December 22, 1863. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



437 



the ball wMcli accompanied tliem was no longer able to 

 maintain them ; but some made an effort and succeeded in 

 penetrating with then- roots into the ordinaiy soil of the 

 bed, and thereby succeeded in evading the food that had 

 been provided for them to their dislike. Many other remark- 

 able things might be said of peat, but as an article may 

 possibly appear on this subject at another time, it is need- 

 less pursuing the subject further than to affirm peat to be 

 one of the most useful substances known to the gardener. 



J. EOBSON. 

 (To be continued.) 



PRUNING VINES. 



I HAVE lately come into possession of a vinery which has 

 been erected about fifteen years, containing four Black 

 Hamburghs and two White Grapes. The Black do weU, but 

 the White do not. I think they requu-e a different treat- 

 ment from the Black. What should I do with the White 

 Grapes to make them do well along with the Black ? The 

 Black have always borne and ripened a good quantity of 

 firuit. The roots are outside the house, and enter through 

 holes in the wall about 2 feet below the surface, and run 

 2 feet below the surface oi the earth outside, which is very 

 heavy. Should it be dug and manured or not ? The leaves 

 have all fallen, and the wood is well ripened. When and 

 how should the prunin<j be performed ? — N. M. D. 



[It would relieve those to whom falls the answering of such 

 questions as that of our correspondent relative to the White 

 Grapes from a good deal of guess work and unnecessary 

 "it's" and " and's," if the names of varieties were given as 

 well as other particulars regarding them. White Grapes 

 is a wide term, comprehending distinct varieties of Grapes, 

 which require very different treatment in some points 

 upon which success or failure often depends ; consequently 

 we are obliged to approach such questions by a series of 

 uncertain zigzag parallels, instead of replying in a definite 

 and straightforward manner. 



If the White Grapes which have faded where Hamburghs 

 have apparently done so well are Muscats, it is possible 

 that the failure may have been caused by too low and moist 

 a temperature when in blocm, which prevents the pollen 

 from getting dry and taking effect. Or, presuming that 

 they are Muscats, the Vines may have been late in being 

 started; in fact, allowed to break late of their own accord, as 

 is often the case where there is only one vinery. The 

 Muscats may not be thoroughly ripened in autumn, requir- 

 ing, as they do, more fire heat than Hamburghs. This, in 

 conjunction with a moist low temperature when in bloom, 

 may have caused the faUiu'e, presuming that they have 

 shown fruit plentifully enough for a crop. To remedy these 

 evils the Muscats should, in a mixed vinery, be always at 

 the hot end of the house, if there be a difference, as there 

 is in most oases ; and when in bloom the atmosphere should 

 be dry, with a temperature of at least 70° till they are set. 



The other White Grapes which were generally planted in 

 cool vineries iifteen years ago, such as Muscadines, Sweet- 

 waters, and one or two more, should not fail where Ham- 

 burghs succeed. True, the old Sweetwater is a preoai-ious 

 setter, and should be kept di-y, the same as recommended 

 for Muscats when in bloom. On the other hand, if the 

 Vin es have failed to show sufficient fruit for a crop, then 

 the fault, if Muscats, has most likely arisen fi'om improperly- 

 ripened wood, and more fire heat must be applied in autumn 

 to ripen the wood more perfectly. Muscats, however-, should 

 never be jjlanted in cool vineries ; and if our correspondent's 

 White Grapes are Muscats it will be best to inarch them 

 with Muscadines and Sweetwaters, if not convenient to apply 

 more heat to make the wood hard and brown before the 

 leaves axe shed. We hope these remai-ks will meet the 

 case ; if not, we will be happy to hear again from our corre- 

 spondent with fuller detaUs as to sorts, &c. 



The great depth of bad soil over the roots ?s also calcu- 

 lated to retard the proper ripening of the wood if the variety 

 is a Muscat. Roots of Vines at such a depth in uncongenijil 

 soil do not perform their work so well as when nearer the 

 surface. In order to bring the roots nearer the surface, the 

 inert soil should be taken away down to the roots, and 

 covered 8 or 9 inches deep, with a compost made up of 



two parts turfy loam weU chopped, one part mortar rubbish, 

 and one part rotten dung. This will induce the roots to 

 come to the surface, especially if otherwise treated, as 

 detailed in recent Numbers under the head of "Lifting the 

 Roots of Vines, &c," and to which we refer our correspon- 

 dent, instead of needlessly repeating the matter again. 



The digging and manuring of such a depth of bad soil 

 over the roots would only tend to increase the evil, for 

 heavy putty-like soil is only made more unsuitable for Vine 

 roots by its being manured. Were it simply light poor soil, 

 then the addition of some good manure might entice the 

 roots upwards ; but not so thoroughly as the method to 

 which reference has been made. 



With regard to the pruning, it is one of the most difficult 

 matters to answer in a way that will be certain to meet your 

 case, for Vines in various conditions must be variously 

 Ijruned to make sure of a crop. In the case of well-ripened 

 Vines we cut right back to the fii'st bud at the base of last 

 year's growth; and most varieties boar well by such a 

 system of pruning, and none better than Muscat of Alei- 

 andi'ia. But such close-cutting work is the best waj' only 

 when Vines ai'e well ripened and strong ; and in the case of 

 Vines ripened late with a little appUcation of fii'e heat it is 

 not to be recommended. In the latter condition it is much 

 safer to leave two eyes, or even to cut at the third eye 

 if it be the most plump and ripened. There is nothing 

 gained by leaving more than three eyes. If the tlm'd eye, 

 from which a well-developed leaf has been matiu-ed will not 

 yield fruit, then there are none further out from the main 

 stem likely to do so. In fact, the wood at a few eyes further 

 from the base is generally more pithy and less fruitful than 

 at the third bud, for the ripening process begins at the base 

 and progresses to the extremity of the shoot, which is some- 

 times green when the base is hard and brown. If your 

 Vines are not thoroughly ripened, the best way for you to 

 pursue will be to leave two or three eyes ; or to cut where- 

 ever there are the roundest buds, and the hardest wood with 



the least pith, pruning at the fii'st eye, a, for well-ripened 

 Vines ; at the second and third eyes, b and c, whichever of 

 the two is most prominent and hard, for indifferently-ripened 

 Vines or those which are weakly. — D. Thomson.] 



NOTES FROlSr CUMBERLAND. 

 I KECENTLY read with much pleasure in your Journal a 

 very instructive account of the Pampas Grass. 



Two or three seasons ago I bought two packets of seed. 



