"It is pitiable to see Grapes which are fine in every other way - large and regular in berry, beautiful in form, and large in size of bunch - yet lacking that all-important point of excellence, good colour, and consequent good flavour. It is possible to have good colour without good flavour, inasmuch as colour under good cultivation will come first; but it is not possible to have good flavour without good colour. I do not say that Grapes should be all either black or yellow; there are some of the best-flavoured varieties which will not, under any system of cultivation, approach either of these colours, and are therefore not so much grown as their merits would warrant; but when we see, as all of us who attend exhibitions do see every year, red Grapes conspicuously labelled Black Hamburg, and Muscat of Alexandria as green as a Leek, we may be sure there is something wrong either in the culture or nomenclature. At local shows especially, judges have an unthankful office to perform when size is pitted against finish, and of course everybody is on the side of the giants.

At the larger shows, in consequence of a greater number of persons attending who know what a bunch of Grapes should be, and there being amongst the crowd a certain amount of confidence in the great men who are supposed to act as censors on such occasions, the task of judging is not so thankless.

" In the case of Muscats at the early summer exhibitions we must, I suppose, be content to see them green, for they have never, to my knowledge, been shown otherwise, and I think it is a pity they should be invited at all before the end of July. But Hamburgs are just as easy to colour in April as in September. They are not, perhaps, so easy for everybody to grow in the winter months as they are in the summer, but any person having grown them at any time of the year, and brought them in good condition through the stage of stoning, the question of colouring is then merely a matter of air and light acting on a good supply of healthy foliage; and I should not be afraid to say, that if a house of Hamburgs were given over to me at this stage in a moderately healthy condition as to foliage, that I could insure the colouring of all such berries as would not shank. The process would be a very simple one. I should first take great care that the quantity of fruit was not in excess of the capabilities of the foliage. There can be no rule laid down for this, as one good substantial leaf in full sunlight is worth more than a dozen flimsy ones which are partially shaded.

What would be a heavy crop for one Vine where the plants are close together might be a light crop for another where more space is allowed. Next I should see that the border was never dry; and lastly, that the house was never without ventilation, unless for an hour or two when a cold spell of wintry weather came on suddenly.

"A minimum temperature of 65°, with a rise of 80° by sun-heat if the fruit has to be hurried in ripening, and all the air continually that these conditions will allow, without admitting a cold draught or necessitating too much hard firing, is the treatment recommended. The colouring cannot take place without a constant change of air. The colder the outside temperature, the smaller of course must be the aperture for ventilation, and in frosty or rough weather sufficient air will often enter through the laps of the glass during nights and dull days; but this constant stream of fresh air, till we find some better method at this particular stage, is an imperative necessity. When Grapes of the Hamburg class are not forced, and there is no necessity to hurry them, the simplest way to insure colouring is to leave them open night and day. There is far too much opening and closing of ventilators with most of us.

"The thick-skinned Grapes, such as Lady Downes and Alicante, which are intended to be kept through the winter for use in February, March, April, and May, require a higher temperature at this stage than is necessary for Hamburgs, and they will do with a less amount of ventilation when once the stoning process is over. The colouring of this class of Grapes should commence at the end of July or the first week in August, and a minimum of not less than 65° should be kept for two months afterwards. If a little ventilation can be allowed all night so much the better, but it is an absolute necessity to have some before the temperature rises in the morning.

"Muscats, to colour them well, require similar treatment to the thick-skinned varieties; but there is this difference between them - all black Grapes will colour without direct sunlight on the fruit, but the Muscat of Alexandria and its allies of the same colour will not; they must therefore be trained wider apart, and, if necessary, the leaves where they shade the bunches must be tied back. I think, too, that no class of Grapes better pays for an extension of growth beyond the bunch than this; 6 feet apart is near enough for the rods, and the growths should be allowed to meet, but not to overlap or become crowded." - Wm. Taylor in Journal of Horticulture.

[Mr Taylor's remarks are well worthy the careful consideration of all who are interested in the colouring of Grapes, and are entirely in accordance with our own experience and observation. "The good substantial leafage in full sunlight" is nearly the whole secret of colouring Grapes well. Of course it is indispensable to ventilate, etc, on sound principles; but all other conditions that can be afforded will fail if the foliage is not healthy (the Grapes in proportion to it, of course), and well exposed to sunlight. A rather striking illustration of the potent and indispensable necessity of sunlight on the foliage in laying on good colour has come under our observation in a vinery where Black Hamburgs are grown. The house is a three-quarter span, running east and west, and the north is steeper than the south side, and consequently has less chance of light. When the season happens to be bright and sunny, the Grapes on the north side colour very much as those on the south; but in summers such as this and 1879, they are brown Hamburgs on the north and black ones on the south. There is no inequality of ventilation, for the top ventilation is all on the north side, and there is bottom ventilation there also.

There is one black Grape, viz., Gros Colmar, that we have always found to colour the quickest and most perfect when the bunches are exposed to direct sunshine, the same as is acknowledged to be best for Muscats. The crowding system of Vine-growing cannot be too severely condemned. It produces a less robust foliage, and prevents the free circulation of air about it. Vines planted at 4 feet will, moreover, produce as great a weight of fine Grapes; for the amount of crop perfected as it ought to be, depends on the amount of fine strong foliage more than on anything else. Dryness of soil at the time of colouring is undoubtedly a great evil, for it is just at this time that Grapes increase very much in size, as well as put on their colour. There is, of course, a medium in the matter of moisture; for we have seen Grapes fail to colour in excessively wet seasons, when the border was constantly heavily rained upon for a long time, and no other cause could be thought of than over-much wet and absence of sun. During such seasons it would be well, if practicable, to throw off the excess of moisture during the colouring period.

And perhaps this is the only time that a well-drained border is much benefited by a waterproof covering. - Ed].