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CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 



by day to 80^, and with bright sunshine, it 

 may run up to 100^ or 105^, with plenty of 

 moisture, — allowing the night temperature 

 to sink to 70°. When the vines come into 

 bloom, keep up a high moist temperature, 

 95° in the day, with sun 100^ to lOo^. 

 At this critical time, the night temperature 

 may be increased 80° 8"2^. The grapes 

 safely set, and when as large as inustard 

 seed, thin out the berries ; and to a prac- 

 ticed eye it can be done to a nicety, al- 

 though m:iny err in not taking a sufficient 

 quantity out of the bunch. The day tem- 

 perature may now be kept permanently at 

 85° to 90°; and with sun, it may rise to 

 100° 105°, with plenty of moisture, — allow- 

 ing the night temperature to be fixed at the 

 minimum of 75°. Always keep the vines 

 closely stopped, and never use water to 

 water them with, but such as is of the same 

 temperature of the house. Never admit 

 air through the sashes ; let it come through 

 the air chamber, and be thoroughly warmed 

 before it enters the house. 



With strict attention to these directions, 

 the grapes will begin to colour in the first 

 week in February ; and the moment you 

 perceive this, luithhold water from ike pots ^ 

 unless absolutely necessary, and keep the 

 gutters closed, and maintain a " dry at- 

 mospherey It will insure you colour and 

 flavor in the highest degree ; not to forget, 

 now to admit as much fresh air as you pos- 

 sibly can. From the time that the grapes 

 are set, and swelling off", a large quantity 

 of moisture is absolutely necessary. The 

 leaves should present, every morning, small 

 globules of water hanging on them, — the 

 very picture of health, and proof of good 

 management. Any one disposed to follow 

 the above rules, will not be disappointed in 

 obtaining good grapes from vines in pots, — 

 always keeping in view two prime essen- 

 tials in vine culture, viz., a large supply of 



atmospheric moisture, and a fall of night 

 temperature. Where a deviation from these 

 rules is made, a miserable, small, badly 

 coloured, and worse flavored fruit is the 

 result. 



This article, if it cannot boast of being 

 written in a style like that of some of your 

 correspondents, with a great many flourish- 

 es, is at least a ^radical article, and is the 

 practice which has been very successful, 

 for the last fifteen years, with Mr. Mills, 

 at Gunnersburg Park. I have also had 

 the same success myself, as a reference to 

 the Transactions of the Norfolk and Nor- 

 wich, and Cambridgshire Horticultural So- 

 cieties will attest; the two first provincial 

 societies, of the kind, in England. 



And last, but not least, I have also been 

 successful at the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety, when in competition with the re- 

 nowned RoBKRTS, then gardener to Mat- 

 thew Wilson, Esq., Eshton Hall, near 

 Skipton, Yorkshire, and now of Eaby Cas- 

 tle, one of the best, if not the very best 

 grape-grower in England. By referring to 

 the 4th vol. of the Gardeners' Chronicle, 

 Professor Lindley's remarks will be seen. 

 Perhaps it may be asked why I do not 

 practice this system here? My answer is 

 this; fortune has never favored me with a 

 chance of so doing. The account given in 

 Paxton's Horticultural Register, by Mr. I. 

 DouGAL, of the success of Mr. Mearns, of 

 Welbeck, of Mr. Stafford and others:, of 

 vine-growing in pots, must be received 

 with due caution ; as I can unhesitatingly 

 state, on my own personal knowledge, that 

 no such wonderful results, as those chroni- 

 cled, were ever attained. As I lived under 

 Mr, Mearns, at Welbeck, when he was 

 introducing the coiling system into notice, 

 I have a right to know, that too high a 

 colouring has been given to its merits. 

 When I lived with Mr. Moffat, gardener 



