October  14,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
:u;5 
will  thus  be  perceived  that  the  Vine  with  its  fruit  was  raore  than  half 
the  weight  of  the  soil  in  wliich  it  grew,  and  this  rejiresents  what  we  call 
a  small  \  ine  border.  Only  by  the  best  of  attention  and  judgment  in 
watering  and  feeding  could  such  results  have  been  achieved  as  repre¬ 
sented  in  the  illustration. 
A  MINIATUUE  VINE  BORDER 
The  weight  of  the  soil  at  the  time  the  Vine  was  removed,  and  conse- 
fjiK-ntly  in  the  ordinary  damp  state,  was  found  to  be  exactly  15  lbs.  It 
The  Koyal  Horticultural 
Society’s  Fruit  Show  at  Syden¬ 
ham  attracted  large  lum  bers  of 
provincial  i)ractitioners  to  the 
great  I’axtonian  Palace,  and  as 
one  who  has  not  had  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  visiting  the  metropolis 
for  a  long  period  perhaps  may  be 
permitted  to  jot  dowA  a  few  of  the 
I IG.  55. — A  Miniature  ^  ine  Border,  ideas  and  impressions  resulting 
•  from  my  journey.  Time  was 
short,  but  a  visit  to  London 
without  a  call  at  Covent  Garden  Market  would  seem  strangely  incom¬ 
plete,  for  even  those  who  have  not  to  contend  with  the  difficulties 
of  selling  produce  must  always  find  much  to  interest  them  in  this 
wonderful  emporium.  Wonderful  it  dues  most  assuredly  appear  on  a 
close  acquaintance  with  the  trade  there  transacted ;  the  enormous 
quantities  of  fruit,  vegetables,  and  (lowers  which  pass  through  it  week  by 
week,  the  numbers  of  individuals,  directly  or  indirectly,  concerned  in 
growing,  conveying,  and  selling  its  supplies,  would  furnish  an  amazing 
record.  Ilis  Grace  the  Duke  of  Bedford  has  published  one  of  the  most 
interesting  hooks  of  the  present  time  in  his  “Story  of  a  Great  Agricul¬ 
tural  Estate  but  what  a  work  would  be  the  “  History  of  Covent  Garden 
Market,”  not  as  a  record  of  the  owner’s  receipts  and  expenditure,  but  as 
tracing  the  development  of  the  trade  in  home  and  foreign  garden  produce. 
It  would  be  rendered,  in  fact,  an  epitome  of  this  trade  in  the  whole  of 
Great  Britain. 
The  season  has  been  an  unfavourable  one  for  hardy  fruits  we  all  know 
only  too  well,  j  et  in  the  market,  as  far  as  could  be  judged  by  the  huge 
piles  of  baskets  in  all  directions,  both  Apples  and  I’ears  would  seem  to  be 
abundant,  but  the  consignments  cover  a  wide  area,  and  [therefore  yield 
(With  Rbsuets). 
On  page  281,  September  23rd,  reference  was  made  to  an  instance  ol 
rapid  success  in  Grape  growing.  Mr.  W.  Neild,  as  then  stated,  appeared 
to  be  no  advocate  of  a  large  and  deep  root  run  for  \dnes.  An  intima¬ 
tion  was  also  given  that  we  thought  a  oroj)  of  Grapes  could  he  shown 
worthy  of  the  name  as  produced  by  a  Vine  in  the  smallest  border  on 
record.  Our  readers  have  now  an  opportunity  of  judging  for  themselves, 
and  if  a  healthier  Vine  bearing  a  better  crop  of  Grapes  has  been  seen 
growing  in  a  quarter  of  a  cubic  foot  of  soil  we  shall  be  glad  to  have 
jtarticulars  of  it. 
'fhe  variety  shown  is  Gros  Colman.  Others  similarly  grown  were 
Black  Hamburgh,  Madresfield 
Court,  and  Muscat  of  Alex¬ 
andria.  The  bunches  on  each 
^’ine  were  reduced  to  six,  and 
all  of  them  did  e(iually  well 
except  the  Muscat  of  ^^lexandria, 
which  had  a  number  of  seedless 
berries,  which  Mr.  Neild  at¬ 
tributed  to  the  frequent  supplies 
of  water  necessary  to  maintain 
the  small  quantity  of  soil  in  a 
moist  condition. 
In  answer  to  inquiries  on 
one  or  two  points,  and  for  a 
few  particulars,  Mr.  Neild  has 
favoured  with  the  following 
reply 
“  The  box  in  which  the  Vines 
are  growing  is  exactly  a  foot 
sipiare,  and  3  inches  deep.  There 
has  been  absolutely  nothing  done 
to  ]irovide  a  larger  rooting  sjiace 
that  what  is  contained  in  the 
box.  The  box  stands  on  the 
stage  shown  in  the  photo,  in  the 
house  in  which  it  has  been  grown 
from  youth  to  maturity,  and  the 
nearest  soil  is  from  3  to  4  feet 
below  the  box.  No  rooting 
through  has  ever  taken  place* 
My  object  was  not  to  try  to  de¬ 
ceive,  but  to  demonstrate  what 
a  small  quantity  of  soil  a  Vine 
could  be  fruited  in. 
“The  fruit  is  colouring  well 
for  the  variety,  and  the  berries, 
on  an  average,  measure  Sj  inches 
in  circumference.  The  leaves  (of 
which  1  send  a  sample)  are  large* 
and  have  good  substance.  The 
compost  used  for  this  Vine  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  Muscat 
border  described  on  page  281. 
“  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that 
constant  attention  to  the  water¬ 
ing  and  feeding  of  the  plants  was 
reijuisite.  The  food  employed 
was  good  farmyard  and  stable  liquid  manure,  with  an  occasional  appli¬ 
cation  of  nitrate  of  potash  and  nitrate  of  soda.” 
Mr.  Neild  with  the  above  information  sent  us  a  leaf  of  the  Vine.  It 
was  healthy,  of  good  substance,  measuring  10^  inches  from  the  toj)  of 
the  upper  lobe  to  the  point,  and  was  9  inches  in  width.  We  therefore 
requested  that,  if  practicable,  the  different  parts  of  the  Vine,  also  the 
soil,  be  accurately  weighed.  This  has  been  done  with  the  following 
results ;  — 
Actual  Weight  oi^  Vine  and  Fruits. 
11)8.  «'/.■>. 
Six  bunches  of  Grapes  ....  r.  o 
(Heaviest  bunch,  lib.  12ozs.) 
Weight  of  leaves 
Weight  of  stem,  laterals,  and  roots 
So  it  is  that  exhibitions  be¬ 
come  to  ■  gardeners  something 
more  than  a  display  of  produce  ; 
they  are  educational  and  stimu¬ 
lating,  and  wise  indeed  is  the 
employer  who,  knowing  he  has  a 
discreet  gardener  possessing  the 
ambition  of  excelling  in  his 
calling,  encourages  him  in  exhi¬ 
biting,  or  at  least  permits  him  to 
visit  the  principal  shoivs,  with 
instructions  to  “put  his  exjienses 
in  the  book.  ’  I  have  never 
known  such  generosity  abused  ; 
nay,  more,  in  the  majority  of 
cases  it  is  repaid  with  ample 
interest  in  increased  energy. 
A  C!OUNTR,Y  Vl)SIT()]r)S  JOTTINIJS. 
Horticulturists  certainly  have  abundant  change  in  their  occupa¬ 
tion,  and  the  varying  forces  with  which  they  have  to  contend  never 
permit  their  em})loyment  to  become  monotonous  but  even  the  men  who 
are  most  devoted  to  their  calling  need  a  change  of  scene  occasionally,  the 
opportunity  for  which  is  most  fittingly  afforded  when  some  great  event 
connected  with  gardening  takes 
place  in  the  metropolis  or  the 
large  provincial  towns.  Gar¬ 
deners  imbued  with  the  true  .spirit 
of  progress  must  ever  bo  learners, 
and  whether  thcj'  are  visiting 
their  neighbours  or  journeying 
to  some  distant  show,  this  desire 
to  pick  up  new  ideas,  or  to  place 
old  ones  in  a  fresh  light,  should 
be  the  chief  inducement.  It  is 
invigorating  to  the  mind  also  to 
exchange  thoughts  and  experi¬ 
ences  with  one's  compeers  in  other 
districts  who  may  have  to  work 
under  totally  different  conditions, 
and,  in  consequence,  have  to 
modify  their  practice  greatly. 
It  is  pleasant  to  see  old  friends, 
and  ])Ossiblj'  to  make  new  ac¬ 
quaintances,  to  hear  of  men 
steadily  progressing  on  the  road 
to  success,  and  of  others  who 
have,  by  patient  perseverance, 
overcome  many  difficulties. 
