274 



THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



the wood. On this plan of procedure at the 

 end of the second summer, they will be 

 strong canes. Those who purchase two- 

 year old vines for fruiting, ami those who 

 have raised them, will, from this point, be 

 on a level; therefore, what follows, is the 

 practice for those who may this season 

 purchase vines for fruiting in pots next 

 year. There are various methods of fruit- 

 ing vines in pots, but for amateurs who 

 wish for handsome plants, to place on the 

 dming-table or side-board, as ornaments 

 when their bunches are ripened, as well as 

 for those who purpose to compete at the 

 shows, I recommend the following : — 



First of all prepare the compost of two- 

 thirds turfy loam, and one-third well- 

 rotted dung, to which, add for every plant, 

 a quart of inch and half-inch bones, not 

 bone-dust, and a sprinkling of sharp sand. 

 The pots should be 11 or 12 inches in 

 diameter, and have three or four holes at the 

 bottom for drainage ; — if they have but one 

 hole, enlarge it, with a hammer, or the 

 drainage will be defective. Place some 

 largish pieces of tile at the bottom, and on 

 those a layer of three-inch pieces of bone, 

 and another layer of two-inch or inch 

 pieces, then use the rougher parts of the 

 compost, which should be lumpy, with a 

 little fine stuff to fill in between the lumps, 

 and prevent cavities, and press or beat the 

 whole very firm before turning out the 

 vines^'so that the ball will stand on a hard 

 bottom. Put your vines in order, and 

 prune every one back to within eight or 

 nine buds of the base, then turn them out 

 into the large pots, fill in with the compost, 

 and fill up as firmly as possible, for no 

 potted fruit tree will prosper, if potted iu 

 loose stuff". 



If the canes are strong, each of the buds 

 left to form the head will give a bunch — 

 say five buds, five bunches for the first 

 season's produce, for the lower buds must 

 he stopped when four inches long, and the 

 five bearing-buds must be stopped one 

 joint above the bunch, and all laterals 

 pinched off at the buds, from the base ; the 

 bunches must, of course, be thinned when 

 about the size of peas. In all the growth, 

 during this first fruiting season, the knife 

 ought never to touch them. The best 

 pruning is that accomplished with the 

 finger and thumb. 



To promote a fair setting of the fruit, give 

 water liberally, syringe the foliage fre- 

 quently, and once a week, till the bunches 

 begin to change colour, give a dose of 

 manure- water — one pound of guano to 

 twenty gallons. Fresh dung, steeped in a 

 tub and allowed to become clear, is very 

 beneficial, as is also soot-water, but never 

 let it be too strong, for to feed a vine 

 grossly, is to ruin it for ever, as those who 

 haye grown grapes on the old system of 



soddening their roots with garbage, have 

 learnt to their cost. 



At the end of the season you will have a 

 clean strong stem, with five spurs, and a few 

 short joints below, which latter must be cut 

 clean away. The month of October is the 

 proper time for this work. The next work 

 for the knife, is to cut each of the five spurs 

 back to the fourth or fifth bud from the 

 stem ; if the fifth be very plump, cut close 

 over to it ; if not, cut to the fourth. But 

 only two buds are to remain on each spur, 

 namely, the first and the last. The one at 

 the point is to give its bunch, and the one 

 at the base, next the main stem, is to fur- 

 nish a shoot for next year. 



Having pruned the vines, give them a 

 top-dressing, by removing the top soil all 

 round the pot to the depth of six inches, but 

 be careful not to disturb the soil next the 

 collar, except to pick out any loose lumps or 

 dust, and replace it with some of the finer 

 parts of the compost, which should consist 

 of two-year-old night soil, and fat loam 

 equal parts, well broken together, and 

 thoroughly sweet. Well-decayed pigs'-dung 

 I find to answer well, its unctuous nature 

 just suiting the habit of the vine, and when 

 well chopped up with loam, and a few cakes 

 of old dry turf, its stimulating qualities are 

 subdued, and it nourishes without feeding 

 grossly. This mixture must be rammed in 

 tight all round, and the crumbs put round 

 the collar should be beaten firm, but with 

 care, not to bruise the bark of the vine. 

 Give a good soaking with water, and put 

 the trees to their winter quarters, where 

 they must have no more water till they re- 

 quire it iu spring. The next season they 

 may be allowed to root through the pots into 

 a rich, loose border, to get a little extra 

 nourishment, and, at the October pruning, 

 these roots must be cut away, and the vines 

 top-dressed as before, and with liberal treat- 

 ment, they will give a dozen bunches each, 

 and pay in produce as well as in the 

 pleasure they afford for the care bestowed 

 upon them. Of course there are other 

 methods of treatment, but I have preferred 

 to describe the simplest and the safest. 

 When the grower has acquired experience, 

 his own practice will suggest many devia- 

 tions from the above routine, which is 

 offered for those who would have handsome 

 plants, fine bunches, and an amusing course 

 of culture, and the least risk of accident or 

 failure, by An Old Gardener. 



[As our valued contributor has not given 

 a list of sorts, we would add to his excellent 

 advice, that the best varieties for pot- 

 culture are Black Frontignan, Purple Fon- 

 tainbleauj Esperione, Grove-End Sweet- 

 water, Golden Hamburgh, Black Hamburgh, 

 Chasselas Musquee, Koyal Muscadine, 

 Chaptal, and Chasselas Blanc de Keinsham.] 



