138 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  ANT)  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  V2,  iSs?. 
hnndredweight?.  The  latter  ought  to  know  about  these  things,  and 
not  leave  the  grower  to  bear  all  the  brunt  of  a  collapse.  The  good 
grower  of  Gi apes,  who  is  properly  equipped  for  the  work,  studies 
the  Vines — brings  his  knowledge  and  experience  to  bear  upon  themi 
and  the  result  is  the  naeasure  of  his  naatured  judgment.  Thus 
Grape  growing  is  a  question  of  ways  and  means — of  skill  and 
materials. 
I  find  “muck’'  and  “brains”  are  the  chief  factors  with  the 
grower  of  Grapes  for  market.  The  first  saves  watering,  and  the 
Vines  receive  no  more  water  than  is  sufficient  to  make  the 
nutrition  soluble.  Little  of  this  runs  away  into  the  drains,  the 
consequence  of  excessive  drenchings  of  the  border.  Yet  they 
have  sufficient  water,  and  not  only  is  enough  as  good  as  a  feast, 
but  better.  The  Vines  groan  not  under  their  burdens,  because 
as  the  crop  is  so  is  the  stamina  supplied.  The  grower  knows 
his  Vines  —  studies  them,  understands  them,  and  feeds  them 
according  to  their  work.  The  question  of  colour  is  one  of 
nutrition  from  beginning  to  end — not  of  nutrition  washed  out 
of  the  border,  but  kept  in  it.  Water  and  nitrogen  may  put  on 
flesb,  but  not  colour. 
Vines  require  steady  supplies  of  substantial  nourishment. 
Potash,  phosphorus,  magnesia,  and  lime  are  the  prime  food 
essentials  so  far  as  colour  is  concerned,  utilised  by  water  and 
nitrogen.  Build  up  the  Vines  from  the  start  with  phosphates, 
sulphates,  chlorides,  and  nitrates  in  due  proportions,  and  give  no 
more  water  than  is  necessary  for  health,  then  colour  will  come^ 
never  by  overmuch  water.  It  is  assimilated  food  that  puts  colour 
on  Grapes.  Let  the  Vines  work  from  “  morn  to  eve  ”  pouring  out 
water,  manufacturing  chlorophyll  all  the  day  long,  and  building 
up  cells  with  strongly  fortified  mineralised  walls.  Air  and  sun¬ 
shine,  every  leaf  its  share,  will  do  the  rest,  and  then  having  fed 
the  Vines  wisely,  and  cropped  them  judiciously,  the  best  of  colour 
will  appear  in  the  fruit. 
The  most  foliage  does  not  imply  the  best  colour.  It  often 
means  the  reverse,  as  large  flabby  leaves,  long-jointed,  large- 
pithed  wood  are  the  precursors  of  loose  bunches  and  ill  finished 
Grapes.  It  is  solidity  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  Grapes  that 
irsures  both  colour  and  quality,  and  firmness  is  due  solely  to  the 
nature  of  the  food  and  conditions  of  elaboration. 
Overcropping  results  in  indifferent  finish.  Some  growers  go  so 
far  as  to  make  a  point  of  colouring  their  Grapes  by  certain  methods 
in  ventilation  at  the  time  of  ripening — good  methods,  no  doubt 
but  the  success  that  follows  is  mainly  due  to  something  else.  Over¬ 
burdened  Vines  may  be  helped  in  colouring,  not  by  air  alone,  nor 
by  drowning  the  roots,  but  by  giving  a  top-dressing  of  Thomson’s  or 
other  advertiaed  fertiliser  of  proved  efficiency,  and,  of  course,  it 
must  be  washed  in  for  imbibition  by  the  Vines,  but  to  do  this  does 
not  require  an  equivalent  of  4  inches  of  rainfall  where  1  inch  is 
ample.  The  dressing  often  acts  very  well,  the  roots  move,  the 
laterals  respond,  and  then  more  colour  comes,  though  it  may  not 
be  perfect,  because,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  Grapes  wrong  in  colour 
cannot  be  so  quickly  put  right.  The  elements  of  colour  must  be 
provided  long  before  the  benies  change  for  ripening.  An  Apple 
to  colour  in  the  fruit  room  must  be  grown  in  the  sun,  not  in  the 
centre  of  the  tree.  Still,  the  dressing  betters  a  wrong  if  it  does 
not  make  it  exactly  right,  besides  the  food  given  now  is  stored  and 
helps  the  Vines  at  starting  another  year.  Lightening  heavily 
burdened  Vines  may  do  lomething  towards  those  bunches  left 
finishing  better.  It  is  very  little,  however,  if  the  removals  are 
delayed  till  the  Grapes  are  advanced  to  the  colouring  stage.  I 
have  tried  it  on  Gros  Guillaume  time  after  time.  The  effect  was 
a  delusion — just  a  case  of  the  worst  coloured  bunches  being  cut 
off  and  the  others  looking  better  in  consequence. 
Then  there  is  the  matter  of  temperature.  Some  persons  go  so 
far  as  to  credit  dew  with  putting  colour  and  bloom  on  fruit.  It  is 
the  best  thing  I  know  to  take  it  off.  In  an  old  book  I  find  the 
moon  credited  with  making  grain  golden.  These  oracles  are  beyond 
me  j  but  I  can  get  clearer,  purer,  golden  tints  into  Muscat  of 
Alexandria  Grapes  in  July  than  under  the  finest  harvest  moon  yet 
seen;  so  what  acts  on  grain  has  no  influence  on  Grapes.  “Cold  nights 
make  Sloes  blue  ”  is  a  time-honoured  belief,  but  not  mine.  Those 
grown  in  the  shade  will  not  turn  blue,  but  those  having  sun  all  the 
summer  will,  if  cut  when  changing  colour,  ripen  off  the  tree.  Still, 
heavily  cropped  Vines  do  colour  better  with  a  comparatively  low 
night  temperature  than  under  a  high  one,  turning  almost  black  as 
Sloes  outdoors  in  October. 
Colour  in  Grapes,  or  in  every  other  fruit,  depends  upon  the 
means  taken  during  growth  to  secure  it.  That  is  a  due  adjustment 
of  the  crop  to  the  vigour  of  the  Vine.  Full  exposure  to  light  from 
the  beginning  of  growth  to  the  ripening  of  the  fruit  and  foliage, 
due  supplies  of  nourishment  in  available  form  right  along  from 
commencement  to  finish,  and  plenty  of  air  with  a  comparatively 
drier  atmosphere,  appear  to  be  the  needful  conditions  at  the 
ripening  stage. 
The  whole  question  needs  ventilation,  for  there  are  far  too 
many  Grapes  defective  in  colour  that  cannot  be  regarded  as  over¬ 
crops,  and  it  is  just  such  case  s  that  suggest  the  desirability  of  an 
exchange  of  views.  There  is  the  question  of  manures  as  affecting 
colour,  some  accelerating  it  and  others  doing  the  contrary.  Then 
different  varieties  may  need  something  variable  in  their  treatment. 
These  are  interesting  subjects,  and  could  well  be  treated  by 
experienced  cultivators  with  advantage  even  to  themselves,  not  to 
mention  the  rising  generation,  thirsting  for  information  on  the 
“  queen  of  fruits,”  especially  in  the  matter  of  colouring,  for,  without 
perfection  therein  the  produce  cannot  be  fully  appreciated. — 
G.  Abbey. 
DEATH  OF  Mr.  ALFRED  SUTTON. 
All  whc  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Alfred  Sutton  must 
have  been  iriipreseed  by  his  urbanity,  and  will  deeply  regret  to  hear  that 
he  died  at  h’lH  residence,  Greenlands,  Reading,  on  Saturday  morning  last, 
at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  Mr.  Sutton  was  for  fifty  years  an 
active  member  of  the  firm  of  Sutton  &  Sons,  but  retired  from  the 
business,  together  with  his  brother,  Mr.  Martin  Hope  Sutton,  the 
founder  of  the  firm,  who  survives  him,  nine  years  ago,  when  the  business 
was  entirely  made  over  to  their  sons,  the  present  partners.  He  was 
more  particularly  interested  in  the  fioricultural  part  of  the  work,  whilst 
his  brother  devoted  himself  principally  to  the  agricultural  and  seed 
growing  departments. 
In  his  private  life  he  took  the  deepest  interest  in  all  religious  move¬ 
ments,  especi'illy  those  established  for  the  benefit  of  young  men.  He 
was  one  of  vhe  founders  and  chief  supporters  of  the  Reading  Cburch  of 
England  Y.M.C.A.  He  was  a  warm  supporter  of  missionary  work  at 
home  and  abroad,  especially  the  Cburch  Missionary  Society  At  the 
present  time  three  sons  are  working  as  medical  missionaries  itr  Quetta, 
Bagdad,  anu  South  Africa  respectively.  He  built  three  mission  rooms 
in  populous  parts  of  the  town,  also  the  coffee  house  known  as  the 
“British  Workman.”  He  was  a  Sunday  school  teacher  and  super¬ 
intendent,  and  for  some  years  a  Churchwarden  at  St.  John’s  Church. 
He  took  a  great  interest  in  education,  and  was  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  fifteen  years  from  its  formation,  when  he  was  elected  at  the 
head  of  the  poll.  He  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Royal  Berkshire 
Hospital,  and  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Management. 
Politically  the  deceased  was  a  Conservative,  but  he  took  no  active 
part  in  party  politics.  Mr.  Sutton  was  a  J.P.  for  Reading,  and  as  a 
mark  of  respect  to  his  memory,  and  to  note  the  passing  away  of  one  of 
Reading’s  oldest  and  most  honoured  residents,  the  bell  at  the  municipal 
church  of  St.  Lawrence  was  tolled.  A  widow  and  ten  children  (seven 
sons  and  three  daughters)  survive  him. 
It  can  be  said  of  Mr;  Alfred  Sutton  that  those  who  knew  him  the 
best  esteemed  him  the  most  for  his  gentleness,  uprightness,  and  kindly 
solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  his 
influence.  His  life  has  been  a  lesson  of  the  most  wholesome  kind  that 
cannot  fail  to  have  left  its  impress  for  good  on  the  minds  of  many 
young  men  who  have  had  the  privilege  of  working  under  him  during 
his  long  and  honourable  business  career.  The  funeral  took  place 
yesterday  (Wednesday).  _ 
Op  the  two  brothers  whose  intelligence,  energy  and  uprightness  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  great  house  of  Sutton  &  Sons  of  Reading,  the 
