396 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  7,  1903. 
the  local  wine  is  undesirable,  you  must  fall  back  upon  and 
demand  that  of  some  other  part,  whether  (in  the  case  of 
of  Asti  in  the  north,  the  tartar  flavour  of  the  purple 
of  Asti  in  the  north,  the  tarter  flavour  of  the  purple 
Lachryma  Christ!  or  Vesuvius  of  southern  Italy,  or  the 
full-bodied  brands  of  the  Chianti  of  the  central  provinces. 
Of  course,  imagination  goes  a  long  way,  and  some  persons 
may  be  happy  enough  to  delude  themselves  into  believing 
certain  local  wines,  not  otherwise  in  repute,  as  excellent, 
their  taste  deceiving  them,  just  as  the  sight  of  that  virtuous 
wife,  whose  husband,  having  painted  a  bunch  of  Grapes  so 
marvellously  lifelike,  she  was  able  to  take  them  home  and 
make  wine  of  them ! 
We  may  now  touch  lightly  upon  some  of  the  chief  Vine 
growing  countries.  France  coming  facile  princeps,  Medoc 
within  this  Empire  may  be  given  pride  of  place,  being  the 
heart  of  the  industry  and  chiefly  in  the  valley  of  the 
Gironde.  The  qualities  and  varieties  here  produced  owe 
their  widely  divergent  natures  to  the  dozen  or  more  kinds 
of  soil  in  which  the  Vine  in  this  district  is  grown.  Thus 
there  is  the  alluvial  ground,  the  marshy  districts,  regions  of 
a  strong  ancl  stiffer  nature,  sand  and  gravelly  soil,  and  again 
that  of  a  distinctive  flinty  type.  Burgundy  comes  next  in 
the  manufacture  of  wine,  wEile  Sauterne  produces  white 
sorts  which  are  gathered  when  over-ripe  and,  indeed,  almost 
rotten.  Champagne  is,  of  course,  the  product  of  the  pro¬ 
vince  of  that  name,  and  is  chiefly  obtained  from  a  chalky 
soil. 
From  Spain  comes  the  white  wine  termed  sherry,  named 
after  the  town  of  Xeres,  its  sister  kingdom  giving  up  the 
rich  full-flavoured  port,  so  called  from  Oporto,  where  it  is 
exported,  not  far  from  the  Alto  Douro,  w-here  the  Grape  is 
grown.  Madeira,  as  its  name  denotes,  comes  from  that 
country,  and  here  the  Vine  is  trained  on  latticework  of 
cane.  These  wines  are  generally  sent  upon  a  voyage  to 
the  East  or  West  Indies,  it  being  supposed  that  the  heat 
of  the  hold  and  the  continual  motion  improve  their 
bouquet.  Somewhat  similar  in  character  to  the  above  is 
the  Marsala  of  Sicily. 
As  regards  Hungary,  the  sweet  Tokay  is  its  most  famous 
wine,  the  Grapes  being  collected  Avhen  dried  up  and  in 
almost  a  raisin  state.  Germany  has  her  renowned  Hock 
and  Moselle,  grown  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  and  at 
Mainz,  and  being  notable  as  the  most  northerly  Grape 
cultivation  in  Europe.  Indeed,  it  is  subject  to  great  vicissi¬ 
tudes  in  fortune,  owing  to  the  fickleness  of  the  weather, 
its  excellence  or  otherwise  depending  entirely  upon  the 
character  of  each  individual  season.  Despite  this  difliculty 
with  which  it  has  to  contend,  some  of  the  Rhine  wines  are 
of  the  utmost  possible  excellence  and  world-wide  reputa- 
,  tion.  Lastly,  we  may  mention  the  growing  industry  of  the 
Australian  Burgundies. 
Travelling  through  the  Balkan  Provinces,  from  Vienna 
to  Constantinople  across  the  vast  European  plains  of  Hun¬ 
gary,  Servia,  and  Bulgaria,  one  sees  how  large  the  vintage 
is  in  these  lesser  known  countries.  Servia,  moreover,  pro¬ 
duces  an  excellent  white  wine  of  good  body  and  pure  tone. 
The  Vine  has,  alas!  in  these  modern  days  to  cope  with  a 
dire  recurring  enemy,  the  dreaded  phylloxera.  Apart  from 
this,  the  most  critical  time  with  the  (Jrape  is  the  flowering 
period.  As  regards  sweet  wines,  shortly  put,  they  are  pro¬ 
duced  by  the  sweet-berried  Grapes  being  left  on  the  stalk 
till  somewhat  overripe.  The  strongest  and  best  flavour  of 
sorne  kinds  of  wine  is  obtained  by  the  skin  and  stones  being 
bruised  together. 
The  renowned  Muscatel  raisins  are  manufactured  from 
drying  by  half  cutting  through  the  footstalk  while  hanging, 
and  they  are  cultivated  chiefly  in  Spain  and  the  Levant, 
while  the  dried  Currants,  which  are  the  product  of  the  small 
seedless  Corinthian  Grape,  are  grown  almost  entirely  in 
the  sunny  islands  of  Greece.  In  ancient  times  it  seems 
probable  that  the  berry  was  chiefly  expressed  and  drunk 
before  fermentation  set  in.  Palestine,  though  now  pro¬ 
ducing  nothing  in  the  way  of  wine,  the  cultivation  of  the 
Vine  having  seemingly  died  out,  yet  in  Bible  days  was  a 
fair  and  fruitful  Vine-growing  land,  and  the  Grape,  wdth 
the  Fig  and  the  Olive,  were  all  more  or  less  typical  of  and 
synonymous  wuth  peace,  prosperity,  and  fruitfulness,  and 
when  w’ar  or  famine  supervened,  this  tempo  felice  w^as 
eagerly  anticipated  again,  when  one  could  sit  once  more 
nnder  the  shade  of  one’s  own  Vine  or  Fig  tree. 
Coming  to  oiir  own  country,  it  may  seem  strange,,  but  at 
one  period  of  our  history  the  Vine  Avas  in  some  parts  quite 
an  industry,  and  though  it  would  appear  a  case  of  portar 
indulgenze  a  Roma,  or,  in  our  own  phrase,  carrying  coals  tO' 
Newcastle,  we  actually  exported  the  produce  to  the  Con¬ 
tinent  !  Thus,  then,  vineyards  are  mentioned  in  Doomsday 
book,  and  religious  houses  and  abbeys  often  possessed  one. 
Certain  names  in  Kent  show  us  they  Avere  not  uncommon 
there,  and,  in  fact,  they  seem  to  have  existed  so  far  north 
as  Yorkshire.  Bath,  even  so  late  as  early  in  the  seven¬ 
teenth  century,  had  quite  a  flourishing  Grape  cultivation. 
NoAA'adays  there  is  still  a  district  there  called  the  Vine¬ 
yards,  and  a  building  knoAvn  as  the  Vineyards  Chapel.  It 
W'as  from  Bath  chiefly,  moreover,  that  the  Avine  was 
produced  AA’hich  Avas  exported  in  hogsheads  from  Bristol. 
The  industry  AA'as  given  up,  not  only  because  the  spring 
seasons  tended  to  become  more  severe,  but  on  account  of 
the  increasing  facilities  for  getting  Avdnes  from  France  and 
other  parts  of  the  Continent. 
The  most  famous  Vine  in  our  country  is,  of  course,  that 
at  Hampton  Court,  the  history  of  which  is  pretty  well 
known.  Sufiice  it  to  say,  therefore,  that  on  occasion  it  has 
produced  the  enormous  number  of  over  2,000  bunches. 
Apparently  Avhat  Vines  Avere  grown  up  to  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century  had  no  artificial  heat,  though  fires 
were  often  kept  going  behind  the  slope  Avalks  Avhere  the 
Vines  Avere  trained. 
At  the  present  day  I  know  of  an  unusual  system  which 
a  gentleman  adopted  on  his  estate  near  Dublin,  though  I 
fancy,  owing  to  some  force  majeure,  it  is  noAv  discontinued. 
The  Vines  AA'ere  grown  under  long  roAvs  of  sloping  glass 
roofs,  erected  on  the  ground,  and  at  a  height  of  two  to  three 
feet  from  the  soil.  The  roots  were  planted  outside,  and  the 
rods  Avere  trained  close  to  the  glass  all  along  the  apex, 
while  down  the  entire  centre  the  soil  was  taken  out  for  the 
depth  of  a  foot  and  bricks  inserted  cone-shape.  By  such 
means  a  more  continuous  and  greater  heat  AA-as  obtained, 
through  the  ground  and  bricks  becoming  Avarm,  particularly 
when  under  sun  influence.  Otherwise  no  artificial  heat  was 
employed.  The  results  were  highly  successful,  and  the 
Grapes  cut  from  October,  after  the  ordinary  hothouse  ones 
Avere  over.  The  Avhole  Avinter  through  the  glass  Avas  taken 
off,  and  the  Vines  left  completely  exposed  and  sent  to  rest 
until  March.  Muscats  came  perhaps  to  the  greatest  perfec¬ 
tion,  but  Black  Hamburgh  and  certain  kinds  sent  specially 
from  Italy  did  excellently  also. — J.  A.  Carnegie-Cheales. 
Hardy  Border  Plants. 
If  our  gardens  gain  in  interest  from  becoming  the  homes  of 
iGw  nlants,  they  also  locse  much  if  the  older  floAA'ers  are  absent. 
Phis  IS  what  I  often  think  as  I  look  delightedly  upon  a  fine  plant 
)f  the  double  WallfloAver  known  as  Harpur  CreAve,  in  honour  of 
)ne  of  our  truest  floiver  lovers,  AV'ho,  alas!  is  no  longer  in  cur 
nidst  in  the  body.  It  is  an  old  floAver,  knoAvn  before  his  time, 
?et  it  is  convenient  to  hav^e  a  name  such  as  this  attached  to  it.  It 
nay  seem  strange  to  say,  yet  I  am  not  afraid  to  express  the 
)pinion,  that  it  has  for  some  AV'eeks  been  among  the  fine.st  things 
n  my  garden.  It  is  no  small  plant,  hoAvever,  but  is  one  AA’ith  many 
nain  and  more  secondary  spikes  laden  ■with  their  double  yellow 
loAA'ers,  beside  Avhich  the  double  WallfloAvers  Avhich  are  “  niade 
n  Germany/^  are  out  of  court  in  the  palace  of  Flora.  It  does 
lot  seed,  and  must  be  grown  from  cuttings.  My  large  plant, 
lOAv  several  years  old,  has  never  been  out  of  floAA’er  throughout 
he  Avinter,  though  it  is  only  Avithin  the  last  feAV  Aveeks  that  it 
las  assumed  its  perfect  beauty.  ,  ^  va;  i. 
Aubrietias  groAV  numerous,  and  yearly  one  finds  the  difficulty 
)f  keeping  pace  Avith  the  neAV  varieties.  Rpsea  and  Leichtlini 
ishered  a  new  era  for  the  Aubrietia  by  giving  us  flow'ers  of  a 
iery  colour.  In  the  autumn  of  1898  I  secured  a  plant  of  one 
lamed  Fire  King,  Avhich  did  not  make  enough  of  groAvth  to  ena,ble 
me  to  test  its  Avorth  last  spring.  It  has  noAv  increased  in  size, 
md  I  am  glad  to  find  that  I  see  no  reason  to  regret  having  pur- 
based  it  It  is  scarcely  the  colour  that  one  Avould  associate 
vith  fire,  but  its  deep  red  flowers  have  a  cheering  glow  about 
hem  Avhich  is  very  attractive  ill  its  own  way.  One  cannot 
lepend  upon  these  Aubrietias  reproducing  themselves  true  from 
leeds,  but  it  is  interesting  to  see  the  vanety  of  shades  Avhich 
ippear  among  the  seedlings  from  Aubrietia  Leichtlini,  winch  1 
ake  to  have  been  the  parent  of  Fire  King.  For  the  rock  garden 
it  this  season  Ave  have  nothing  finer  than  these  charming  plants. 
Por  edgings,  too,  they  are  admirable,  and  the  AA'riter  is  familiar 
vith  one  such,  the  produce  of  a  small  packet  of  seed  bought  some, 
en  or  tAvelve  years  ago.  With  an  annual  clipping  after  flower- 
ng  it  seems  to  increase  in  beauty  year  by  year.  Messr.s.  Barr  and 
Jons’  Auriculas,  Bridesmaids  and  Lilac  Queen,  I  look  forward  to 
leeing  in  many  collections  after  a  year  or  tAvq.  S.  A. 
