Mr Simpson has raised a controversy in regard to low night-temperature in the cultivation of the Grape-Vine, which it is desirable should be discussed in all its bearings, in order to discover whether there is really anything in the system he advocates worthy of general adoption, as his ideas clash against all our preconceived notions of the treatment necessary to produce good Grapes.

As far as my own experience goes, my opinion is that good Grapes cannot be grown and properly ripened - at any rate, in the northern parts of the kingdom - in a lower night-temperature than from 55° to 60° in the case of Hamburgs, and a minimum of from 60° to 65° in the case of Muscats, etc. - with a rise of 10° at night in the case of Hamburgs when in flower; and for Muscats, a minimum night-temperature of 70° at this stage, or even 5° higher than that, will do more good than harm. This is what we aim at in our own practice; and though we do not rigidly adhere to it through thick and thin, but rather allow the inside temperature to fluctuate in proportion to the temperature outside, we endeavour to come as near to it as circumstances will allow. Except when the Vines are breaking into growth, we never use the syringe, merely contenting ourselves with damping down the paths, etc, at closing time, and keeping the borders well supplied with water; and we very rarely are troubled with red-spider.

As a rule, it will be found that the best-set and best-coloured bunches of Muscats and other shy-setting sorts are at the warm end of the bouses, over the pipes where they enter the house, and along the top of the rods, - thus showing that the hot dry air at these places assists in causing them to set better.

As a case in point against a continuous low temperature in Grape-growing, I may be allowed to mention what has come under my own experience here. We have two lean-to houses, which are apart and behind our principal range. The houses were originally built as fruiting Pine stoves. They are, however, wider and loftier than are generally used for Pine-growing, being 16 feet high at back, 18 feet wide, with front lights 4 feet high, and are or were heated with smoke-flues. I don't know how long ago, but probably twenty-five years or so, Pine-growing was abandoned, and the houses planted with Black Hamburg Vines, which were planted in an outside border, and brought through the front wall nearly at the ground-level. These Vines had done good work in their day; but when I took charge of them, both houses and Vines were in a very dilapidated condition. Immediately after I entered on my duties here, we began the erection of a long range of forcing-houses. It was put up in four sections, each section being done in a year, so that the work was four years in hands.

The first two sections being mainly vineries and Peach-houses, I found that with growing a good many pot-Vines and supernumeraries among the permanent Vines, I could supply the family's wants without the two back houses; and as it was intended to convert them into a large Camellia-house, we decided to cut the Vines out. Circumstances, however, occurred which prevented us from getting the work done at the time, and I left the Vines, with the intention of, at any rate, getting leaves for garnishing, etc. They broke away very well; and when the bunches began to run out, I helped them with a little fire at night, and again when they were coming into bloom - but this was all the fire-heat they got. They had abundance of ventilation; too much, indeed, at times found its way through the numerous laps and broken panes in the roof. The Grapes swelled up wonderfully, and coloured up as black as sloes by the end of September, but they realised the fable about "The Fox and the Grapes," for they were very sour.

A Grape-grower who used to take a prominent position at the Edinburgh exhibitions, happened to call here on a visit at the time, and noticed how well they were coloured. He suggested that they would be of fine flavour, and asked permission to taste them, which I granted. He made a very wry face at them, and I laughed and asked him what was wrong with him. "Why," said he, " you might as well have a mouthful of tartaric acid," and added that he never would have thought so, judging from their fine appearance. Now here we had everything present that is generally looked for in good Grapes - good colour, good bloom, and fair size of berry - and yet void of flavour; and what could be the reason 1 Well, in my opinion, it was neither more nor less than want of sufficient heat to elaborate the saccharine juices; and such must always follow where a too low temperature is maintained in Grape cultivation.

John Garrett.

Whittinghame.