Janaary 2, 18 '8 ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



however, it bas borne the crop as follows: — 276 Pears safely 

 gathered on tbe 20th of September ; weight of tirst si/.e 7} lbs. 

 to the dozen ; second size 5 lbs. to the dozen. Some were fit 

 for table about the 20th of October, and some were in the 

 highest condition on the 12th and IftU of thi3 month (Decem- 

 ber) ; quality very (,'ood, juicy, firm, very sound, and of very 

 good flavour, superior to most bought Pears of greater renown. 

 The tree stands about 11 feel high, occupies little space, is 

 a pyramid clothed from the ground, and as handsome as can 

 well be. — Charles Ellis, Up^er East Sheen. 



VINE-GROWING AND NATURAL 

 TEMPERATURES. 

 I SEND you an abstract of the climate of .TeruRalera, as being 

 one that cannot fail to interest your readers. Tliis abstract I 

 have taken from the Journal of the Scottish Meteorological 

 Society for the quarter ending .Tune iiOih, 1807. It is accom- 

 panied by a most valuable comment ; but I do not propose 

 quoting from it. contenting myself with asking your readers 

 to turn to " H. S.'s " two letters, at pages 11:^ and 212 of the 

 last volume. I most sincerely thank him for having drawn 

 my attention to the practical lessons to be gained from the 

 stndy of this particular climate. 



I will now turn to the other portion of my title. Vine-grow- 

 ing. I have been for more than a j'ear intending to send you 

 my views and practice ; first, I had not time, and then I waited 

 to see what " H. S." would say; but he states, in answer to 

 " G. S ," at page .S81, that he has " no mode of Vine culture," 

 BO I will now send it in the form of a letter. I do this because 

 I am not prepared to write a treatise, nor even claim as " my 

 treatment" the plan I thus commend : it is pimply the plan I 

 follow. Let those whose eyes are not closed, and whose ears are 

 not stopped, think of these things as well as I do, and judge if 

 it will suit them. I cannot and do not say it will enable either 

 me or any one else to take the prizes given for Grapes at 

 the London shows over the heads of gardeners. Onlv the cost 

 deters me from makiug the attempt at present. When it is 

 worth my while I will try ; till then I leave this art out of the 

 question, and apply myself to the cheap production of Grapes. 

 Sluipe of Viiien/. — If there are no reasons other tlian cost to 

 bias the decision, the span-roof is the best ; but if you have 

 a wall, make the house a semi-Ieau-to with a tall front. 



Ventilatinn. — By all means adopt the double ridge board with 

 the rising cap. I should also advise a front ventilator to be 

 used to put the Vines in the house to rest, or retard them when 

 required. 



Glass not wider than 12 inches; 1-5-oz., except in doors. 

 Laps to be puttied. 



Borders all inside, to stand on single brick arches made 

 half round, no mortar being put between the brick ends ; to 

 run across the house. The front foundation to bo put in after 

 the back, sides, and arches. No excavations required, but re- 

 move the soil, and if the subsoil is clay, slope it to the middle, 

 and there have a good drain. The door can be reached by an 

 incline either to the middle or end. The bed should be made 

 by filling the arches level with good drainage, this being 

 covered with sods wrong way up, and then with the soil, with a 

 due quantity of helps to drainage, and some bones. 



Mode nf Flantinn. — If a span-roof, in two or fdur rows, as of 

 10 or 20 feet in width ; if a semi-lean-to of not more than 

 12 feet wide, in rows across the house 6 feet opart. With 

 wider houses more room is required to let the light down the 

 rows to the back wall. Vines should be put in at every 4 feet, 

 and planted after they have started fairly ; to have four starts, 

 each a foot apart, and when planted a good peg should be 

 put between each start or shoot. This is nothing less than 

 layering each young rod. Grow them as long as vou can with- 

 out any stopping, laterals included — that is, keep every leaf you 

 have room for. When they have grown as long as they can, cut 

 every other shoot halfway down. When these are well going 

 again, treat the remaining ones the same, and grow all up 

 again, thinning the first-cut-down to make room for the last if 

 needed. When you want the Vines to go to rest, let out the fires 

 and open all the ventilators, leaving them open all night. This 

 is sufficient anywhere in England, except during June, July, 

 and August. If you want tu start the Vines in these months, 

 do not require a rest from them ; prune them in, cutting all 

 leaves oft, and with young Vines shorten them to the first 

 cutting-down place. As the Vines become strong you can 

 reduce them to two rods each if you like, or cut them dcwj 



in alternate years, grow a young cane on the border, or shorten 

 them in ; but grow a young cane by all means even if you cut 

 it otT again, to keep the roots going during the stoning and 

 ripening time ; from the beginning of the crop to the resting 

 time always have young growth. 



Walerinfi. — Doit every week without fail, and feed your Vines 

 with what you thus wash in, changing the manure weekly, 

 and giving very little each time. 



Syrim/ing. — With young Vines syringe night and morning, 

 and oftener in warm, dry weather, when plenty of air is 

 given, and the leaves are fairly grown — always with warm water. 

 Nothing is better to make the Vines grow tlian the syringe, nor 

 is there anything that helps them so much to swell their canes 

 when they are going to rest. 



'I'emperaUires. — Take the climate of Jerusalem, and then you 

 will grow Grapes ten months in the year, and need not fear 

 cropping the year after planting. 



I will not now occupy y«ur pages further, though to enter 

 fully into each of these heads page upon page could be written, 

 neither will I give examples lest I may seem to boast. I have 

 nothing to gain by giving my name to the public. I practised 

 gardening for pleasure, and now continue it for profit. 



R'capUulation. — In taking out a patent you are required at 

 the end shortly to state what you specially claim as new. In 

 this case I claim nothing as new, so I will instead fill up the 

 place with what I consider the most important points. These 

 are — length of season of growth, and particularly after the crop 

 is gathered ; the use of the syringe more or less all through the 

 season, whether there is a crop or not, thus insuring continual 

 growth ; a dry, well-drained border, enabling you, without the 

 least chance of making it sad, or water-logged, to wash food 

 down to the roots each week, as suited to the wants of the Vine 

 at that particular period of its growth ; system of putting as 

 many Vines as possible in a house, and mode of obtaining as 

 many canes from one Vine as possible, and thus being able to 

 shorten or prune one cane without giving the roots any check 

 — a mode of quick returns, well suited to amateurs' wants and 

 patience. 



" H, S." says he has obtained 1986 bunches from 1700 square 

 feet of glass. If planted in this way I am of opinion 8ozs. per 

 square foot can be obtained year after year. — G. H. 

 Abste.^ct of Mkteohological Observations made at Jerusa- 

 lem FROM 1st of March, 18fi5, to 28th of Februaby, 

 1867. Height above the sea, 2500 feet. Monthly means and 

 extremes on a mean of these three years. 



WORKING ROSES ON THE MANETTI STOCK. 



How true is Mr. Radclyffe's observation, that we must wait 

 two years before we can see any bloom worth notice from a 

 removed Briar Rose bought in from a nursery; and, on the 

 contrary, a Manetti Rose removed in winter or autumn gene- 

 rally blooms, and does better after removal. Thousands of 

 rosarians, myself included, have fully experienced all this. 

 Briar Roses do well with me, because I have a rich, deep 

 loamy soil, but Manetti Roses do better. 



I liave budded Manettis in the following manner, and find 

 they take more freely :— Suppose a Manetti stock to be firmly 

 rooted, having had ayear's growth, cut it down close to the soil 

 in the spring. Three or four strong shoots are sent up. I bud 

 all of the shoots about 3 inches from the ground, say in June 

 or July, let them remain dormant, and cut them down in the 



