VIT 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



V IT 



761 



would recommend, as being much preferable to the other; 

 for the roots of Vines do not grow strong and woody, as in 

 most sorts of trees, but are long, slender, and pliable; there- 

 fore when they are taken out of the ground, they seldom 

 strike out any fibres from their weak roots, which generally 

 shrivel and dry ; so that they rather retard than help the 

 plants in their growth, by preventing the new fibres from 

 pushing out; for which reason rather plant a good cutting 

 than a rooted plant, provided it be well chosen, and there is 

 little danger of its not growing. You should always make 

 choice of such shoots as are strong, and well ripened, of the 

 last year's growth ; these should be cut from the old Vine, 

 just below the place where they were produced, taking a 

 knot or piece of the two-years' wood to each, which should 

 be pruned smooth ; then you should cut off the upper part 

 of the shoots, so as to leave the cutting about sixteen inches 

 Jong. When the piece or knot of old wood is cut at both 

 ends near the young shoot, the cutting will resemble a little 

 mallet. In making the cuttings after this manner, there can 

 be but one taken from each shoot ; whereas most persons cut 

 them into lengths of about a foot, and plant them all, which 

 is very wrong; for the upper part of the shoots is never so well 

 ripened as the lower, which was produced early in the spring, 

 and has had the whole summer to harden, so that if they 

 take root, they never make so good plants; for the wood of 

 those cuttings being spongy and soft, admits the moisture 

 too freely, whereby the plants will be luxuriant in growth, 

 but never so fruitful as such whose wood is closer and more 

 compact. When the cuttings are thus prepared, if they are 

 not then planted, they should be placed with their lower part 

 in the ground in a dry soil, laying some litter upon their 

 upper parts to prevent them from drying: in this situation 

 they may remain till the beginning of April, (which is the 

 best time for planting them,) when you should take them out, 

 and wash them from the filth they have contracted ; and if 

 you find them very dry, you should let them stand with their 

 lower parts in water six or eight hours, which will distend 

 their vessels, and dispose them for taking root. Then the 

 ground being before prepared where the plants are designed 

 to remain, (whether against walls, or for standards, for they 

 should not be removed again,) the cuttings should be planted; 

 but in preparing the ground, you should consider the nature 

 of the soil, which, if strong, and inclinable to wet, is by no 

 means proper for Grapes ; therefore where it so happens, you 

 should open a trench where the cuttings are to be planted, 

 which should be filled with lime rubbish, the better to drain 

 off the moisture ; then raise the border with fresh light earth 

 about two feet thick, so that it may be at least a foot above 

 the level of the ground, then you should open the holes at 

 about six feet distance from each other, putting one good 

 strong cutting into each hole, which should be laid a little 

 sloping, that their tops may incline to the wall, but it must 

 be put in so deep, as that the uppermost eye may be level 

 with the surface of the ground ; for when any part of the 

 cutting is left above ground, as is the common method used 

 by the English gardeners, most of the buds attempt to shoot: 

 so that the strength of the cuttings are divided to nourish so 

 many shoots, which must consequently be weaker than if 

 only one of them grew; whereas, on the contrary, by burying 

 the whole cutting in the ground, the sap is all employed on 

 one single shoot, which consequently will be much stronger; 

 besides, the sun and air are apt to dry that part of the cut- 

 ting which remains above ground, and so often prevents their 

 buds from shooting. Then having placed the cutting into 

 the ground, you should fill up the hole gently, pressing 

 down the earth with your foot close about it, and raise a 



little hill just upon the top of the cutting, to cover the upper 

 eye quite over, which will prevent it from drying ; this being 

 done, there is nothing more necessary, but to keep the 

 ground clear from weeds until the cuttings begin to shoot; 

 at which time you should look over them carefully to rub off 

 any small shoots, if such are produced, fastening only the 

 first main shoot to the wall, which should be constantly 

 trained up, as it is extended in length to prevent its breaking 

 or hanging down; you must continue to look over these once 

 in about three weeks during the summer season, constantly 

 rubbing off all lateral shoots which are produced, leaving 

 only the first main shoot; and be sure to keep the ground 

 constantly clear from weeds, which, if suffered to grow, will 

 exhaust the goodness of the soil, and starve the cuttings. 

 The Michaelmas following, if your cuttings have produced 

 strong shoots, you should prune them down to two eyes, 

 which, though by some people may be thought too short, 

 yet I am satisfied, from several experiments, to be the best 

 method. The reason for advising the pruning Vines at this 

 season, rather than deferring it till the spring, is, because the 

 tender parts of those young shoots, if left on, are subject to 

 decay in winter, for they are apt to grow late in the year, 

 so the tops of their shoots are tender, and the early frosts 

 will pinch them, and then they frequently are killed down to 

 a considerable length, which weakens their roots ; but if they 

 are cut off early in autumn, the wounds will heal over before 

 the bad weather, and thereby the roots will be greatly 

 strengthened. In the spring, after the cold weather is past, 

 you must gently dig up the borders to loosen the earth ; but 

 you must be very careful in doing this, not to injure the roots 

 of your Vines ; you should also raise the earth up to the stems 

 of the plants, so as to cover the old wood, but not so deep 

 as to cover either of the eyes of the last year's wood. After 

 this they will require no farther care until they begin to 

 shoot, when you should look over them carefully, to rub off 

 all weak dangling shoots, leaving no more than one or two 

 shoots, which are produced from the eyes of the last year's 

 wood, which should be fastened to the wall; and from this 

 time, until the Vines have done shooting, you should look 

 them over once in three weeks or a month, to rub off all 

 lateral shoots as they are produced, and to fasten the maiu 

 shoots to the wall as they are extended in length, which 

 must not be shortened before the middle or latter end of July, 

 when it will be proper to nip off their tops, which will 

 strengthen the lower eyes ; and during the summer season, 

 you must constantly keep the ground clear from weeds; nor 

 should you permit any sorts of plants to grow near the Vines, 

 which would not only rob them of nourishment, but shade 

 the lower part of the shoots, and thereby prevent their ripen- 

 ing, which will not only cause their wood to be spongy and 

 luxuriant, but render it less fruitful. As soon as the leaves 

 begin to drop in autumn, you should prune these young 

 Vines again, leaving three buds to each of the shoots, pro- 

 vided they are strong, otherwise it is better to shorten them 

 down to two eyes if they are good ; for it is a very wrong 

 practice to leave much wood upon young Vines, or to leave 

 their shoots too long, which greatly weakens the roots; then 

 you should fasten them to the wall, spreading them out hori- 

 zontally each way, that there may be room to train the new 

 shoots the following summer, and in the spring dig the bor- 

 ders as before. The third season you must go over the Vines 

 again as soon as they begin to shoot, to rub off all danglers, 

 as before, and train the strong shoots in their proper places, 

 which this year may be supposed to be two from each shoot 

 of the last year's wood ; but if they attempt to produce two 

 shoots from one eye, the weakest of them must be rubbed 



