CULTURE OF THE GRAPE-VINE UNDER GLASS. 



457 



wall. The vines are planted at a short distance from the wall, and only 

 two branches are allowed to proceed from each main stem. The length of 

 these branches is greater or less, according to the 

 strength of the soil. At Thomery, where the soil is 

 poor, the ordinary length of a main branch is about 

 four feet ; but on the royal grape-wall at Fontainebleau, 

 the branches are from five feet to six feet in length, 

 the soil being richer and more liberally supplied with 

 manure. Fig. 348 represents a portion of a mud- 

 wall, eight feet high, covered with a trellis, on which 

 vines are trained, according to the Thomery system. 

 The fruit is produced on the short lateral shoots, which 

 are shortened in at the winter pruning to two or three 

 buds ; and each shoot produced by a bud is allowed to 

 mature two bunches of fruit. Nothing can be more 

 perfect than this system of pruning and training, as it 

 appears at Thomery ; since it makes certain of cover- 

 ing every part of the wall with wood equally strong, 

 and equally supplied with nutriment from the roots, 

 because every plant has an equal extent of branches, 

 eight feet, supplied from one stock or root. An im- 

 perfect imitation of this mode of training may be seen 

 on the cottages of some villages in Hampshire, particu- 

 larly in Broughton and Stockbridge. (See Scott, in 

 Gard. Mag. for 1842.) On asking the opinion of an 

 eminently scientific English gardener of the Thomery 

 mode of pruning and training the vine, his answer was : 

 " It will not do in this climate and soil. When fol- 

 lowed strictly, the two arms, each four feet in length, 

 do not give sufficient extent ; for the eyes may all break 

 prematurely. In my opinion, the best mode of train- 

 ing vines on a wall, is to lay in all the shoots at an 

 angle of 45, or even with a greater slope, if the 

 rr^^j*^ ,-,_. soil is very rich, or the variety of grape which is grown 



Fig.347. Renewal pruning, IS of Very Vigorous growth.' 

 fifth year, 



SUBSECT. III. Culture of the Grape- Vine under Glass. 



The grapes grown at Oakhill having been long equally celebrated with the 

 pine-apples grown there, we shall adopt Mr. Forsyth's account of the mode of 

 proceeding, first giving a general treatise, and next a diary of a course of 

 culture. 



966. Vine-border. Loamy turf that has been pared quite thin, and 

 stacked in narrow tiers, for one year at least, three parts, and one part of 

 the following mixture: any dry, well aerated animal manure, that can 

 most conveniently be got, such as horse-droppings, or those of cattle, deer, or 

 sheep, without litter, laid in alternate layers with old plaster or old building 

 lime mortar (the older the better) ; no matter if there be a few brickbats in 

 it. Let the whole be well pounded and mixed with the dung, which ought 

 to be in a proper state, as to moisture, to ferment a little ; after which let it 



