464 DISEASES OP THE VINE. 



vines were debilitated by over-pruning, and the roots crippled in con- 

 sequence ; and accordingly, he gave orders that the shoots should be 

 allowed to run wild for the remainder of the season. He also, upon 

 examining the border, found it for more than a foot from the surface 

 as dry as dust ; and therefore he determined to remove the surface soil 

 down to the healthy roots as quickly as possible, to give the under soil 

 a thorough soaking of warm weak manure water, and when he replaced 

 the soil with fresh compost, to bring some of the young roots as near 

 to the surface of the border as possible. This was done ; the houses 

 were kept close until the roots had taken good hold in the new soil ; 

 and so effectual was the remedy, that scarcely a shanked berry could be 

 seen the following season in the whole of the houses. Here, it will be 

 seen, the cause was not a cold, ill- drained border, but its opposite a 

 dry, poor one. Here the vines failed from exhaustion consequent 

 upon the want of water and nutriment, and the remedy was as certain 

 as it was simple and natural. In the open border, wholly exposed, 

 and where the roots are not so much under control, it is difficult to 

 deal with shanking. The first step, however, to a remedy, it is certain, 

 must be the removal of stagnant water, and, as far as possible, of the 

 sour and stagnant soil. Do this carefully, replace with fresh, properly- 

 prepared compost, and the result is almost certain to be satisfactory. 

 If, however, in low situations, the roots are allowed to ramble where 

 they please, shanking is sure to be the consequence. An example of 

 this came under our notice very recently. A gentleman who had 

 several vineries, and who grew good grapes, found that the fruit upon 

 two or three of the vines shanked immoderately. The situation was 

 scarcely above the level of an adjoining river ; the bottom of the 

 border had been concreted, and the front walled in, so that it was 

 thought the roots could not get out. However, upon digging to the 

 bottom of the wall opposite the failing vines, it was found that the 

 roots had pierced the brickwork, and were luxuriating three feet deep 

 in the stagnant subsoil of some asparagus beds. These were taken up 

 and returned to the proper border, and the following season the shank- 

 ing ceased. At Trentham, Mr. Fleming, when gardener there, found 

 that directly the vine roots passed the concrete border and got into the 

 cold soil beneath, the grapes began to shank. A cold wet border, and 

 the debilitating influence of excessive stopping under the restrictive 

 system of training the vine, may be considered the main causes oi 

 shanking. With a warm, well-drained, and not over-rich border, we 

 never hear of shanking ; but, planted in rich, highly-manured borders, 

 with restricted growth, shanked grapes, after the first flush of growth 

 is over, are almost as certain as day precedes night. The cause of 

 shanking is almost invariably in the border. The roots fail, and then 

 the fruit, as being the most recent and delicate production of the vine, 

 must fail also. Bad or defective atmospheric treatment, such as cold 

 and unseasonable draughts, may increase the evil ; but as a rule, if the 

 roots are right, and the plants receive fair atmospheric treatment, there 

 will be no shanking to complain of. 



Adventitious roots rarely occur upon healthy vines, unless they 



