30 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



had no doubt that when the Concord failed it was often caused by 

 planting too thickly and shading the ground. Keeping the roots 

 fully exposed to the sun is most important. He did not think that 

 Mr. Moore's mulching hindered the ripening of the grapes. 



Mr. Moore asked what would be the effect on a plaut of being 

 pot-bound for years. 



The Chairman replied that it would need to be fed more liberally, 

 and that was the reason why Mr. Barnett made his border so rich. 

 If well drained no ill results would follow from depth of border. 



Robert Watt asked whether failures did not arise from close 

 root pruning. He thought they did, and also from not pruning the 

 tops closely enough. He alluded to a grower in Philadelphia, who 

 made a failure in growing grapes on the pot-bound system, and 

 said he agreed with Mr. Moore on this point. He had taken up 

 grape borders made with bones, horn piths, leather, etc., and never 

 found a root that had taken hold of either until the bones were so 

 deca3'ed that they would crumble when rubbed in the hand. 



Mr. Talbot remarked that Mr. Blanchard never laid down his 

 Concord vines. Mr. Eaton always covered his lonas and similar 

 varieties. 



James Cruickshanks said that those who had grown good fruit 

 had found a gain of a fortnight by covering Isabellas. 



Mr. Talbot said that vines should alwaj^s be covered when the 

 wood is not ripened. He thought it possible that the wood might 

 ripen after covering. 



Marshall P. Wilder differed from the last speaker in regard to 

 the ripening of the wood after being laid down. The functions of 

 the plant have ceased when the leaves have fallen, and there can 

 be no further ripening of the wood. As to pot-bound plants, the 

 Chinese will grow one in that condition for fifty years by proper 

 feeding. He was pleased with the sound physiological principles 

 laid down by Mr. Barnett, especially in regard to the exposure of 

 the leaves to the sun. Mr. Barnett showed that the roots had 

 been confined to the bed, where they had received constant nutri- 

 tion. Mr. Wilder thought the two great points were confining the 

 roots to a warm bed, and exposing the leaves to the sun. These 

 principles are so sound that they need not be discussed. There is 

 a difficulty, as Mr, Moore has said, in letting the roots run deep 

 in a cold, wet border. This can only be remedied by thorough 

 drainage, which is the first letter in the alphabet of good culture. 



