CHAPTER XVI. 



FRUITING VINES IN POTS'. 



'HE advantages derivable from growing Grape Vines in pots are 

 various. Pot Vines are extremely handy, and may be utilised 

 at any time and almost anywhere. It is, perhaps, not so difficult 

 to obtain the fruit on the prepared plant as it is to grow the 

 Vine itself. For an early supply of fruit, however, considerable care 

 and attention are required, and failures are more common than 

 successes. 



The varieties best suited for fruiting in pots are the free-bearing 

 kinds, such as Black Hamburgh, Royal Muscadine, Foster's White 

 Seedling, and, indeed, all the Chasselas group, Madresfield Court, 

 Royal Ascot, and Alicante. The Muscat of Alexandria is difficult to 

 cultivate in pots, and Gros Guillaume scarcely shows any fruit. 



The forcing of pot Grapes may commence in November, or at any. 

 subsequent period. Those selected for early forcing should be the 

 earliest ripened, and the canes should have been pruned quite 

 a month before their introduction to heat, otherwise they may bleed. 

 The use of well-ripened canes is a most important matter for early 

 forcing. 



A low house or pit is the most suitable for pot Vines. They have 

 simply to be placed on a shelf along the front ; or the pots plunged 

 in a slight hot-bed, the rods or canes being allowed to hang loosely 

 until such time as the buds commence swelling. The temperature at 

 first should not exceed 50 Q by artificial heat, but must be increased as 

 the eyes break and growth begins to 60, and about the flowering- 

 period to 70 or thereabouts. With sun-heat the temperature should, 

 of course, range much higher, but in this respect the treatment of pot 

 Vines as regards general management, atmospheric conditions, ventila- 

 tion of the house, etc., is exactly similar to that of the ordinary 

 Vinery. 



At Syon House, Brentford, the seat of the Duke of Northumber- 

 land, pot Grapes have for many years been a special feature. The 

 late Mr. Woodbridge used to commence forcing the first week in 

 November, so as to have Grapes ripe about the end of March or the 

 beginning of April. He commenced with a temperature of 60, 

 rising 3 or 4 as the buds broke, and gradually increased it to 70 or 

 75 by the time they were in flower, then lowering it to 68 until they 

 had done stoning, etc., when it was again raised to 70 until the 



