VINES. 



542 



VINES. 



a support of at least 2 feet 6 inches wide. 

 Upon this is fixed, when occasion requires 

 it, a strip of bituminised felt, or, where 

 economy is necessary, a piece of thin plank. 

 The bituminised felt is stretched on frames 

 of wood about 10 feet in length by 18 

 inches in width. The felt is stretched upon 

 these frames by means of small nails. 

 These frames are only used when the 

 grapes are perfectly ripe, which is gene- 

 rally about September I5th, or when there 

 is danger of the fruit being spoilt by heavy 

 rains. Formerly, before these methods of 

 shelter were employed, large quantities of 

 grapes were continually lost through be- 

 coming rotten witth the wet ; since their 

 adoption, however, there is no fear of such 

 a result. The size of the frames to be used 

 is always dependent on the aspect and 

 height of the walls. With walls facing the 

 south and 10 feet high, frames containing 

 felt at least 30 inches in width ought to be 

 used. With a western aspect they ought 

 to be even wider, in order to avoid all 

 danger from the heavy rains. With the 

 old low walls frames 24 inches wide for 

 the south, 28 inches for the west, and 16 

 inches for the east were found to be quite 

 sufficient. 



Preparation of Sot!, Pruning^ <5rV. It 

 is almost needless to give the preparation 

 of the soil, pruning, &c., these are so 

 simple. Nobody should plant in soil over 

 rich, cold, or wet. The pruning may be 

 performed in the ordinary spur fashion 

 the shoots being trained erect on the 

 walls, much as they are up the roof of a 

 vinery. 



Important Points. The really important 

 points to bear in mind are firstly, the 

 warmer the exposure is, the better for the 

 grape ; secondly, that the walls are white, 

 or nearly so the vines get more heat on 

 such walls than they do on dark ones, and 

 are maintained in better health; and 

 thirdly, that wide and efficient copings 



are used to permit the fruit to thoroughly 

 ripen in autumn, and prevent its being 

 spoiled by heavy rains. It must also be 

 borne in mind that the higher walls are 

 found to possess an advantage over the 

 lower ones. 



Prevention of Oidium. After selecting 

 a proper position and soil, the most im- 

 portant point is the sulphuring, to prevent 

 the oidium, a disease peculiar to vines. 

 Sulphur is the effective cure for this pest, 

 and it should be applied directly after the 

 first pinching of the shoots, at a tempera- 

 ture below 96 Fahr. in the open air. If 

 the heat is too great, the young skin of the 

 grape is liable to become decomposed. In 

 full sunshine at noon the fruit would be 

 burnt up in an hour's time. Sulphuring 

 may be carried on while the dew is falling. 

 There is no fear, in this case, of soiling the 

 grapes. The operation should not be 

 deferred until the oidium has made its 

 appearance. The second sulphuring should 

 be performed when the grapes are about as 

 large as a pea, or even earlier if the oidium 

 has appeared at all. It would be preferable 

 to sulphur while the vines are in flower. 

 The operation is performed with sublimated 

 sulphur, blown upon the vine with a pair 

 of bellows specially contrived for the pur- 

 pose. It may be effectively done without 

 the operator standing an instant in one 

 spot, but passing quickly along the line. 

 In these latitudes heavy rains destroy in 

 part the effect of the sulphur, and it is 

 nearly always necessary to repeat the 

 operation three or four times. If the 

 grapes themselves are attacked, it is on 

 them that the flower of sulphur should be 

 spread. It has been remarked that under 

 sunshine the oidium may be totally de- 

 stroyed in one hour a result that may be 

 attributed to the speedier disengagement 

 of sulphuric acid gas by the heat of the 

 sun. It is even possible to save the produce 

 of a neglected vine, provided that the end? 



