222 THE GRAPE. 



through the more compact and rigid sap vessels of a vine full of 

 old wood.* 



The above mode of training is very easily understood, but 

 we may add here for the benefit of the novice ; 1st, that vines, 

 in order that they may bear regularly and well, should always 

 be kept within small bounds ; 2d, that they should always be 

 trained to a wall, building, or upright trellis ;f and, 3d, that the 

 leaves should never be pulled off to promote the ripening of the 

 fruit. The ends of the bearing shoots may be stopped, (pinched 

 off,) when the fruit is nearly half grown, and this is usually all 

 the summer pruning, that under our bright sun the grape vine 

 properly treated requires. 



Following out this hint, that here, the vine only bears well 

 when it is young, or composed mainly of young wood, an intel- 

 ligent cultivator near us secures every year abundant crops of 

 the Chasselas, by a system of renewal by layers. Every year, 

 from his bearing vines, he lays down two or more long and clean 

 shoots of the previous year's growth. These root freely, are 

 allowed to make another season's growth, and then are made to 

 take the place of the old plants which are taken out ; and by 

 this continual system of providing young plants by layers, he al- 

 ways succeeds in obtaining from the same piece of ground fair 

 and excellent grapes. 



CULTURE UNDER GLASS WITHOUT ARTIFICIAL HEAT. The great 

 superiority of this fruit when raised under glass, renders a vine- 

 ry an indispensable feature in every extensive garden. Even 

 without fire-heat grapes may, under our bright sun, be grown 

 admirably ; the sudden changes of the weather being guarded 

 against, and the warmth and uniformity of the atmosphere sur- 

 rounding the vines being secured. In the neighbourhood of 

 Boston, cheap structures of this kind are now very common, and 

 on the North River, even the Muscat of Alexandria and other 

 sorts which are usually thought to require fire-heat, ripen regu- 

 larly and well, with moderate attention. 



A vinery of this kind may be erected so as to cost very little, 

 nearly after the following manner. Its length may be thirty 

 feet ; its width sixteen feet ; height at the front, two feet ; at the 

 back twelve feet. This part of the structure may all be built 

 of wood, taking, for the frame, cedar or locust posts, setting 

 them three and a half feet in the ground, the portion rising 

 above the ground being squared to four or five inches. On 

 these posts, (which are placed six feet apart,) nail, on both 

 sides, matched and grooved planks, one and a quarter inches 

 thick. The space between these planks not occupied by the 



* See Hoare on the Grape Vine 



t And never on an arbour, except for the purposes of shade. 



