PRUNING AND TRAINING. 129 



Aged. As stated elsewliere, tlie grape vine is a plant of 

 great longevity ; notwithstanding which, with the prac- 

 tice of some vignercnsy it is considered to be worn out in 

 a ic\Y years, and fresh plantations have to be made period- 

 ically. This may in vineyard culture answer the particu- 

 lar purposes of the cultivator, and by the method of only 

 allowing a few feet of bearing surface to each individual, 

 a great amount of fruit, and suitable quality for his pur> 

 pose, may be obtained from a limited extent of land em- 

 ployed. Here is evidence that too much curtailing of 

 the plant's natural disposition shortens life, and weakens 

 down the constitution to such an extent as to make it 

 worthless, comparatively speaking, in a very short time. 

 Considering that there is not a very great expense in 

 replanting a vineyard, the means may be said to justify 

 the end, but when we come to the outlay incurred in 

 erecting glass houses, preparing borders, &c., it behoove? 

 us to think well how we can pay back a permanent inte 

 rest on the capital invested, and if there be any method 

 that will keep a house of vines in healthy bearing for a 

 long time without the requirement of renewal, surely ii 

 must be wisdom to adopt it. If the grape vine is a long 

 liver when allowed to extend, and soon worn out ii kept 

 in small compass, is it not reasonable, if we wish perma- 

 nency, that all the available space that we have in the 

 superficial area of a house should be covered with healthy 

 leaves, in order the better to concentrate and store up the 

 food for future development, and add each year a fresh 

 layer of well organized alburnum to the previously exist- 

 iiig sound vascular tissue ? If we take further into account 

 the glutted preiDarations that are often compounded for 

 vinery borders, and the consequently immense enrouiage- 

 ment given to luxuriant growth, it really appears fcutpris- 

 ing that such close cutting in as is generally praciised 



6* 



