346 
■JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  17,  1902. 
vein  is  greenish,  with  broad  red  bands  on  each  side,  and  paler 
red  throughout  the  rest  of  the  surface.  Rhenea,  though  not  of 
very  good  form,  is  exceedingly  showy,  being  brilliant  vermilion. 
Perle,  with  white  beams,  has  maroon  veins  on  a  white  ground, 
and  is  distinct.  Olympia  is  shaded  crimson-scarlet,  and  very 
large.  Her  Majesty,  one  of  the  older  ones,  is  almost  pure  white, 
with  reddish  veins;  a  handsome  flower.  Major  Wilson  presents 
the  scarlet  colour  of  a  soldier’s  tunic ;  Veetenes  is  rosy-scarlet ; 
Sybaris,  nearly  all  white,  with  a  few  pink  veins;  The  Champion, 
of  enormous  size,  is  scarlet-crimson.  Resius  is  another  of  those 
with  a  wavy  white  edge  and  dark  cidnison  flakes  throughout. 
Nitocrus  is  glowing  crimson-scarlet;  Sjwos,  with  good  stiff  form, 
has  white  beams,  and  is  rosy-red  otherwise.  But  one  might  go 
on  ad  infinitum.  It  is  really  remarkable  to  observe  the  enor¬ 
mous  size  of  the  scapes,  and  the  quantity  and  robustness  of  the 
foliage,  from  such  comparatively  small  bulbs.  It  goes  to  prove 
how  very  ably  the  plants  are  nursed  and  cared  for  from  the  day 
of  sowing  the  seed  on  through  each  successive  season  of  the 
vegetable  existence. — Waxdeking  Willie. 
Planting  Vines. 
The  month  of  April,  being  the  time  when  Grape  Vines  start 
naturall,y  into  growth  in  this  country,  even  in  cool  houses,  is  a 
very  suitable  period  for  planting  Vines,  especially  under  glass,  to 
which  the  following  remarks  have  particular  reference. 
Borders. 
Tlie  rooting  medium,  called  borders,  may  be  partly  within  and 
partly  outside  the  house,  planting  the  Vines  inside.  For  early 
forcing  the  borders  are  preferably  inside,  and  internal  borders 
onl.y  are  best  for  Muscats.  When  the  Vines  are  only  required  for 
producing  summer  Grapes,  the  borders  may  be  wholly  outside, 
this  applying  to  greenhouses  and  other  cool  or  even  cold  houses. 
In  cases  where  the  substratum  is  of  a  wet  or  unsuitable  nature 
the  border  should  be  concreted  at  the  bottom,  this  being  unneoes- 
sai-y  where  gi’avel  or  rock  occurs.  Proper  drains  and,  outlets 
must  be  iirovided,  and  1ft  thickness  of  rubble  about  the  size  of 
half  bricks  at  bottom  and  getting  lesser  in  size  uiiwards  to  that  of 
road  metal  at  top.  This  drainage  is  best  covered  with  a  layer  of 
old  mortar  rubbish,  free  from  pieces  of  wood,  about  3in  in  thick¬ 
ness.  Thirty  inches  depth  of  border  is  amiile.  Good  turfy  loam 
taken  from  an  old  xiasture  about  Sin  thick,  wdiere  the  soil  is  of  a 
friable  nature  and  iireferably  of  the  old  or  even  new  red  sand¬ 
stone  formation,  is  the  most  suitable  main  ingredient  for  a  Vine 
border.  To  this,  chopxied  up  into  iiieces  as  square  as  cut  thick, 
not  rejecting  the  small,  may  be  added  a  fifth  xiart  of  old  mortar 
rubbish,  a  tenth  of  wood  ashes,  a  twentieth  of  “  nuts  ”  of  charcoal, 
and  a  fortieth  of  crushed  ^in  bones.  Well  drained  and  fertile 
garden  soil,  however,  wall  grow  good  Grapes,  mixing  5cwt  of 
basic  slag  phosphate  and  Scwt  of  kainit  with  28  cubic  yards  of 
soil  or  border  30ft  by  10ft  and  2i-ft  deexi.  Six  feet  wddth  of 
border  will,  however  be  sufficient  to  commence  with. 
Planting. 
The  Vines,  having  been  cut  back  in  early  winter  and  kept  in 
a  cool  house,  will  now  have  the  buds  grown  to  a  length  of  a  couple 
of  inches,  this  being  desirable  at  xilanting  time.  TPrn  them  out 
of  the  pots,  remove  every  particle  of  soil,  preferably  by  washing, 
carefully  preseiwing  the  fibres.  Sxiread  the  roots  out  straight  as 
may  be  and  flat,  the  soil  of  the  border  having  been  raised  to  the 
required  level,  covering  the  roots  to  a  depth  of  3in  or  4in,  working 
the  soil  well  amongst  them  with  the  hand.  Give  a  good  supply  of 
tepid  water,  and  mulch  over  the  roots  and  a  little  further  with 
about  an  inch  thickness  of  short  sweetened  litter.  If  the  canes 
have  not  been  shortened  it  will  not  do  to  prune  them  now,  but 
remove  the  buds  from  the  upper  portion  down  to  where  fresh 
growth  is  required  to  push,  and  cut  away  the  disbudded  part 
when  the  Vines  have  made  some  leaves,  as  there  is  then  no  danger 
of  bleeding. 
After  Management. 
Sprinkle  the  Vines  and  house  twice  a  day,  but  avoid  a  close 
and  saturated  atmosphere.  A  temperature  of  55deg  at  night, 
65deg  by  day,  and  70deg  to  75deg  with  sun  is  suitable  for  a  time 
after  iilanting.  If  the  weather  be  bright  and  the  panes  of  glass 
large,  shade  lightly  from  9  a.m.  to  2  p.m.,  when  the  house  should 
be  closed,  damping  the  floor,  border,  and  other  surfaces.  If  the 
temperature  run  up  to  85deg  or  90deg  it  will  be  an  advantage. 
When  the  Vines  commence  growing  give  every  encouragement, 
increasing  the  temperature  to  GOdeg  to  Godeg  at  night,  70deg  to 
75deg  by  day,  and  80deg  to  85deg  or  90deg  from  sun  heat.  Young 
Vines  of  this  year’s  raising  may  be  turned  out  of  the  pots  with 
the  balls  entire,  or  being  in  turves,  which  is  the  better  iilan,  the 
soil  should  be  well  firmed  about  them,  so  as  to  secure  a  fibrous 
root  formation,  and  the  house  be  kept  at  the  temxieratures  last 
named . — -Vitis  . 
Old  ■  time  Gardening. 
(Continued  from  page  160.) 
It  has  frequently  been  contended  tliat  largely  owing  to  the 
Wars  of  the  Roses,  and  the  resulting  generally  unsettled  state  of 
England,  gardening  during  the  fifteenth  century  was  in  a  state  of 
collapse,  its  revival  taking  place  only  at  the  dawn  of  the 
Reformation.  Hollinshed,  indeed,  would  have  us  believe  that  a 
vast  Ixiatus,  embracing  all  the  time  between  the  Third  Edward 
and  the  Seventh  Henry,  marks  the  history  of  gardening  in 
England  ;  and  Hadyn,  to  prove  the  beggarly  condition  of  horticul¬ 
ture  at  this  period,  states  that  many  of  the  vegetables  required 
Avere  imported  from  the  Continent.  This  statement  need  not  be 
doubted,  because,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  at  no  time  do  ive  seem  to 
have  been  able  to  cultivate  as  man.y  vegetables  and  fruits  as  the 
consumer  demanded.  How  grossly,  for  instance,  ivould  the  future 
historian  err  if,  trusting  to  the  tables  of  our  imxiorts  to-day,  he 
was  to  conclude  that  the  beginning  of  the  tiventieth  century 
was  remarkable  for  its  lack  of  home-grown  garden  produce. 
Might  he  not  be  pardoned  for  even  doubting  the  existence  '  r 
gardens  at  all  ? 
The  Fifteenth  Century. 
Unfortunately  the  means  of  either  confirming  or  of  negativing, 
these  statements  are  of  the  most  meagre  descrixition,  but  such 
as  they  are,  they  do  not  corroborate  the  general  historian,  whose 
notes  on  gardening  are  too  frequently  marked  by  inaccuracy. 
Could  anything  be  wider  of  fact,  for  instance,  than  Hume’s  state¬ 
ment,  which  has  been  quoted  and  requoted,  that  till  the  end  of 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  no  salads,  Carrots,  Turnips,  or  other 
edible  roots  Avere  produced  in  England.  Or,  take  the  dates  cf 
introduction  given  by  D’Israeli  and  others  of  various  fruits  and 
flowers.  If  we  accexit  these  as  correct,  Ave  are  x>erforce  shut  uiJ. 
to  belieAung  that  old  cookery  books,  medical  Avorks,  &c.,  refer  to 
Xilants  Avhich  did  not  exist  in  England !  A  someAvhat  racy 
poem,  called  “  The  Libell  of  English  Policie,”  Avritten  preAUOus 
to  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century,  Avhich  urges  the  necessit.y 
of  maintaining  the  mastery  of  the  sea,  as  then  knoAvn,  and  of 
keeping  a  fast  grip  of  Calais,  Wales,  and  Ireland,  contains  lists 
of  the  products  of  various  countries  Avith  the  commodities  im¬ 
ported  by  England.  Among  the  latter  are  Figs,  Raisins,  Dates. 
Pastel,  Saffron,  Madder,  Garlick,  and  Onions,  not  a  formidable 
quantity  by  any  means. 
On  the  other  hand,  The  Feate  of  Gardening,”  of  about  the 
.same  date,  contains  a  lengthy  list  of  vegetables,  and  AA'hat  are 
AAunting  therein,  such  as  Parsnixis,  Turmxis,  Carrots,  and  Ram- 
Xiions  are  found  in  contemporary  cookery  books.  A  salad  of  the 
period,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note,  included  buds  of  Primroses 
and  of  Smyrnium  olu.satrum,  the  young  tender  toxis  of  red  Fennel, 
a  form  with  dark  coloured  foliage,  red  Mint,  and  red  Nettle,  a 
cultivated  kind  Avith  reddish  stems :  Parsley,  perhaps  the  roots. 
Chives,  Cress,  Purslane,  Ramsons,  Calamint,  Daisies,  Rampions, 
Rockets,  Dandelion,  and  ChickAveed.  Russel’s  “  Book  of 
Nurture,”  about  14G0,  supplies  much  information  on  this  point. 
Dinner  aaws  prepared  for  thus :  “  Quynces,  Avith  Peres  ciryxipe,  with 
Parcely  roots.  Right  so  bygyn  your  mele.”  The  first  course 
consisted  of  “  Suche  potage  as  the  cook  hatlie  made  of  Yerbi.s 
sxiice  and  Avine,”  along  AA'ith  a  great  variety  of  meats.  Fruit 
Avas  the  fourth  course,  and  comprised  “  Avhot  Axix’uls  Avith  Peres,, 
AA’ith  sugre  candy,  Avith  gyngure  columbyne  mynsed  manerly.” 
Columbine  here  defines  the  ginger  as  doAm-coloured,  and  is  not 
the  plant  of  that  name.  But  at  dinner  these,  too,  Avere  con¬ 
sumed:  “  Fygges,  Raysons,  Almondes,  nottus,  Axix>le,  Pere,  and 
Clare  de  Quynce.”  Hoxv  particular  they  Avere  as  to  hoAv  and 
when  certain  kinds  of  garden  produce  Avere  to  be  eaten  ax>pears. 
from  the  folloAAung :  “  Serve  fastyne,  Plommys,  nottus,  StraAv- 
beries,  W^yneberies  (probably  Goosebendes),  and  hard  chese, 
biaAvndrilles,  peyxms,  careAvay  in  comfit.” 
Parkinson  notes  “The  Blandrill  as  a  good  Apple,”  and  Cot- 
grave  states,  it  A\’as  large  and  Avhite.  Then  the.v  Avere  to  eat 
“  After  sopper  roasted  Apples,  Pere,  blanche  Powder  your 
stomak  for  to  ese.”  As  a  caution  they  are  told  to  “  beAvar  of 
StraAvberies  and  Hurtillberies  at  eve.”  Of  vegetables,  the  Pea 
seems  to  have  occupied  a  chief  place,  and  is  referred  to  several 
times,  as  for  instance,  “  Pesen  with  bakon,”  “  pesen  Avith  the 
purpose,”  “  to  pesen  or  furmentye,  take  the  tayl  of  the  bevere.”' 
“Wortus,”  here  a  general  name  for  vegetables,  AA’ere  cooked 
“  AA  itli  a  henne,  cony,  beef,  or  els  an  hare.”  Hoav  to  prexiare  a 
medicinal  bath  brings  many  plants,  such  as  the  Hollyhock,  the 
MalloAAq  broAvn  Fennel,  and  St.  John’s  Wort  into  vieAv;  but 
perhaps  it  is  needless  to  quote  further,  as  gardens  could  have 
been  neither  non-existent  or  uncultivated  Avith  these  demands  to 
be  met.  The  London  citizens,  inoreoAmr,  still  continued  fond  of 
gardens,  a  paragraph  in  StoAve’s  “  SurAmy  ”  noting  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  all  the  gardens  “  Avithout  Moorgate”  in  order  to  make 
an  archery,  proving  this.  This  vandalistic  act,  may  I  call  it, 
happened  in  1498. 
At  the  same  time,  as  we  gather  from  one  or  tivo  poets  Avho’ 
flourished  at  this  period,  there  Avas  a  change  taking  place  in  the 
simple,  unaffected  methods  of  an  earlier  date,  and  a  more  ornate 
style  of  gardening  creeping  in.  Thus  Skelton,  a  man  avIio  must  have 
