474 GROWING THE GRAPE ON OPEN WALLS, 



The lower part of the wall, however, will always enjoy an increased 

 degree of warmth from the reflected heat of the ground. Hence grapes 

 growing within two or three feet of the bottom of a wall facing the 

 south will, in general, ripen from ten days to a fortnight earlier than those 

 growing on the upper part of it. It may be observed, that the higher 

 the wall the warmer will its southern aspect be, and the colder its 

 northern aspect. There is a disadvantage, however, in training grapes 

 near the ground, as it respects their remaining on the vine after being 

 ripe. If grapes can be kept perfectly dry, they will hang on the vine 

 and improve in flavour for a long time after they are ripe ; but if 

 dampness or moisture of any description reach them, the consequences 

 are quickly seen in the decay of the berries. After the middle of 

 October, therefore, it will be found a difficult matter to preserve grapes 

 that hang within two feet of the ground, on account of the damp ex- 

 halations that continually arise from the soil at that period of the year. 

 Projecting copings to vine walls preserve the shoots from late frosts in 

 spring, and the blossoms from cold dews and heavy rains ; they also 

 keep the grapes in good condition for some time after they have become 

 ripe ; they prevent the escape of heat, and are convenient for fastening 

 netting, bunting, &c. to, when it is necessary to protect the fruit from 

 birds and insects. The disadvantages of copings are, that they exclude 

 light, air, dew, and rain, which are very beneficial from the time the 

 fruit has set till it begins to ripen. The width of the projecting part 

 of the coping Mr. Hoare regulates by the height of the wall and its 

 aspect. " If the height be less than four feet, and the aspect south, the 

 coping ought not to project at all, as the light and solar heat excluded 

 by it will be a serious drawback on the healthy vegetation of the vines. 

 But if the wall be four feet high, then the coping may project as many 

 inches ; and if this width be increased an inch for every foot that the 

 wall increases in height up to twelve feet, the principal advantages 

 arising from the protection which a coping affords will be secured, in 

 conjunction with the smallest portion of its disadvantages." If the 

 aspect be east or west, the coping must be as narrow as possible, as 

 every inch of projection in these aspects causes a considerable diminu- 

 tion in the duration of sunshine on the face of the wall. At the same 

 time a coping that projects less than four inches is calculated to do 

 more harm than good, as the drip will fall on the blossoms and the 

 fruit. Moveable wooden copings produce, Mr. Hoare observes, all the 

 benefit of fixed copings, without any of their disadvantages. All garden 

 walls whatever should have iron brackets built in immediately under 

 the stone coping, in order to admit of temporary wooden copings being 

 applied at pleasure. Temporary copings should be applied, from the 

 21st of March to the middle of May, to protect the young shoots, from 

 the first expanding of the buds until the berries are well set ; and again 

 from the berries showing symptoms of ripening till the fruit be all cut 

 from the vines. Prune as soon after the 1st of October as the gather- 

 ing of the fruit will admit; and never prune in March, April, or May. 

 The best system of pruning and training is the common or spur- 

 pruning. 



