366 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



of to the buds and shoots lower down. Now, to shorten back such a 

 Vine to nearly half its length is to remove those buds where their 

 whole energies have been directed during the previous and preparative 

 year's growth. True, a Vine with say six or eight bunches on the top 

 half of its length does not perhaps look so systematic, but the finest 

 produce is nevertheless thus attainable ; and this is the chief test of 

 practice in Grape and all fruit culture. We would, therefore, say to 

 all beginners of pot Grape-growing, do not shorten back your Vines // 

 they are well ripened up to their tops. 



It has long been a common practice to set their pots on beds of 

 earth, or to turn the Vines entirely out of their pots into such beds 

 with the idea of feeding them. We have doubts as to the correctness 

 of this theory or practice. Certainly the finest pot- Vine-grown Grapes 

 we have ever seen had their pots standing on a bare shelf. It is always 

 certain that whatever feeding is alBForded to Vines having their roots en- 

 tirely within the limits of the pots in which they were prepared, they are 

 sure to get the direct and immediate benefit of. Not so when their 

 roots are allowed to leave their pots and ramble at will in a bed of soil. 

 Any additions which it is desirable to make should be in the shape of 

 top-dressings, and these should never be piled up high over the pots 

 and pressed to the stems of the Vines in their early stages of forcing, 

 or the result is that the Vines make a whorl of roots from their stems, 

 and the roots in the pots are much more shy in commencing their 

 work. 



These remarks may be suggestive to some of our readers, and we 

 shall be very glad to have the experience of the more practised in this 

 now very important auxiliary in Grape-growing. 



ABOUT THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



I WAS sorry for having surprised " Teetotaller's " feelings with my 

 few remarks on the Chrysanthemum in the March number of the 

 ' Gardener ; ' but I can appeal to every reader of the ' Gardener ' if I, 

 or any one, could come to a different conclusion from the rules and 

 details of culture laid doAvn in the article alluded to. The young 

 gardeners in Scotland should certainly feel obliged to "Teetotaller" 

 for his kind exhortations on the abuse of the Chrysanthemum. But 

 it strikes me very forcibly the hints offered were intended for more 

 than the young men, for we find "Teetotaller" differing from your 

 correspondent " M. T." about the plunging of the pots, which is a 

 decided saving in time and water, if not a step in advance of the non- 

 plunging system ; for if the best plants ever grow^n in England were 



