Siveet-sjiicllinz Floivers 



209 



shifts, and using more rotten cow manure in 

 the soil than in that used for ordinary pots ; 

 and the first week in August is quite late 

 enough to give the final shift before winter. 

 Carefully keep all blooms picked off until 

 the end of September ; after this, they will 

 continue to bloom all winter, but I do not 

 like the young plants to flower at all the first 

 season. Tree-^NIignonette requires careful 



watering, and an abundance of light and air, 

 but soon suffers in a draught. Some ama- 

 teurs assert that Mignonette is not worth 

 growing in winter because it has no perfume. 

 This is a mistake, however, for it only re- 

 quires to be placed in a slightly warmer tem- 

 perature to bring out its delicious fragrance. 

 — Vive Vale. 



[To be continued.] 



A GROUND VINERY AND ITS MANAGEMENT. 



AGROUND Vinery aftbrds a very simple 

 means of growing the Grape. By its 

 use the beautifiil and delicately-flavoured 

 varieties, such as Black Hamburg, Royal 

 Muscadine, Sweet Water, Foster's White, &c., 

 can be as easily grown as an ordinary garden 

 crop, provided that a dozen or two boxes of 

 glass, about 20 feet, can be had for each Vine. 

 A thrifty one-year-old plant is set in a good 

 bed of soil, in a part of the garden fully open 

 to the sun, but sheltered from rough winds ; 

 and after a summer's growth under a sash of 

 glass, it is cut down to about two buds in No- 

 vember, and covered with a little mould, and 

 a board to repel frost and mice. In the 

 •spring only one shoot is allowed to grow — 

 the strongest ; and if it is well encouraged and 

 protected it will be strong enough to begin to 



Fig. I. — Grape Vine in a Ground Vinery. 



bear in the third year, and at the same time to 

 grow from its base a similar shoot for bearing 

 in the summer following. These shoots are 

 tied or hooked down to a horizontal position 

 as they advance. A pin of stout wire, bent 

 as in fig. 3, will sustain them when desirable, 

 as well as hold them down. 



Fig. I represents the two canes (leaves omit- 

 ted), last year's cane fruiting, and the other 



growing to take its place next year after it 

 has been cut oft", in November, at p, no other 

 pruning being necessary then, but another 

 cut to take off the weak end of the growing 

 cane, reducing it to Avithin the limits of the 

 glass covering, or to such a length as shews 

 buds capable of fruiting well. All laterals 

 and tendrils have been pinched off it as they 

 appeared during summer, if the Vine has been 

 an object of particular care. The thin lines 

 under the canes indicate slates laid upon coal 

 ashes to repel insects in summer, and mice in 

 winter. This floor is not essential, but is a 

 ready and neat way of keeping a clean sur- 

 face. B B are bricks on which the glass roof 

 rests, allowing free ventilation all round. It 

 remains to tell how the glass should be used. 

 It is simply Avanted like a cap and veil for the 

 head, to break the force or sweep of parching 

 winds, while admitting air and light. No 

 lapping or puttying is requisite, for our glass 

 bonnet must not be tight. We have Vines 

 doing well under aflat window sash consider- 

 a,bly cracked and broken, and especially 

 under a show-window, with a row of panes on 

 both its sides, for the Vine is voracious of 

 light, and this side supply is very serviceable. 

 A common hot-bed sash, merely leaned 

 against a wall, leaving an opening along the 

 top, answers well ; and in the west of Eng- 

 land, where the air is generally humid enough, 

 and glass is ciiiefly wanted to enhance heat, 

 Vines are grown well in cylindrical or octa- 

 gonal glazed frames, entirety open at the top 







