336 THE FLORIST. 



growth, it will not readily push latent eyes from old wood. Some 

 principally depend on the last year's shoots for bearing the crop, leaving 

 a few at considerable length for that purpose ; others do the same, 

 cutting them back, however, to shorter lengths and leaving more of 

 them ; whilst many adopt the system of cutting back all the last year's 

 wood nearly close to the stem. Accordingly there are three systems in 

 use, termed the long-rod, the short-rod, and the spur systems, and 

 there are various intermediate modifications of these. It must be 

 admitted that good crops have been obtained for several years in suc- 

 cession by each of the above methods ; and that being the case, it is 

 evident that productiveness does not absolutely depend on the adoption 

 of any particular mode of training. Whatever this may be, the pro- 

 duction of foliage, and its maintenance in an efficient state, should be 

 the primary consideration. As regards the culture of the Vine under 

 glass, some that get credit for being goo& fruit growers are not in all 

 cases good leaf growers. A person may obtain large crops of fruit for 

 a few years if he have strong well- conditioned Vines to commence with ; 

 but if the quantity of foliage he maintains be not equal to supply the 

 roots with a due share of elaborated sap, a general weakness will 

 ensue. Roots under certain circumstances will continue to grow for a 

 time, although there be no leaves on the plant ; but the growth of 

 roots cannot be long carried on independent of the leaves. If the 

 foliage is scanty, the roots will be few ; if unhealthy, the roots will 

 soon become unhealthy too. The amount of foliage should be as much 

 as can possibly be well exposed to light, of course more or less according 

 to the surface of glass. So far then as regards the essential principle of 

 maintaining the Vine in a healthy vigorous state, that mode of pruning 

 and training is the best which admits of the greatest amount of foliage 

 being exposed to light. In order to turn the structure to the best 

 account, as great an amount as possible of the light transmitted through 

 the glass should act upon the foliage. We do not, of course, mean that 

 the leaves should form a close green canopy under the glass through 

 which no direct solar rays could penetrate, and below which all would 

 be darkness ; on the contrary, there ought to be numerous openings 

 clear of foliage, so that the whole of the interior of the house may be 

 light. Under one sash the leaves should not be crowded, whilst below 

 others there are none. Whatever mode of training we may choose to 

 adopt, these observations should be borne in mind ; for, by acting in 

 accordance with them, Vines will be kept long in good health and 

 bearing, instead of being ruined, as is frequently the case when, in 

 training, the importance of the foliage is overlooked. 



" Long '-rod System. — By this it is generally admitted that larger 

 bunches are obtained than by the spur system ; but for a greater 

 weight of fruit under the same extent of glass the latter is preferred. 

 In long-rod pruning the principle is to train a shoot of the last year's 

 growth for producing shoots to bear fruit in the current year, shortening 

 it more or less according to its strength. From the buds formed on it 

 last season, young shoots will push and bear fruit in the present. 

 After bearing, this rod is cut away ; thus all the two-years old wood is 

 dispensed with, provided it is not required to furnish the upper, part of 



