Currant, thus managed, will sometimes produce bunches containing from twenty-five to thirty berries each.

Currants trained against walls are of the most easy management: when planted to fill up intermediate spaces between young trees, till the latter have made a more advanced progress, they should be trained perpendicularly, preparing as many shoots at the beginning as may be required for the space to be occupied. These should be allowed a space of six inches between one shoot and another, training each at full length, till they have reached the top of the wall; shortening such others as may be produced to half an inch, which will form fruit spurs round the base of each. When a plant has been completed in this way, it may be kept in full bearing for several years, from its spurs alone, the best of which, it must be remembered, furnish the finest fruit.

Where a large space of wall is allotted for Currants, I should recommend this mode of training in preference to any other; planting them at three, or not more than four feet apart. The plants can always be replenished with young wood when it is wanted, by cutting down within a few inches of the ground every alternate limb ; and when these have again reached the top of the wall, or before, if necessary, the others may be cut down in like manner: thus keeping up a succession of good, healthy, fruit-bearing branches for years, and preserving an uniformity of appearance, without at any time exhibiting a blank space on any part of the wall.

CHAP. VIII.

GRAPES.

SECT. I.-Black or blue fruited.

1. ALICANT.

Black Portugal.

Miller, No. 31.

Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 120.

Black Spanish. Speechly, No. 26.

Gros noir d'Espagne. Bradley, No. 37.
Teinturier. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 4.

Bunches very long without shoulders.

Berries of a

moderate size, somewhat oval. Skin thick, of a black colour. Flesh soft, juicy, of an agreeable flavour. Seeds uncommonly large.

Requires a vinery.

The leaves in the autumn are beautifully variegated with red, green, and yellow.

2. BLACK CORINTH. Langley, p. 114. t. 46. fig. 1. Miller, No. 3.

Black Ascalon.

Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 49.

Currant. Miller, No. 3.

Raisin de Corinth. Bradley, No. 18.

Zante, or Zante Currant. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 49. Bunches short and rather small. Berries small, roundish, about the size of a pea, with a few much larger ones intermixed, generally without stones, and much clustered on the bunches. Skin thin, of a deep black colour. Juice sugary, but without perfume.

The fruit of this is brought to the extent of 6000 tons annually from the Ionian Islands, and sold in the shops under the name of Currants.

The Prince Cornato sent twenty plants of this grape from Zante, in 1817, to Sir Herbert Taylor, for the

Queen; it had, however, been cultivated by Langley above a century ago.

Requires a vinery or stove.

This grape ripened at Twickenham, in 1727, on a south-east wall, August 24. O. S., or September 4. N. S.

3. BLACK DAMASCUS. Speechly, No. 2.

Worksop Manor Grape, of some gardens.

Bunches middle sized. Berries large, globular. Skin thin, of a fine black colour. Flesh delicate. Juice rich, and of an exquisite flavour. The bunches generally consist of berries of different sizes; the small berries being without stones, and the large ones with only one. As the berries do not set closely on the bunches, if the small ones are properly thinned out the large ones will acquire additional size and flavour, and will thus be the finest and best black grape that can be brought to table.

The blossoms of this should be fertilised with those of some hardy kind, which has always the effect of improving the branches. Imported from Damascus by Edward, ninth duke of Norfolk, and cultivated at Welbeck, many years prior to his decease in 1777.

Requires a hothouse, or pine stove.

4. BLACK FRONTIGNAN.*

Black Frontignac. Miller, No. 13.

Blue Frontignac. Speechly, No. 14.
Violet Frontignac. Ib.

Muscat noir. Duhamel, No. 9.

Bunches small and short. Berries small, round,

* It derives its name from Frontignan, a town of France, in the department of the Herault, celebrated for its excellent Muscadine wine, generally called Frontignac. It is situated on the lake Meguleone, four leagues S.S.W of Montpellier. John Rea in 1702 mentions the Muscat of Frontignan.

and grow close upon the bunches. Skin black, when fully exposed, and covered with a blue or violet bloom. Flesh tender; the juice of a rich vinous musky fla

vour.

It ripens well generally, in a warm season, on a south wall, upon a dry bottom, and under good management; but it is much better to plant it in the vinery.

This is the true Black Frontignan grape, and has been known to every practical gardener in England since the time of Miller. It was introduced into this country by Sir William Temple, before 1654.

5. BLACK GRAPE FROM TRIPOLI. Speechly, No. 3. Bunches middle sized, and well shouldered, with long slender foot-stalks. Berries large, globular, very equal in size, slightly compressed: some are without stones, and others have two or three in each; but they are very small in comparison with those of any other kind. Skin thin, of a deep purple colour, apparently black, covered with a thin blue bloom. Flesh delicate and tender, with a very rich, highly-flavoured juice.

Requires a hot house or pine stove.

This is a very excellent grape, and has a good deal the appearance of the Black Damascus; but its bunches are always composed of equal sized berries: they are not so deep coloured, and it ripens nearly a month sooner in the same temperature. The leaves of both are very beautifully variegated in the autumn.

6. BLACK HAMBURGH. Speechly, No. 18. Warner's Black Hamburgh, of some gardens. Potier bleu. Knoop. Fruct. p. 145.

Bunches tolerably large, with two short compact shoulders, nearly as broad across as the bunch is deep. Berries pretty large, of an oval figure, but when grown to an extraordinary size, they are much enlarged at the head. Skin rather thick, of a deep purple colour,

nearly black, and covered with a blue bloom. Flesh tender. Juice sugary, and well-flavoured.

Requires a vinery.

This very valuable grape was brought into England by Mr. Warner, who had his garden at Rotherhithe in 1724. Hence it is sometimes called the Warner Grape. It is a great bearer, and its bunches, although not large, are always perfect, and regularly formed. In the autumn the leaves are mottled with green and yellow.

7. BLACK LISBON. Speechly, No. 46.

Bunches large and well shouldered. Berries large, globular. Skin thin, of a black colour. Juice plentiful, of a pretty good flavour.

Requires a vinery or hothouse.

Mr. Speechly is the only authority we have for this grape; he says the bunches are shouldered not unlike the Black Hamburgh, that it is a pretty good fruit, and (1790) but little known in this country.

It has been said by some to be the same as the Black Spanish, or Alicant. Its regularly shouldered bunches, and its globular berries with thin skins, determine it at once to be a wholly different sort.

8. BLACK LOMBARDY. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 82. West's St. Peter's. Ib.

West's Black St. Peter's, of some Collections.

Bunches long, with large shoulders. Berries large, round, and of an even size. Skin thin, of a very black colour when fully ripe. Juice plentiful, of a very high flavour. Seeds very small. Wood short-jointed. Eyes prominent. Leaves rather small, smooth, shining underneath, and deeply serrated; they turn to a purple colour as the fruit becomes ripe.

Requires a hothouse.

Mr. Oldacre has given a very good account of this grape, which he thinks is but little known. He always