If the natural sweetness of my disposition did not restrain my vindictive feelings, I should certainly enter an action against you for defamation of character, for in page 96 of the 'Gardener' you have said, "Our experience of the Muscat Hamburgh does not warrant its general recommendation; it evidently is a shy Grape, and requires peculiar soil." This I consider a very serious charge - so serious that a vindication of the truth demands that I should reply to it. Last spring, just at the time when I had made a growth of 4 to 7 inches, and nothing but the duplicate breaks had been taken off, a writer in 'Hibberd's Magazine' passed the same slight upon my character as you have done. My kind protector, magazine in hand, marched into the vinery, and calling the young man in charge to his assistance, requested that the number of bunches upon each Vine should be counted. Well, upon many of the breaks there were four bunches, others had three, and very few less than two, while such a thing as a barren break was not to be found at all.

Now, when totalled up and divided by the lineal yards of the Vines, what do you think was the result? "Why, an average of more than 20 bunches to the yard; and if that is not sufficient to satisfy any reasonable being, I can only say that he must have a most elastic and capacious conscience. Call you this shy bearing? Oh, I think I see the blush mantling your cheeks ! and well it may, to thus malign the best and sweetest of Grapes.

Now, as I will not give you the slightest room for cavilling, I will just tell you that,whether growing upon my own roots or grafted upon the Black Hamburgh, my prolificacy was just the same, though I must confess that, wedded to the stronger constitution of the Black Hamburgh, my bunches are much improved in every respect, and that, in fact, to grow me in my best form, the assistance of a stronger stock is indispensable, and the Black Hamburgh I like the best. Do not, however, run away with the idea that I may be united to any strong-growing mate. If you do, you will run into an error as great as that which prompted you to speak despairingly of me, and I will tell you why.

Several years back a friend who had a coarse-growing white Grape from Spain determined to graft me upon it. He did so, and the fine rod which I produced the following year bore fruit; the few bunches left were large in size, superb in colour, and, to all appearance, perfect; but - tell it to your readers, make it known throughout the land - the flavour was so much like the condemned Spanish Grape that a committee of connoisseurs, who knew me well, could not tell who or what I was, so much was my flavour deteriorated. At the same time, Grosse Guil-laume or Barbarossa was grafted upon the Black Hamburgh, and was so much improved in flavour that not one of the same committee knew it. For that reason I at once plighted my troth to the Black Hamburgh; and if in any case I am not as large and free-bearing, and much superior in flavour to that esteemed variety, it will be because I had not the aid of its vigorous constitution. From this you will perceive my proclivities are social. I do not like to live alone; but if you unite me to the Black Hamburgh, as I have before suggested, you will find me in every respect a matchless grape.

I grant that my constitution is delicate, and that upon my own roots I am frequently ashamed of myself; but there is no such cause for disappointment when I am united to the Black Hamburgh. If you have any doubt upon this subject, I can only say that if you or any of your friends come into Nottinghamshire at the right season, and will call upon either of my esteemed patrons, J. R. Pearson at the Chilwell Nurseries, or W. P. Ayres of Nottingham - if the sight of me, as grown by those gentlemen, do not convince you of the injustice you have done me, why, my name is not The Black Muscat of Alexandria, alias Muscat Hamburgh.

Nottingham, Feb. 18, 1870.