62 THE GARDENER. I Feb. 



VINES AND VINE-BORDERS. 



In my paper of last month I called attention to a set of circumstances 

 which I think unfavourable to the prolonged fruitfulness of the Vine, 

 and I believe they are such as have come under the observation of 

 many of my readers. That Vines make relatively fewer roots in rich 

 borders than in such as are not so rich, and that they get across the 

 border much quicker in the former than the latter case, will readily be 

 admitted ; and when they do so, it is, in nine cases out of ten, to enter 

 some material that is not suitable for them, I indicated that I con- 

 sidered the present system of preparing young Vines for planting had 

 a good deal to do with the early declension of the fruitfulness of the 

 Vine, and I now proceed to give a sketch of the method I adopted in 

 the spring of last year for preparing something like 1500 young 

 Vines, half of which were intended for my own planting. On the 

 7th of last February I placed a layer of very fibry turf over the pave- 

 ment of a Pine-pit, under which were pipes for giving bottom-heat. On 

 this turf I laid 4 inches of fine turfy loam ; made small holes in it at 

 about 6 inches apart — these were filled with white sand — and a Vine 

 eye was placed in each, so as to be just covered. They started in the 

 usual wa}^, and grew rapidly, throwing out strong roots from the eye. 

 When these roots had begun to interlace each other, and the Vines were 

 from 6 inches to 9 inches high, they were cut round by a strong knife, 

 so that each A^ine was isolated on its own piece of turf. The points of 

 their rcots being cut, they flagged for a few days, but soon threw out 

 scores of small active roots from every large one that was cut. When 

 this had taken place, a small trowel was run under each square, and 

 the plants lifted and placed on a similar bed of turf, but this time 

 from 9 inches to 12 inches apart, and filled in round about with soil of 

 same character as at first, avoiding manure of any sort. Here they soon 

 began to grow rapidly again ; and when they had attained the height 

 of 3 feet, and the borders were ready for them, they were cut round 

 as in the first instance, and allowed to stand till a fresh set of young 

 roots were just started, when they were raised on a spade, with ball 

 quite entire, and placed in their new borders. This operation was 

 easily performed, and they received not the smallest check, but grew 

 rapidly at once; and when cut back — some to 10 feet and others 

 to 3 feet — just eleven months from the day the eyes were placed 

 in the sand, their average girth is from 2 to 3 inches ; and they 

 are ripe, close-jointed, and solid as hazel-sticks to the apex of the 

 houses — some 22 feet. Those that were not required for planting 

 were potted ; and for this purpose I can as strongly recommend the 

 system as for planting. AVhen Vines prepared thus come to be turned 

 out of their pots in the process of planting, there is no occasion for 



