V I T 



V I T 



pand and soon fall off: they are not succeeded 

 bv any fruit in this climate; but the berries which 

 come from North America, their native place 

 of growth, have generally three seeds in each of 

 .them . 



Culture. — The vine may be increased in dif- 

 ferent ways : as by seeds, cuttings, layers, as 

 well as grafting and inoculation ; but the cut- 

 ting and layer methods are the most commonly 

 employed. 



In raising vines from seeds, they should be 

 sown in the early spring, as about the begi li- 

 ning of March, in small pots filled with mould 

 of the light fresh kind, to the number of three 

 or faur seeds in each, plunging the pots in a 

 moderate hot-bed, the mould being gently 

 sprinkled over with water, from a fine-rosed 

 watering pot, every day when the weather is hot 

 and dry, which should be performed in the lat- 

 ter part of the day as the sun disappears from 

 the frame. But when the season is such as to 

 keep the mould in the pots properly moist, the 

 waterings may be omitted. As soon as the wa- 

 terings have been performed, the frames should 

 be shut down, and be kept in that state during 

 the night when the heat is not too great. 



When the heat of the bed begins to decline, 

 a lining of horse dung and fresh leaves should 

 be added; or the heat be renewed by stirring the 

 old beds up and making slight additions to them. 

 This should be continued till the plants have 

 acquired sufficient strength to support themselves 

 without bottom heat. 



It will be necessary about the end of August, 

 Mr. Forsyth says, " to take the lights off, that 

 the plants may be hardened before winter, ta- 

 king care to shelter them in frames covered with 

 mats, which will prevent the frost in the latter 

 end of October and beginning of November from 

 injuring the tender shoots." 



And when the plants are about six inches 

 high, they should, he says, "be transplanted 

 singly into deep pots, forty-eights, filled with 

 the same sort of vegetable mould that is directed 

 to be used for vines; taking great care not to 

 hurt the roots, nor to break the leaders ; then 

 plunging them again into the hot-beds : but if 

 the heat of the old bed be too much decayed, it 

 will be necessary to have a new one prepared 

 before-hand, to receive the pots as soon as the 

 plants are transplanted. When they grow vigo- 

 rously, it will also be necessary to shift them 

 into thirty-twos. When the plants are above 

 six inches high, they should, he says, be care- 

 fully tied to small rods, leaving only one stem 

 for the first year. The rods should be as high as 

 the frames will permit." And when the leaves 

 begin to drop, they should, he says, " be care- 



fully picked off the pots, to prevent the plants 

 from getting mouldy, which would very much 

 injure their growth." 



He likewise advises, that they " should be 

 kept under frames, or put into the green- house, 

 in hard winters, to shelter them from severe 

 frosts. In the spring, about March or the be- 

 ginning of April, if from seed ripened in this 

 country, they may be planted out against the 

 walls where they are to remain ; but, if from 

 seed imported from vine countries, he would 

 advise not to plant above one or two against the 

 wall, or in the hot-house, before a specimen of 

 the fruit has been obtained, and proof afforded 

 that the vines are worth cultivation." It is 

 likewise recommended that after they are plant- 

 ed, they should be cut at the third eye, if 

 strong ; but at the second, if weakly ; at the 

 same time rubbing off the lower bud with the 

 finger and thumb, as directed below. 



Where the method by cuttings is made use 

 of, these should be chosen from the shoots that 

 are best ripened, and have the shortest joints ; 

 always having one or two joints of the last year's 

 wood, cutting it perfectly smooth and a little 

 rounding at the lower end, and as near to a joint 

 of the old wood as possible. The upper end 

 should also be cut smooth and sloping towards 

 the wall ; but if they are planted in beds or 

 borders, the cut should always face towards the 

 north. When cuttings are planted against piers 

 or walls, it should be at about a foot distance 

 from each other, according to the vacant space, 

 and so deep as to have the second eye level with 

 the ground, constantly rubbing off the lower 

 eye; as by this means, where no accident hap- 

 pens to the top bud, there will be a shoot pro- 

 duced from each eye, with a little one under, 

 which should always be rubbed off as soon as it 

 begins to swell ; as if suffered -to grow to any 

 considerable size there will be danger of inju- 

 ring the large one in rubbing the small one off. 

 All the runners and side-shoots should likewise 

 be picked off as directed above, leaving only 

 two shoots, which should be trained at their 

 full length. About the beginning of February 

 they may be pruned, leaving one or two eyes 

 on each according to the strength of the shoot, 

 which should be managed as explained below. 



" For the first year," Mr. Forsyth says, 

 " especially if the summer be dry, and proper 

 attention be not paid to the watering of them, 

 they will make but little progress; but in the 

 second year it may be plainly discerned which 

 is the strongest plant, which only should, he 

 says, be left to fill up the vacant space on the 

 wall ; the rest should be taken up and planted in 

 other situations where they are wanted for fruit." 



