  very  ill  requited,  in  regard  to  Muscats,  at  least,  for  the 
simple  reasons  that  the  borders  are  made  without  enough  drainage 
and  also  too  deep.  Give  me  a  shallow  border  above  the  level  of 
the  ground,  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  plenty  of  good  soil  and 
manures  to  top-dress  with  every  spring,  and,  other  things  being 
favourable,  Muscats  will  thrive  and  fruit  as  freely  as  can  be 
desired. 
Regarding  the  varieties  of  Muscats  much  uncertainty  prevails, 
and  men  of  great  skill  and  experience  take  entirely  different  views 
on  the  matter.  Bowood  Muscat  has  never  been  seen  by  the  writer 
so  distinct  as  to  warrant  its  being  cultivated  under  a  different 
name.  Indeed,  the  difference  was  more  imaginary  than  anything 
else,  as,  knowing  that  what  was  called  Bowood  was  being  looked 
at,  some  slight  difference  was  thought  to  be  observed,  and  that  is 
all.  Grown  side  by  side  with  other  Muscats  I  have  not  noticed 
it  any  earlier  than  other  varieties.  There  can,  however  be  no 
mistake  in  saying  that  Canon  Hall  Muscat  is  a  distinct  variety,  and 
when  successfully  grown  it  is  a  splendid  Grape  in  appearance  and 
quality.  It  is,  however,  extremely  fickle,  and  too  often  rewards  its 
cultivator  with  a  long  straggling  bunch  with  a  few  scattered 
properly  set  and  swelled  berries,  and  this  after  careful  attention 
and  artificial  fertilisation. 
In  order  to  attain  success  in  the  culture  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria 
in  addition  to  shallow  well  drained  borders  and  plenty  of  surface 
feeding,  I  would  advise  that  the  rods  be  kept  so  far  apart  that  all 
the  laterals  may  be  tied  out  at  right  angles  to  the  main  stems,  so  that 
the  foliage  may  receive  every  chance  of  catching  as  much  sun  as 
possible,  and  that  the  wood  may  be  thoroughly  ripened,  which  does 
not  happen  sometimes,  when  shoots  are  too  thickly  laid  in  and  the 
leaves  unduly  crowded. 
Never  be  tempted  to  crop  Muscats  too  heavily,  the  difference 
between  Muscats  that  have  been  cropped  so  that  they  could  finish 
their  fruit  well,  and  others  which  have  been  overburdened  is  so 
great  that  nothing  should  induce  anyone  to  overcrop.  In  the  one 
case  well  ripened,  well  swelled,  and  perfectly  finished  Grapes  can 
be  had  ;  Grapes  which  will  keep  a  long  time  and  be  a  pleasure  to 
eat.  In  the  other  case  want  of  colour  and  finish,  early  signs  of 
shrivelling,  and  a  great  want  of  flavour  and  sweetness  result. 
Some  cultivators  advocate  leaving  the  bunches  so  free  from  leafy 
covering  that  they  will  get  the  direct  rays  of |  the  sun,  but  I  have 
found  that  this  causes  scalding  at  the  stoning  period,  and  also  turns 
some  of  the  berries  into  raisins  later  on.  If  the  Yines  are  in  good 
order  and  not  too  heavily  cropped,  the  bunches  will  colour  quite  | 
golden  beneath  a  moderate  amount  of  foliage,  and  then  scalding 
and  roasting  into  raisins  can  be  avoided. 
As  a  general  rule  it  is  advisable  to  use  artificial  fertilisation  to 
secure  a  good  set  with  Muscats.  When  the  bunches  are  in  bloom 
they  should  be  brushed  over  very  lightly  with  a  feather  or  foxtail, 
choosing  midday  for  the  operation,  at  the  same  time  endeavouring 
to  maintain  a  temperature  as  near  90°  as  possible,  with  a  circulation 
of  air  when  such  can  be  safely  obtained.  On  some  cold  days  in 
the  spring,  when  the  sun  is  powerful,  raising  the  heat  in  the  houses 
considerably,  and  when  at  the  same  time  an  east  wind  is  blowing 
that  chills  everything  it  comes  in  contact  with  it,  is  extremely 
difficult  to  ventilate  houses  where  Muscats  are  in  bloom  so  that  a 
circulation  can  be  maintained  without  a  chilling  effect.  This  is 
one  of  the  many  difficulties  a  gardener  has  to  contend  with.  In 
dull  cold  weather  pipe  heat  must  be  resorted  to,  to  maintain  a 
temperature  as  near  80°  as  possible,  and  assiduous  attention  must 
be  paid  to  the  precious  Muscats  in  the  way  of  applying  the  feather 
or  foxtail  so  that  every  bunch  may  be  caught  at  the  time  when  its 
pollen  is  ripe  and  ready.  Nothing  is  more  disappointing  than  a 
bad  set  of  Muscats,  as  the  labours  of  a  season  must  then  go  in  a 
great  measure  unrewarded. 
In  comparatively  sunless  summers  it  is  often  very  necessary 
that  much  fire  heat  be  used  in  conjunction  with  a  judicious  venti¬ 
lation,  in  order  that  Muscats  may  be  sufficiently  ripened  to  enable 
them  to  keep  well.  When  such  is  the  case  red  spider  too  often 
appears.  When  first  observed  I  advise  an  immediate  attack 
with  clean  water  and  the  syringe.  Taken  in  time  the  red  spider, 
may  be  checked,  but  allowed  to  get  a  hold,  it  is  certain  to 
make  its  mark  before  being  overcome.  Sulphur  is  thought  by 
some  to  be  effectual  in  checking  red  spider,  but  sometimes  it  is 
very  doubtful  whether  the  maintenance  of  a  dry,  or  at  least  a 
comparatively  dry,  atmosphere  at  a  time  when  plenty  of  moisture 
is  beneficial,  is  not  more  calculated  to  enable  the  pest  to  thrive, 
in  spite  of  sulphur,  than  if  extra  moisture  and  syringing  were 
resorted  to. 
Mildew,  generally  the  result  of  a  too  stagnant  and  damp  atmo¬ 
sphere,  is  another  trouble  that  sometimes  affects  Muscats  seriously  ; 
but  in  most  cases  it  might  easily  have  been  avoided  if  due  attention 
had  been  paid  to  atmospheric  conditions.  Sulphur  dusted  on  the 
leaves  and  painted  on  the  pipe#  is  sometime*  resorted  to  in  order 
to  check  the  ravages  of  mildew  ;  but  I  would  say  in  this  case  as  in 
others  prevention  is  better  than  cure.  Shanking  may  be  caused  by 
overcropping,  sour  borders,  or  sudden  checks,  and  it  should  be  the 
endeavour  of  all  cultivators  to  avoid  all  these  evils. 
The  question  of  the  temperature  necessary  for  the  proper 
culture  and  ripening  of  Muscats  has  been  in  past  years  the  subject 
of  much  controversy,  some  writers  maintaining  that  they  can  be 
properly  ripened  under  a  cool  system,  and  others — and  I  think  the 
majority — maintaining  that  an  extra  amount  of  heat  is  required  to 
properly  finish  all  Grapes  belonging  to  the  Muscat  family.  The 
experience  I  have  gained  makes  me  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that 
heat  in  an  extra  quantity  is  required  for  the  ripening  of  Muscats. 
This  has  sometimes  prevented  people  undertaking  their  culture, 
but  I  can  assure  them  that  the  extra  heat  and  care  required  will  be 
well  repaid,  for  a  quantity  of  golden  Muscats  is  the  result.  Taking 
it  with  all  its  peculiarities  and  extra  requirements  this  Muscat  is  a 
king  among  Grapes  ;  it  always  commands  due  homage  when  displayed 
in  regal  splendour,  and  the  many  votaries  of  horticulture  who 
attend  the  numerous  exhibitions  throughout  the  country  are  ever 
ready  and  willing  to  express  admiration  when  this  Grape  is  exhibited 
in  prime  condition.  We  know  that  some  hesitate  to  attempt  its 
culture  through  fear  of  not  being  able  to  provide  some  of  its 
requirements,  and  to  aid  these  the  foregoing  notes  have  been 
penned. 
For  packing  and  standing  a  railway  journey  the  Muscat  is  first- 
rate,  as  it  also  is  for  the  dessert  table.  Its  keeping  qualities  are 
of  the  best,  and  altogether  it  combines  such  excellent  and  valuable 
qualities  that  no  one  should  rest  contented  who  cultivates  Grapes 
and  has  not  successfully  grown  the  noble  Muscat  of  Alexandria. — H. 
THE  RAILWAY  COMPANIES’  NEW  DEPARTURE. 
How  fearfully  in  the  past  have  railway  companies  been  abused  by 
agriculturist#  and  others  because  their  charges  for  the  transit  of 
various  home-produced  commodities  have  been  seemingly  high  as  com¬ 
pared  with  the  rates  charged  for  imported  produce.  It  is  very  diffi¬ 
cult  to  make  these  persons  understand  the  economic  fact  that  every¬ 
thing  which  relates  to  a  wholesale  business  must  be  always  worked 
on  cheaper  lines  than  any  retail  business  can,  aDd  in  just  the  same  way 
the  railway  companies  have  carried  the  hundreds  of  tons  of  imported 
produce  at  lower  rates  than  they  have  the  small  quantities  in  retail 
fashion  of  home-grown  goods,  simply  because  they  could  afford  to  do  so. 
With  them  it  has  not  been  a  matter  of  preference  for  the  loreigner  over 
