Commercial Gardening 



are full of roots, pot on into 48's or 32's according to the growth made. 

 When potting, care must be taken to have the pots and the soil warmed, 

 and the watering must be done with warm water, so that no check may be 

 given to the young Vines. A 4-ft. cane is put into each pot, and the young 

 growths trained up them till they reach the top, when they are stopped. 

 As soon as the plants are well rooted, liquid manure may be given every 



other time of watering. The 

 soil for potting may consist of 

 2 parts good loam, 1 part short 

 manure, a little sand and a little 

 bone meal. The potting must 

 be done firmly but carefully. 

 After potting into these larger 

 pots the young plants are stood 

 in a vinery which has part of 

 the roof still uncovered. Here 

 they will get enough light and 

 just the right conditions for 

 growing. About the end of July 

 or in August the pots can be 

 stood outside, and are best 

 plunged in the soil to economize 

 the watering. Before very cold 

 weather sets in the canes are 

 pruned to three eyes, and the 

 pots stood in a cold house. The 

 following year the Vines are 

 potted on into clean, well-crocked 

 16's, started in gentle heat, and 

 grown on as before, all buds but 



the strongest one being rubbed out as soon as choice is possible. At the 

 end of the growing season the pots are stood outside as before, and when 

 pruning time comes the canes are cut down to about 1 ft., according to 

 their strength. 



2. COST, RETURNS, ETC. 



Information as to the weights of crops and the cost of growing is very 

 difficult to get. The labour of keeping the necessary accounts is very great, 

 and is very rarely undertaken by any grower. The largest of our growers 

 may know just what their crops cost them, but prefer to keep the figures 

 to themselves. One large grower in Worthing gives the average weight 

 of crop for Black Hambro, Gros Maroc, Muscat of Alexandria and Canon 

 Hall, as 1 Ib. of grapes per foot of rod, and for Alicante and Gros Colmar 

 about 1^ Ib. per foot. Another grower gives the cost of well-grown grapes 

 as about Qd. per Ib. The accompanying table shows the averages of prices 



Fig. 389. Eye-cutting when Rooted 



