802 



EXTENSO GRAPE VINES. 



fHE horticultural world has been for some months past 

 agitated by the discussion of the question, whether 

 grape vines under glass should be closely pruned, and 

 restricted to one or two rods each, or allowed to roam 

 far and wide, as is the nature of the vine to do ? In 

 other words, the question is, whether it is most profitable and satis- 

 factory to the cultivator to plant in a house as many vines as there 

 are rafters, or to plant one or two, and allow them to extend over the 

 whole of the space to be covered ? It is a question of gigantic 

 versus miniature vines, and there is much more in it than many good 

 grape-growers are willing to concede. The customary way of planting 

 a house of vines is to apportion a plant to every rafter, and to keep 

 them to that. The laterals are pinched back, and in winter are 

 pruned back, close to the rod, on the system called " close spur 

 pruning." Eor some years these vines give fine bunches in moderate 

 plenty; but in many instances it has been found that the health of 

 the restricted vines declines, and the bunches become fewer and of 

 inferior quality. On the other hand, it is found that vines allowed 

 to extend over large "spaces improve in health and productiveness, 

 and in the quality of their produce, as they advance in age. Here 

 is the gist of the discussion, the point on which it turns to be of 

 any interest and any use. It is true that there are'many vineries where 

 restricted vines are still in good health after many years of abundant 

 production, and there may be many extended vines that are in a 

 poor condition and quite decrepit. But after all that has been said, 

 the balance of evidence is in favour of extension, and this, we need 

 scarcely, point out, is in keeping with the teachings of Nature. "We 

 see the vine, when allowed to grow wild, attaining to enormous 

 dimensions, throwing its long arms about in all directions, and send- 

 ing its roots, with immense power of penetration, amongst the 

 hardest rocks in search of food. - So also such few examples of 

 great vines under glass as are known to English horticulturists aff'ord 

 abundant evidence that for the health and fruitfulness of the grape 

 vine liberty to roam far and wide is an essential condition. All that 

 we hear of shanking, mildew, badly-coloured berries, leaves ruined 

 by red spider, and a dozen other dreadful ailments, are invariably 

 found in connection with restricted vines ; and we may reasonably 

 infer that a plant naturally so vigorous and rampant in growth should 

 become subject to disease when arrested at every point in its tendency 

 to free development. In case any reader should be curious to know 

 what is meant by " extension," we will cite the famous vine at 

 Einchley which Mr. Kay planted, and which Mr. Osborne now 

 manages so well. This vine is a Black Hamburgh. It was planted in 

 1855 in a house eighty- nine feet long, sixteen feet wide, and nine feet 

 six inches high to the apex. The roots are all outside in a border 

 eighty-nine feet in length, by fifteen feet broad. The vine is trained 

 with a leading stem from the centre of the north side wall up to the 



