336 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  27,  1899. 
CJRAPE  GROWING  OUTDOORS  AND  IN  COOL 
HOUSES. 
{Concluded  from  page  324.) 
^  "What  rea.sor,  then,  hut  indillei  encc  for  the  non-production  of  Grape 
in  England  ?  In  the  year  1897  duty  was  paid  on  15,853,071 
ga'lons  of  wine  imported  into  this  country.  Surely  some  part  of  this 
'Jist  quantity  could  he  produced  in  England.  Would  it  pay?  That 
i.s  just  the  point  the  owners  of  land  and  the  cultivators  of  the  soil  want 
to  know.  The  answer  can  only  come  through  experiments  in  different 
|>arls  of  the  southern  districts  of  England  and  Wales.  Of  quality 
there  appears  no  question,  for  the  Welsh  wines  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  like  the  Duke  of  Norfolk’s  of  the  eighteenth,  are  “  better  than 
jinjioTted.”  The  testimony  from  the  Castle  Coch  and  Svvanbridge 
▼ineyards  seem  conclusive  on  that  point,  and  that  of  paying  or  other¬ 
wise  remains  to  bo  determined  by  experiment  in  different  parts  of  the 
country. 
The  varieties  grown  for  wine  making  are  the  Black  Cluster, 
hliller’s  Burgundy,  and  Gammc  Noir,  all  with  small  round  (the  iii>t 
aamed  h.as  slightly  oval)  berries,  blue-black  when  ripe,  which  usually 
occurs  at  the  end  of  September  or  beginning  of  October.  In  the 
Castle  Coch  vineyard  the  Vines  are  placed  3  feet  apart  every  way,  and 
have  stems  about  1  foot  in  height,  the  growths  being  secured  to 
rapTight  stakes  rising  about  4  feet  from  the  ground.  The  Vines  i  re 
thus  grown  on  the  stool  system,  like  Osiers,  the  shoots  being  shortened 
*e)  .Ti  bad  or  two  at  the  winter  pruning,  the  growths  from  them  thinned, 
li  aving  the  most  promising,  and  stopping  them  a  few  inches  from  the 
top  of  the  stakes.  I  do  not  know  what  the  produce  of  such  Vines 
asay  average  annually.  Some  I  had  that  way  gave  3  lbs.  per  stool, 
feu*  the  variety  was  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden.  This  produce  means 
ifrver  ()  tons  per  acre  at  3  feet  distance  apart,  or  equal  to  an  average 
crop  of  field  Potatoe.s.  Will  “Upwards  and  Onwards”  kindly  say 
how  many  gallons  cf  English  chamj'agno  such  produce  of  Grapes 
would  make  ? 
The  Grape  Vine  may  yet  again  apjrear  on  the  sunny  slopes  of 
southern  England  and  be  grown  for  producing  fruit  to  eat  or  make 
ratio  wine  against  the  south  walls  of  buildings  in  the  southern  and 
midland  counties,  for  it  thrives  on  gravelly,  sandy,  and  calcareous 
»oiLs,  irodncmg  Grapes  rich  in  flavour,  the  wine  has  a  full  body,  and 
possesses  a  rich  bouquet.  It  thrives  on  alluvial  soils  where  water  does 
uot  lodge  in  the  sub-strata,  but  the  Grapes  are  sharp  in  flavour,  the 
wine  harsh,  but  improves  by  keeping.  The  soils  of  the  red  sandstone.s, 
«olites,  calcareous  and  ferruginous  gravels,  and  river-drifts,  high  and 
dry,  suit  the  Grape  Vine.  Most  natural  soils,  especially  tho  stony, 
grow  good  Grapes,  and  often  are  better  than  made  up  borders.  If 
wet,  drain  them;  if  low,  raise  them;  if  heavy,  lighten  them  by 
adding  rough  material,  such  as  brick  rubbish  or  burned  clay;  and  if 
light,  make  them  more  compact  by  a  judicious  admixture  of  marly 
elay,  dried  and  pounded.  Provide  in  every  case  just  such  another 
atajile  as  for  growing  any  other  tree,  shrub,  or  plant,  naturally  addicted 
to  growing  in  a  generous,  well-drained  soil,  and  it  will  grow  far  more 
rascfnl  Grapes  than  the  most  expensive  border  ever  made. 
’I be  "Vine  requires  a  high  wall  with  a  due  south  or  south¬ 
east  to  south-west  aspect.  Now  is,  perhap.'?,  the  best  time  of  the 
whole  year  to  plant  the  Vine.  It  will  cover  a  very  large  area  of  w’all 
apace,  such  as  the  whole  end  or  front  of  a  cottage,  therefore  arrange 
accordingly,  planting  the  Vine  in  the  most  central  position.  As  there 
will  not  be  time  to  make  any  special  provision  for  planting,  simply 
•add  .a  liberal  dressing  of  manure  to  soil  such  as  described,  and  plant 
"ihe  "Vine  forthwith,  then  it  will  make  several  feet  of  growth  this 
summer,  and  be  a  great  ornament  on  an  otherwise  blank  wall.  A  hole 
about  3  feet  wide  will  mostly  accommodate  the  roots  of  a  one-year-old 
Vine.  Stir  the  soil  well  to  a  deidh  of  18  inches  or  a  couple  of  feet, 
mixing  manure  with  it.  If  neco.ssary  to  make  a  soil  for  planting  in, 
take  five  parts  of  any  ordinary  soil,  say  the  top  ameliorated  earth,  one 
part  each  of  lime  rubbish,  charred  refuse,  or  W'ood  ashes,  and  horse 
droppings,  and  a  peck  of  fresh  soot.  Mix  all  together,  and  the  “queen 
«f  fruits”  will  mark  appreciation  by  doing  w^ell  provided  the  drainage 
be  sound. 
^ihe  best  varieties  fi  r  walls  are  Black  July,  Black  Prince,  and 
BJack  Hamburgh;  White,  Chasselas  Vibert,  Boyal  Muscadine,  and 
E;irly  Smyrna  Frontignan.  If  only  one  of  each  be  wanted  select  the 
first  named  of  the  respective  sections. 
Greenhouses  are  common,  almost  every  suburban  and  rural  dwelling 
h.as  one  attached  or  near  by.  There  is  no  climber  equal  to  tho  Grape 
Vine.  It  does  well  with  the  roots  outside,  and  in  a  piroper  soil  gives 
MO  further  trouble,  or  very  little  as  regards  watering.  Of  course  it  can 
be  planted  inside,  but  whether  there  or  outside,  the  soil  named  answers 
•qiially  well. 
The  varieties  most  suitable  for  a  cool  house,  or  one  from  which  frost 
only  is  excluded,  or  without  heat  in  w'arm  localities,  are : — Black  : 
Black  Prince,  Black  Hamburgh,  and  Madresfield  Court.  White: 
Cl&asselas  Vibert,  Early  Smyrna  Frontignan,  and  Foster’s  Seedling. 
The  two  best  are  Black  Hamburgh  and  Foster’s  Seedling.  One,  or 
at  most  two  Vines,  sufliice  for  a  .‘mail  greenhouse,  hence  the  reference 
to  the  best. 
In  planting  outside,  a  hole  or  holes  must  be  made  in  the  wall  or 
boarding  of  the  house  where  the  Vine  or  Vines  are  to  be  planted  for 
taking  the  cane  or  canes  into  the  structure.  Then  proceed  to  plant 
one-year  Vines.  Turn  them  cut,  disentangle  the  roots,  and  place  in 
position  in  the  soil,  moderately  firmed,  at  such  height  that,  when 
covered  with  soil,  they  will  bo  an  incji  clceprer  than  they  were  in  the 
pots.  Spread  the  roots  out  in  eveiy  direction,  with  a  slight  inclination 
downwards,  and  cover  with  soil,  none  deeper  than  C  inches,  and  some 
3  inches.  Give  just  sufficient  water  to  settle  the  soil  about  the  roots, 
and  then  a  surface  dressing  of  horse  droppings,  or  other  short  sweetened 
manure,  to  the  thickne.-s  of  a  coujile  of  inches.  If  the  Vines  have  not 
been  pruned,  rub  off  tho  buds  down  to  where  principal  growth  is 
required  to  form  the  continuation  of  the  stem,  which  for  those  planted 
outside  a  house  must  be  within  it  ;  but  for  those  against  walls,  start 
the  main  growth  about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  and  in  either  case,  le 
content  with  one  cane  this  year.  Other  matters  will  require  attention 
from  time  to  time,  but  they  are  referred  to  in  “  Work  for  the  Week,” 
or  if  not  exactly  what  is  wanted,  write  to  the  Editor. — G.  Abuey. 
LONDON  GARDENS  OVER  FIFTY  YEARS. 
No.  7. 
Besides  its  near  association  with  three  royal  palaces,  one  of  which 
has  vanished  (that  of  Whitehall),  the  park  of  St.  James’s  is  linked  to 
so  many  historic  incidents  and  notable  persons  that  it  must  ever  stand 
pre-eminent  among  the  London  park.s.  Nor  are  there  wanting  facts 
which  associate  it  with  the  horticulture  of  the  past  as  well  as  the 
present.  Our  first  de.-cription  of  the  centre  portion  of  the  park  presents 
us  with  a  marshy  scene,  a  rivulet  running  in  from  the  Thames  had 
little  rills  flowiug  irregularly  right  and  left;  it  must  have  been  a 
favourite  resort  of  wild  fowl,  rich  also  in  wild  flow'crs. 
Along  the  north  side  extended  the  higher  ground  of  St.  James’s 
Fields.  King  Henry  VIII.  enclosed  the  greater  part  of  the  jiark, 
which  was  larger  then,  including  Pall  Mall  certainly.  He  planted 
trees  freely,  we  may  assume,  since  the  poet  Milton  mentions  tho  shady 
groves  of  the  park,  which  must  have  had  time  to  grow.  It  was  not 
till  after  the  Bestoratiou  that  Le  Notre,  deemed  by  many  the  greatest 
gardener  of  his  century,  assisted  by  Dr.  Morison,  laid  out  the  ground 
mfihodically,  constructing  the  lake  and  forming  avenues.  But  of  his 
work  little  remains  except  the  Mall,  extending  from  Buckingham 
Palace  to  Spring  Garden  Gate ;  probably  there  is  scarcely  a  tree  left  of 
his  ])lmting.  The  general  plan  of  tho  park,  as  we  now  see  it,  is  the 
result  of  changes  made  during  the  reign  of  George  IV. 
But  long  before  his  time  I  believe  all  the  Apple  orchards  had 
disappeared  from  the  locality,  though  even  yet  there  lingers  the  name 
of  Apple  Tree  Court,  St.  James’s.  Various  references  occur  to  these 
orchards  in  old  authors  ;  very  likely  other  iruit  trees  flourished  along 
the  slope  of  the  hill,  'riiero  may  even  have  been  a  vineyard,  as  not 
many  years  since  good  Grapes  were  obtained  from  a  wall  at  St.  James’s. 
The  parish  records  have  a  curious  allusion  to  a  “phesicc”  garden. 
We  cannot  be  certain  w^here  it  was,  but  this  may  have  been  on  the 
plot  of  ground  near  the  tennis  court,  which  Charles  1.  granted  to 
Parkinson,  herbalist  and  botanist.  His  principal  garden,  however,  was 
situate  in  Long  Acre. 
Looking  at  Buckingham  Palace  we  recall  the  Mulberry  Garden  of 
King  James,  which  was  on  a  part  of  the  park  now  enclosed  as  a 
garden  to  the  royal  residence.  It  was  one  of  the  fancies  of  this 
monarch  that  silk  might  be  produced  here  extensively,  so  he  spent 
upwards  of  £900  on  planting  Mulberries,  an  amount  for  Avhich  he 
must  have  got  a  goodly  number.  But  the  silkworm  scheme  did  not 
answer.  Arlington  House  was  built  on  a  part  of  the  ground,  though 
the  Mulberry  Gardens  continued  to  be  a  popular  resort  for  some  time ; 
probably  fruit  was  raised  there.  Perhaps  descendants  of  King  James’s 
trees  may  yet  be  found  in  Buckingham  Palace  gardens. 
Fifty  years  seems  a  good  while  in  the  retrospect,  but  St.  James’s 
Park  of  1849  was  not  so  very  different  from  what  it  is  now.  Some  old 
trees,  mos  ly  Elms,  have  gone,  shrubs  also  that  w’ere  familiar  then 
replaced  by  a  younger  generation  ;  others  have  advanced  from  shrubs 
to  trees.  Less  conspicuous  now  are  the  numerous  labels,  which  were 
presumed  to  convey  botanical  instruction  to  by-passers.  They  only  told 
the  name,  Latin  more  frequently  than  English,  with  the  natural  order 
and  country  of  tho  prlants  to  which  they  were  near.  I  would  not  say 
the  plan  was  a  bad  one,  prerhaps  it  might  be  carried  out  to  advantage 
now  in  our  ojicn  spaces,  indicating  species  and  varieties  about  the 
beds  or  borders.  In  St.  James’s  Park  some  of  these  labels  were 
ludicrously  shifted,  through  accident  or  for  mischief,  and,  in  a  bolanic 
garden  somewhere  north,  many  such  used  to  be  carried  off  from 
time  to  time  by  magpiies.  Unpromising,  ragged  shrubs  have  now 
been  largely  superseded  by  plants  of  a  more  ornamental  character, 
and  a  few  additional  flower  beds  have  been  formed. 
The  grass  of  this  park  formerly  had  a  very  forlorn  aspect,  but 
