54 THE BOOK OF THE GRAPE 



charcoal in each to keep the water sweet, the bottles 

 being placed in rows on shelves in the grape-room, 

 the necks of the individual bottles resting on the 

 edge of the shelf at an angle of about twenty de- 

 grees, the bunches hanging over clear of Ae side of 

 shelf. This done, the old vines are to be rooted out, 

 and a portion of the old border, say a strip four feet 

 wide, excavated and replaced with new compost of the 

 description indicated under the heading of " Composts 

 suitable for Vines." The young vines (having had a 

 good watering a few hours previously) are to be turned 

 out of the pots, the ball of earth and roots being loosened 

 round with a pointed stick so as to liberate the roots, and 

 then planted in the manner recommended above, the soil 

 being made extra firm about the balls in planting and 

 water given at the roots to settle the soil about them. 

 A surface-dressing of manure to the thickness of three 

 inches should have been previously laid on the new soil, 

 the young vines being trained to the wires underneath 

 the roof glass ; and in order to prevent the young 

 vines flagging or experiencing a check in the process 

 of transplantation the roof should be heavily shaded 

 for a few days during strong sunshine, and the vines 

 syringed overhead with tepid water three or four 

 times a day. Thus treated, the vines make good 

 growth along the entire length of the rafters and 

 ripen before the fall of the leaf in the year of planting 

 becoming fully capable of producing and ripening a 

 fair crop of grapes of high quality in the following year 

 if necessary. 



If one-year-old cut-back vines be planted at the end 

 of March or early in April, they should be treated as 

 recommended above that is, the soil should be shaken 

 off the roots, the latter shortened back a little, spread 

 out regularly over the prepared soil with an inclination 

 southward, covered to the depth of six inches with the 



