August  8,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
123 
Slinking  of  Grapes. 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
This  is,  perhaps,  the  most  tantalising  of  Grape  Vine  defects. 
The  cause  it  shanking  is  unknown,  though  the  most  experienced 
cultivators  regard  it  as  intimately  connected  with  nutrition,  inducing 
a  morbid  c  ndition.  Suspended  root  action  at  the  critical  period,  when 
the  Grapes  change  colour  for  ripening,  has  been  assigned,  but  it 
frequently  occurs  where  the  roots  are  active  in  the  surface  dressings 
or  mulchings,  yet  the  main  loots  are  generally  in  an  unsatisfactory 
condition  through  the  closeness  of  the  border  or  lack  of  gravelly  matter 
in  the  soil  to  keep  it  sweet  and  afford  a  suitable  rooting  medium  and 
available  wholesome  food.  What  the  exact  defect  or  excess  of  nutri¬ 
tion  is  no  one  appears  to  ha'e  any  clear  idea,  though  organic  acids 
have  been  found  abundantly  in  shanked  berries,  and  these,  probably 
for  lack  of  neutralising  by  mineral  substances,  lie  at  the  root  of 
the  evil.  It  seems  strange,  however,  that  the  acids  do  not  affect 
the  shoots  of  the  Vine,  causing  them  to  shank. 
Indoor  Vines  have  prepared  borders.  Are  they  composed  of  too 
rich  materials,  the  organic  matt  r  disproportionate  to  the  mineral 
components  ?  or  are  the  border  ingredients  of  too  close  and  compact 
nature,  so  that  air  is  precluded  and  soddenness  and  sourness 
inevitable  ?  Truly,  something  is  wrong  at  the  roots  of  the  Vines  or 
shanking  would  not  appear  in  the  berries. 
This  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  steps 
taken  to  avoid  it  —  namely,  properly 
made  borders  of  soil  of  suitable  staple, 
with  thorough  drainage,  and  well- 
managed  Vines,  for  the  roots  are  simply 
food  imbibers  and  transmitters.  But 
it  is  all-important  that  the  foliage  be 
fully  exposed  to  light,  for  the  value  of 
the  food  depends  on  the  power  of  elabo¬ 
ration,  hence  root-action  and  leaf-action 
must  be  reciprocal.  Excess  of  foliage  or 
crowding  of  growth  hinders  elaboration. 
On  the  other  hand,  keeping  from  first  to 
last  as  much  foliage  as  can  have  due 
exposure,  and  no  more,  in  a  healthy  state 
favours  elaboration  and  the  storing  of 
matter  essential  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
current  crop,  and  insures  the  maturation 
of  wood  and  buds  for  the  producing  of 
the  next  year’s. 
The  young  growths  must  be  well 
regulated,  adopting  the  extension  rather 
than  the  restricted  system,  where  there 
is  room  for  it  without  crowding.  The 
only  remedy  for  shanking,  where  border 
and  drainage  is  bad,  is  to  lift  the  Vines, 
providing  efficient  drainage,  and  forming 
a  border  of  suitable  materials.  Heavy 
coatings  of  manure  in  autumn  or  winter, 
if  allowed  to  become  soapy,  sodden  and 
sour  the  soil,  and  exposing  the  surface  to  the  heat  and  drought  are 
certain  means  of  securing  shanked  Grapes.  Souring  the  soil  with 
liquid  manure  whilst  it  is  saturated  and  cold  destroys  what  few 
tibrelets  remain,  and  the  Grapes  shank.  Sometimes  the  sourness  may 
be  overcome  by  dressings  of  air-slaked  lime,  1  lb.  per  square  yard,  or 
basic  cinder  phosphate,  2  lbs.  per  square  yard,  the  latter  not  only 
supplying  lime,  but  also  phosphoric  acid,  some  magnesia  (an  essential 
Vine  food),  iron,  and  manganese  (important  constituents  of  the  best 
soils  for  Vines). 
Defeciive  nutrition  unquestionably  gives  rise  to  shanking,  or 
rattier  the  evil  is  commonly  a  result  of  error  in  treatment  ;  for  when 
Vines  have  a  porous  soil  and  free  drainage,  proper  supplies  of 
phosphates,  sulphates,  nitrates,  and  chlorides  of  potassium,  calcium, 
magnesium,  and  iron,  the  Grapes  do  not  shank,  the  crop  not  bring 
over  burdensome,  and  the  foliage  not  scorched  or  destroyed  by  red 
spider  or  other  jests.  Such  mineral  elements  as  those  quoted  are 
necessary  in  order  that  the  Vines  may  build  up  their  structures 
herithlully.  The  artificially  compounded  fertilisers  contain  Vine 
fotd  in  suitable  form,  and  it  is  well  known  that  where  there  is  a 
judicious  use  of  them  there  are  fewer  Vine  ailments  than  under  the 
old  i eg  me  of  surfeiting  with  stable  manure. — G.  A. 
Preserved  Figs. — Gather  the  Figs  with  stems  just  before  they 
are  ripe  enough  to  be  eaten  ;  keep  them  in  salt  water  for  twelve  hours  ; 
take  them  out  and  put  them  in  fresh  for  three  days,  changing  the  water 
every  day  ;  make  a  thiok  syrup  with  a  little  Lemon  juice  and  the  rind 
of  tne  Lemons  in  it  (or  ginger),  put  in  the  Figs  and  let  them  boil  until 
done,  then  put  in  jars. 
“Here  ’awa,  There  awa.” 
Edinburgh  Notes. 
“Willie”  has  wandered  far  this  week.  He  settled  himself  in  a 
north-going  train  on  Friday  last,  and  early  on  Saturday  morning  formed 
one  of  a  multitude  who  all  but  usurped  the  famous  streets  of  Scotland’s 
capital.  There  are  no  suoh  things  as  “gentle  zephyrs”  that  cool  a 
heat-burdened  air  here ;  but  instead  there  are  half  hurricanes  that 
nearly  blow  cabs  over.  Yet  the  saying  of  an  English  friend  to  whom  I 
spoke  this  afternoon,  and  who  now  enjoys  a  comfortable  post  at  the 
Botanic  Garden  here,  is  very  true.  He  said  that  a  person  can  do  a 
good  day’s  work  in  the  cooler  air  of  our  more  northern  clime,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  day  still  feel  able  for  any  private  business  one  may 
require  to  do.  In  London  with  its  oompressed,  oven-like  atmospher1, 
which  in  summer  continues  day  after  day,  and  week  after  week, 
debilitates  even  the  strongest,  and  labour  or  exertion  of  any  sor: 
’8  a  very  sore  trouble.  But  while  the  state  of  the  weather  in 
different  parts  may  serve  as  an  introductory  topio,  we  do  not  want 
to  discuss  it  threadbare — if  that  could  be. 
Passing  Berwick  and  around  by  St. 
Abb’s  Head,  one  notices  that  harvesting 
operations  are  already  well  in  hand. 
This,  for  the  north,  is  in  good  time, 
not  to  say  early.  While  in  Essex  some 
three  weeks  ago  I  saw  numerous  acres 
of  Rye  and  Barley  already  cut  and 
stacked;  and  the  same  down  Redhill 
way,  in  Surrey.  Throughout  Perthshire 
Oats  are  still  very  green,  though  other 
cereals  are  becoming  tinged  with  the 
sere  and  yellow  toning.  Rain  is  badly 
needed,  as,  indeed,  we  have  heard 
often  and  often.  Twice  since  Saturday 
last  the  elements  above  have  been  at 
the  point  of  precipitancy,  but  the  oauld 
blasts  frae  the  Wast  have  headed  off 
the  likely  showers. 
The  Botanic  Garden. 
In  an  afternoon  stroll  through  these 
gardens,  superintended  by  Professor 
Isaac  Bay  ley  Balfour,  nothing  pleased 
me  more  than  the  handsome  new  Brome- 
liad,  Aroid,  and  Nepenthes  house,  with 
its  central  pathway  and  broad  borders. 
In  these  borders  one  finds  a  very  fine 
selection  of  Marantas,  Alocasias,  Anthu- 
riums,  Hellonias,  Hoffmannias,  and 
minor  plants ;  while  in  baskets  over¬ 
head  are  lines  of  numerously  adorned 
Nepenthes.  As  I  will  have  more  to 
relate  about  this  splendid  house  later, 
I  may  save  space  now  and  refer  instead  to  a  very  few  subjects  in 
the  oorridor  and  other  houses.  Romneya  Coulteri  is  here  grown 
upon  a  baok  wall,  and  appears  to  have  been  flowering  moderately 
well.  Mitraria  oocoinea  flourishes  more  vigorously  than  is  its  wont, 
and  would  seem  to  favour  the  planting-out  system.  Bauera  rubioides 
may  also  be  seen  screening  part  of  the  corridor  wall,  with  its  roots 
in  a  narrow  border,  and  is  quite  a  mass  of  pretty  rose-mauve  flowers. 
As  a  rule  this  little  hardwood  is  subjected  to  the  oonfine  of  pots. 
Oxypetalum  cceruleum  is  but  rarely  seen,  yet  if  it  can  always  be 
depended  upon  to  be  so  floriferous  as  it  is  here,  one  should  expeot 
to  find  it  in  every  garden. 
Oestrum  aurantiacum  with  its  orange  flower  trusses  has  very  many 
flue  qualities  to  recommend  it,  and  none  more  in  the  cultivator’s  eye 
than  that  it  grows  readily  and  flowers  most  freely.  Malvastrum 
grossulariseflorum,  with  pretty  Malva-like  flowers,  attracts  observation, 
as  also  does  the  beautiful  climber,  Rhodoohiton  volubile,  with  saucer¬ 
shaped  rose-mauve  blossoms. 
The  foregoing  are  all  upon  the  corridor  walls.  In  one  of  the  open 
borders  in  the  large  cool  conservatory,  the  handsome  masses  of  Restia 
subvertioillatus,  a  beautiful  grassy  plant  of  plume-like  mien,  is  very 
handsome  indeed.  I  noticed  the  reoently  introduced  Arctotis  grandis, 
with  silvery. lilac  flowers,  upon  the  stages,  and  near  by  it  were  charming 
masses  of  the  orange-scarlet  Chironia  ixifera.  Solanum  pyracanthum, 
with  brown-spined  leaves,  added  piquancy  to  the  composition.  Hibiscus 
Manihot  and  H.  Huegeli,  the  former  with  primrose  fljwers,  the  latter 
with  lavender  blue,  are  both  beautiful  and  uncommon.  Tacsonia 
exoniensis,  having  rich  orimson  flowers,  furnished  a  dazzling  mass 
of  colour  overhead,  while  Solanum  Wendlandi  is  as  perfect  here  a* 
in  its  best  conditions  elsewhere;  Nemesias  are  also  brilliant.  But 
perhaps  the  foregoing  will  suffice  as  a  first  instalment. — Wandering 
Willie. 
Zygopetalum  Mackayi. 
