November 10, 186S. ] JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTTIRE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



365 



LIFTING THE ROOTS OF VINES, AND 

 HEMAEING THE BOEDEE. 



IFTING tlae roots of Vines and re- 

 making tlie border is an operation 

 in wliich several correspondents are 

 interested at the present time, and 

 as they appear to be entire strangers 

 to the details which are neces- 

 sary to insure success it has 

 been resolved to devote a paper 

 to the subject, more particu- 

 larly because I feel certain that 

 there are plenty who will agree 

 with me when I say that there 

 are hundi-eds of Vines in the 

 country in an unsatisfactory 

 and unfruitful condition from 

 no other cause than that their 

 roots are deep down in an ad- 

 hesive, wet, and consequently 

 cold and ungenial soil. It 

 would be easy to enumerate 

 a dozen cases within my own 

 knowledge, and partly in my 

 own practice, where the most 

 marked benefit has resulted 

 from lifting the roots of Vines, 

 and replanting them in better-constructed borders. True 

 there are other ways in which the roots of Vines can 

 be brought to the surface of the border, but if the soil 

 is adhfisive and not well drained, there is no other way 

 that I am aware of by which the evil can be so efficiently 

 remedied. 



The first question which very naturally arises in the 

 minds of our correspondents is as to the best season to 

 lift Vines with the greatest possible chances of a crop of 

 Grapes the following summer. To this I have no hesita- 

 tion in replying that, waiving all contingent circum- 

 stances, the best time is early autumn, before the leaves 

 and roots have ceased their active functions, and while 

 there is still a high degree of natural warmth in the soU. 

 The simple fact — would that it were thoroughly explained 

 \o every child — that the action of roots and leaves are 

 reciprocal, and depend one upon the other, is sufficient 

 reason, apart from experience, for concluding that autumn 

 is the best time. So far as the operation of Lifting is 

 concerned, the great matters on which a crop the follow- 

 ing season depends are, that there should be root-action to 

 repair as much as possible, before the resting season, that 

 shock unavoidably consequent on the breakage of roots 

 in disentangling them from an adhesive soil ; and that 

 there should be time to regain, by a good hold of fresh 

 sod, a position similar in kind, if not in extent, to that 

 enjoyed by a Vine established in suitable soU. By delay- 

 ing the operation till winter all chance of accomplishing 

 this important object is lost. The roots must then lie 

 a long time with all their wounds exposed to a cold soil, 

 No. 137.— Vol.. v., New Series. 



and without having that natural hold of it peculiar to 

 roots which have been active in it in autumn. Another 

 disadvantage arising from winter-Kfting is that in spring 

 the gi'owing Vine has exhausted its stored-up sap, and 

 the mutUated roots do not come bounding into action, to 

 carry on unchecked the progress of the vine, with tha* 

 energy and readiness as when the fresh rootlets have 

 established themselves in autumn before the leaves 

 of the Vine have ceased to act. True, this weak point 

 may be assisted by placing warm beds of leaves on the 

 border a little before the Vines start into growth, and 

 by this means young roots may be formed much sooner 

 than otherwise ; but, in the case of Vines at least, this 

 is not the order of nature, although it may be the best 

 thing to do under such circumstances. 



There can be no difficulty in deciding on autumn-lifting 

 with the leaves on the Vines and the soU warm, in pre- 

 ference to delaying it till winter ; but there are several 

 considerations which, when autumn-lifting is not con- 

 venient or practicable, make me prefer deferring it till 

 the spring just as the buds are swelling. Apart from 

 the fact that there are less chances of suitable weather 

 in winter than in spring for performing such work in a 

 proper way, there are objections already named to the 

 broken rootlets of Vines being allowed to lie all winter 

 in a cold border from which those which ought to bo of 

 most service in spring are sure to suiFer more or less. 

 It would certainly be very questionable gardening to 

 shake out and repot a Fuchsia at the dead of winter or 

 immediately after it had shed its last leaf, and then to 

 stand it in a cold shed or under the greenhouse-stage tiU 

 spring. It would certainly be better to repot in autnnm 

 and subject it to such treatment as would insure fresh 

 root-action before it shed its leaves, or to leave it till 

 spring when it was just bursting into growth ; and I know 

 of nothing pecuhar to the Vine which warrants the appK- 

 cation of any other principle. 



There are several causes which in some cases make 

 it undesirable to disturb the roots of Vines in early 

 autumn— such, for instance, as that of our correspondent, 

 to whom a reply was given last month, who had his crop 

 still on the Vines, and wished to let it hang through the 

 winter. To Kft the roots of such Vines would have been 

 detrimental to the fruit, and, besides, with Grapes on 

 Vines, such management as is most likely to insm-e suc- 

 cess could not be carried out. It may also be incon- 

 venient on account of other matters, such as lack of time 

 and the necessary material. In such instances experience 

 warrants me in advising the delay of the operation tiU 

 spring, just as the Vines begin to swell their buds, and 

 in the meantime to get ready the soil, and, if possible, to 

 protect it from wet till it be required. 



The precaution of protecting the old border from wet 

 by wooden shutters, which has been taken by our corre- 

 spondent " C. v.," is strongly to be reconmiended, in 

 order as much as possible to preserve the roots made 

 last season. It would be weU at the same time to open 

 a drain all round the front and end of the border suffi- 

 ciently deep to prevent water from standing about the 

 No. 789.— Vol. XXX., Old Series. 



