462 



CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 



a day, and gave water whenever requisite ; 

 as a strong, healthy, young vine will re- 

 quire much more water than a weak one. 

 He never used liquid manure, except in a 

 diluted stale, and then seldom. 



In one of his communications he says — 

 " I took in May, by way of experiment, 6 

 small plants, which I turned out of two- 

 quart pots, and potted them in the size al- 

 ready described. I then cut them down 

 to three eyes, and placed them in the front 

 of the vinery. I trained one shoot up the 

 middle of each light, to the length of five 

 feet ; and during the summer paid particu- 

 lar attention in assisting them with the 

 three principal elements, viz., air, water, 

 and light. After they had grown to the 

 length of five feet and their extremities 

 were stopped, they made efibrls to grow 

 again; however, I kept them constantly 

 stopped : this caused the sap to enter the 

 auxiliary shoots, or those produced at the 

 base of each leaf on the main stem, which 

 were allowed to grow, occasionally stopping 

 them through the season. Indeed, I gave 

 them the same treatment as vines in houses 

 generally receive. In autumn, the plants 

 were placed in the open air, and the roots 

 protected from frost." 



" On the 2d of January, these 6 plants 

 were placed in a house of about the tempe- 

 rature of 60 degrees Fah., when in a short 

 time they broke, showing fruit at every eye, 

 some two, three, or even four bunches each, 

 being on an average of about 40 bunches 

 on each plant, or 240 collectively; and 

 what is more surprising, the shoots are 

 what every person acquainted with vines 

 would term weak, — being, in fact, little 

 thicker than a good quill, towards the base 

 of the stem, and not more than twice that 

 thickness at their extremities. 



" A great portion of the fertility may be 

 attributed to the proper supply of water. 



For this purpose, a feeder is kept under 

 each pot; as I am confident every plant so 

 situated is benefitted by capillary attrac- 

 tion. 



" Whoever attempts to propagate the vine 

 by cuttings, should make choice of such 

 shoots as are on the most productive part of 

 the vine ; otherwise, the plants will be un- 

 productive ; for a person may collect either 

 fruitful or unfruitful cuttings from the same 

 plant." 



Fig. 56. — A Black Hamburgh Vine grown in a Pot- 



"Vines in pots will grow in a common 

 hot-bed frame with good success, I have 

 little doubt, provided the plants are proper- 

 ly prepared. I have now, March 18th, nine 

 pots with small plants, the whole of which 

 could be placed in a common three light 

 frame. The average number of bunches 

 is 40 on each vine ; in all, 360 perfectly 

 good bunches. By a judicious arrangement 

 of their stems, and attending to the supply 



