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JOUBNAL Off HOBTICULTUKB AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



( June 25, 1874. 



several years I have in a great measure grown what pot Vines 

 I require for forcing on the two-year system, so that, except- 

 ing in the case of a new variety, I have not grown any quantity 

 on the quicker moile. The practice here is to try aud get 

 Grapes as early as possible, and I certainly think the two- 

 year-old system is the hetter for that purpose ; aud if best 

 for very early work, the Vines must also be better for after 

 crops, not but that a very good result may follow with canes 

 of one year's growth for second and later crops, because in this 

 case there has been a greater period of rest given, which is a 

 matter of the greatest consequence in the early forcing both of 

 the Vine and other things. 



As rearing Vines from eyes has been so often alluded to in 

 these pages by writers who are well versed in the matter, I 

 need not refer to it here, neither will I enter at any length 

 into the character of the soil best suited to the Grape Vine. 

 I am, however, no advocate for lime rubbish, nor, in fact, 

 lime in any form if it can be dispensed with. If a good rich 

 mellow loam from land overlying the sandstone can be had, 

 I should prefer it without any admixture whatever, unless it 

 be sand, in which case I would prefer drift or river sand to 

 that from u pit. Manure may be entirely dispensed with in 

 the mixture, as that can be more easily given in the liquid 

 form when wanted ; but this will not otten be needed until the 

 Vines are in fruit, when it may he useful, and may be liberally 

 given ; but while the canes are growing it has a tendency to 

 make them gross and pithy, so that although they may be 

 large and robust-looking, they have not that hard wiry cha- 

 racter about them which is the best guarantee of good useful 

 fruit, and which of late years has been so much sought after. 

 Of course healthy foliage is necessary to produce this, and 

 Grape Vines ought not to be grown with plants, infested with 

 red spider or other pests of a like kind. Attention to this, 

 where practicable, is of the greatest importance, especially in 

 the second year when they are perfecting their growth. Our 

 practice is to secure some of the best eyes we can at the 

 autumn pruning of the Vines, put them in small pots, and 

 plunge them in the tan bed of a Pine house, which bed is of 

 more than the ordinary width, being upwards of 7 feet; then 

 there is a 3-feet pathway, with in front a shelf between 2 and 

 3 feet wide, on which we place potted Vines and Cucum- 

 bers in winter, with Kidney Beans beneath the Vines, and in 

 summer it is used to grow and ripen.off the pot Vines required 

 for the next season. This house is upwards of 80 feet long, 

 and being isolated from other forcing houses, we have been 

 anxious to allow nothing from any of the other houses to 

 eut>r it, as Pines njore than Vines are so liable to be attacked 

 by two of the worst of insect pests, aud it is no easy matter to 

 keep these under when only a glass door frequently opened is 

 the only means of separation. The house is span-roofed, the 

 north light being the shorter ; there is also a front light of 

 about 2 feet, and the nature of the ground allows a height of 

 nearly 4 feet of front wall. The Vines, when they have partly 

 ripened their wood inside the house, are removed outside and 

 fastened to the wall to finish the ripening and hardening of 

 their wood in the full sun, but the pots are shaded from tierce 

 Bun by old mats or litter of any kind ; very often the haulm 

 of peas is used for the purpose. Here the Vines remain until 

 some have to be taken inside for forcing, but previous to 

 that they are pruned to the length required, which in our case 

 is about 6 feet. They are chiefly Black Hamburgh and Buck- 

 land Sweetwater. I may add that it is prudent to shorten 

 the Vines intended for the first batch as early as convenient, 

 say not later than the 1st of September, to the length at which 

 they are to remain, but a few small laterals may be left till a 

 later period, or when the remaining leaves are fairly ripened, 

 when they are removed ; but the early-started Vines are so 

 liable to bleed, that unless they have been headed-in some con- 

 siderable time there is more loss in this way than can well be 

 afforded. About half a dozen of the most promising we re- 

 move into the forcing house early in October, and some others 

 in January. As already remarked, the difference between the 

 quality of the Grapes produced by the last batch of Vines as 

 compared to that from the first is so great as to make it diffi- 

 cult to believe that the Vines were all treated alike, the early 

 forcing sacrifices so much. 



The above notes on growing Vines in pots are not intended 

 to represent the whole course of culture, but simply to justify 

 the system of growing the plants for this purpose in two years 

 instead of one, as insisted on by some who have greater means 

 at command, the trouble in wintering being very small indeed ; 

 in fact, it is on the ground of saving trouble that the two-year 



system is recommended, as the small plants of the first year 

 that may be in 24 or 10-sized pots may be simply kept from 

 severe frosts and heavy rains before Christmas. Alter that 

 time they will be wanted to commence their growth in the 

 forcing house, for, be it observed, it is for the purpose of getting 

 them into growth early, and consequently ripened early, that a 

 good rest is secured before they are started again in the 

 autumn. The fact of having a well-rooted plant to begin 

 with at a time when others have simply the unrooted cutting, 

 must assuredly be held as giving a good start, and such start 

 has in my practice always carried itself out to the end. Under 

 these circumstances I have no hesitation in recommending it, 

 leaving it to others who are satisfied with having their Grapes 

 ripe by the middle or end of May and later to grow them in 

 one year if they choose, and this they may easily do ; but 

 where fruit is required six weeks earlier than the above time, 

 the difficulties in the way of their being forthcoming with one- 

 year-grown canes is such that I would hardly advise the inex- 

 perienced to depend on these. — J. Eobson. 



KOSES THIS SEASON. 



Little has been said lately about Eoses, I therefore offer 

 the following. Etienne Levet and Claude Levet are both 

 handsome smooth-petalled Roses, but as yet, when fully ex- 

 panded, they have not been full enough in the centre. When 

 expanded they show a yellow eye. If thoy are taken to an 

 exhibition the blooms must be cut previous to expansion. 

 Countess of Oxford, Madame Creyton, Edward Morren, Per- 

 fection de Lyon, Alice Dureau, Louis Van Houtte, Marechal 

 Niel, Marie Eady, and Alfred Colomb are the best exhibition 

 Koses of late years. They are perfectly full in their centres, 

 and good growers. Baron Chaurand is lovely and perfect, but 

 not large. I have twenty plants in one bed now in full and 

 aljundant bloom. Maxime de la Kocheterie is splendid, as 

 Mr. Van Houtte has said. I have thuteeu plants of it now in 

 abundant bloom. It is a full-sized frilled rosette, of rich 

 crimson-purple colour. It is a good grower, and when fully 

 expanded does not show an eye. It is in the way of Empereur 

 de Maroc, but much larger, and of erect habit. Baron deBon- 

 stetten is a good grower, and I think it will he quite equal to 

 Louis Van Houtte. The colour is much the same. Clemence 

 Raoux is a very neat nice Rose. Abbu Bramerel is a capital 

 bedder. Its shape is a bombed rosette. Its colour is dark- 

 shaded crimson. It is evidently from Eugene Appert. Per- 

 fection de Lyon I fear is not a late bloomer. 



The Roses are abundant and very fine here; I never had 

 them finer. I must not forget to say a word about Vioomtesse 

 de Vezins; it is (thirteen plants) a most abundant bloomer; 

 the form is expanded, and full to the centre. It is a red Ba- 

 ronne Provost, very hardy, and a most effective garden Rose. 

 Edward Morren is magnificent here. The last two are the 

 hardiest of late years, aud good growers. — W. F. E.4DCLyrFE, 

 Okeford Filzpaine. 



THE KITCHEN GAEDEN.— No. 9. 

 TuEEE was a time, now many years ago, when various ma- 

 terials, such as wood, flint, stone, aud even mud aud clay, 

 came into competition with brick for the construction of 

 garden walls. At such a time it might have been profitable 

 to have entered into a discussion on the respective merits of 

 each ; for although bricks were used in those days, the business 

 of making them was only in its infancy, and the facilities for 

 conveyance from one locality to another were not so fully 

 developed as now. Wooden walls or fences have long been 

 in use, but are gradually becoming less common. Trees grow 

 well, aud bring fruit to high perfection when trained against 

 them, but the material is not durable euougb, and is only to 

 be recommended on the score of economy. Flint walls are 

 not often used for fruit trees, though in some counties they 

 are common for other purposes ; there is considerable difficulty 

 in training the trees against them, although they have been 

 known to ripen fruit tolerably well. Mud or clay walls are 

 not suitable for garden purposes, and in my opinion ought 

 not to be thought of, as they would prove to be the worst of 

 any, and they are liable to crumble to pieces after frost. 

 Stone for walls is more durable than brick, but not so warm. 

 However, it must not be shut out altogether, as it may be used 

 iu conjunction with brick to very great advantage. For in- 

 stance, the foundation may bo formed entirely of stone, or, 

 where bricks are scarce, the body of the wall may bo built of 



