210 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 25, 18e9. 



shock arisinp from an inadequate supply of foliage. This is the 

 reason why I have insisted so much upon t^ikinf? the utmost 

 care of an eye close above the stock ; besides, the deposit of 

 ■wood from this bottom shoot covers over the head of the stock 

 in a very short time, leaving no wound, and I feel sure that the 

 sooner all the wounds are healed over the better for the health 

 of the tree. Though the same degree of induration does not 

 take place in the Apple and I'ear as in stone fruit, still you will 

 find this base shoot by far the best for their leader. During 

 the first summer nothing more is needed, imless the ligatures 

 become too tight, when they must be loosened and retied. — 



W. KiNGSLEY. 



(To be coDtlnned.) 



OUT OF-DOOR GTIAPE CULTURE— WINE 

 MANUFACTURE. 



(Continued from page 81.) 



If Vines cannot be planted at the end of October, it is better 

 to defer doing so until the end of March. The letter period ia 

 that which I prefer for the open walls, and Vines propagated 

 from eyes or cuttings should always be chosen in preference to 

 those from rooted layers. The Vines now under consideration 

 I raised from short-jointed cuttings. In the last week of March 

 the border, after having remained with a rough surface during 

 the winter, was levelled, and holes sufBciently deep and large 

 were dug for the reception of the roots, which, as the balls 

 were relieved from the pots, were carefally uncoiled in order to 

 preserve every fibre possible. Then to stout stakes (I am 

 supposing a man to be carrying out the operations without an 

 assistant), previously driven firmly and in rather a slanting 

 direction into the soil at 0^ feet apart and about 3 inches from 

 the wall, the Vines are made fast, first winding hay bands round 

 them to prevent the bark being chafed, and then passing a 

 piece of tarred cord round the hajband and the stake. In 

 tying judge the level to which the new soil will have to be raised 

 so as to occupy the exact distance up the stem of the young 

 Vine to which the soil surrounded it in the pot. The stem is 

 kept firmly in its place during the distribution of the roots, 

 effectually preventing those convulsive twitchings which trees 

 too frequently undergo in planting, as if their fibres were as 

 elastic as indianrubber, which they are not. Spread the roots 

 in layers, if there are enough of them, horizontally in circles, 

 and cover each layer carefully with fine soil, which, if dry, 

 must be made to close round the fibres by gently watering from 

 the spout of a can, or, still better, from the rose of a watering- 

 pot ; but if we must tread, let us " tread softly," for it is a 

 Jbarbaroua practice to jump violently upon the tender roots ; 

 and if Iheir points are made to repose at a slight angle upwards 

 they will be all the more likely to retain a horizontal position 

 afterwards, which will be very conducive to the future fruitful- 

 ness of the Vines. 



I planted my Vines, and continue to do so, as above, having 

 cut each down to four or five eyes about a month previ- 

 ously. A mulching of decayed leaves was placed over the 

 surface beneath which their roots extended, a Box edging was 

 temporarily planted 1 foot from the wall to prevent accidental 

 injuries from the iron roller and other causes, and a 7-feet- 

 broad gravel walk covered the remainder of the border. The 

 additions to the width of the border which I mentioned in my 

 last paper are planted as a flower border. Waterings in the 



suinmer were strictly given to the young Vines. And now 

 begins the system of training them. 



It is difficult for persons not practically conversant with 

 training to comprehend at once the explanations of a writer. 



TigA. — First year's appearance at the November pruning, the dotted 

 lines showing the places to which the unripe wood is cut down. The 

 arrow heads show the buds from which laterals are to be produced in the 

 lollowing year. <i, o, are the trial buds. 



s^ibi-c-™ t-.^ S'lji^SRlJl^T.wWf^J*^*-' "'^sc 



F((i. 2. — Second year's appearance, and the places occupied by tbo 

 laterals produced ly the trial buds during the HCcond season. 



however simple and straightforward he may endeavour to make 

 them. I therefore send sketches of the appearance of the 

 Vines from the first to the fourth year of my method of train- 

 ing against the walls of the house, which are 40 feet high. 

 When I recommend the first main branch laid in to be cut 

 away in the autumn of the fourth season, I do not literally 

 mean what I recommend, for in practice, supposing as to be 



.•^-.y^- 



F(j7. 8.— Third year's appearance at the November pmniu g. The laterals, 

 having produced their fruit, are to be afterwards completely cut oflT to the 

 mother branches, as shown by the dotted lines. 



training a Vine, as shown, to the height of .50 feet, that first 

 branch would probably be required to do duty above a year 

 or two longer, and young laterals must be trained from the 

 outermost branch below, in order to keep the whole surface 

 covered with bearing wood, which can be obtained from two or 

 three-year-old canes as freely, or more so, than from those one 

 year old. It is advisable, however, to cut away the old limbs 

 as soon as possible, for what goes to support them is so much 

 taken from younger and more fruitful wood. How frequently 

 do we see immense old sprawling limbs of Vines unfruitfnlly 

 occupying space, not arranged according to any system, and 

 which cannot be dislodged without laying bare the whole front 

 of the wall, in order to cover it with bearing wood. 



From practice and results I can confidently recommend the 

 above system for either high or low training. It took me more 

 than twice four years to consider and arrive at it, simple as it 

 is ; and for some years I annually found myself with too many 

 crowded branches against the wall, with which I did not know 

 what to do. I will now explain how this evil is to be guarded 

 against. 



We shall suppose the young canes to be breaking well and 

 strongly ; select three of the strongest shoots, handle them 

 carefully, and with nails and shreds secure to the wall the 

 lowest pair horizontally right and left of the stem ; allow one 

 shoot to each Vine to grow upright ; and when these upright 

 shoots have made five joints or so pinch off their heads to pre- 

 vent their becoming monopolisers of the sap, as they are in- 

 tended merely for a year or two to encourage root action and 

 perform for the plant the oflSceof lungs. The horizontal shoots 

 must be allowed to grow without stopping, and to take an 



