V I T 



V I T 



togotlier till it is uniformly mixed. Where 

 sandy loam cannot he liatl, common sand may 

 hf used ; and the niouid of rotten sticks or 

 nld woods, or from hollow trees, may be sub- 

 stituted for the decayed leaves. 



" When the border has been prepared, if the 

 weather permit, the vines may be planted at the 

 end of February or the begitming of March, in 

 the front of the hot-house or stove ; having first 

 taken the precaution to put a little moss round 

 the upper part of each stem, with two or three 

 lolils of paper over it, tied with bass matting, 

 to prevent the eyes from beinti injured in putting 

 the plants through the holes in the wall. A 

 hole two feet over, and one foot deep, should 

 he made opposite to each rafter and close to the 

 front wall, making the mould taken out of the 

 holes fine, and acldinir a little of the compost. 

 'I'lien turn the plant carefully out of its pot, and 

 put the upper part through the hole. If the 

 shoot just reach the bottom of the rafter, w hen 

 pldnle.i, it is sufficient; but as the eartlimay set- 

 tle a little, it is better to allow two or three 

 niches more. In closing the mould to the plant 

 care should be taken to preserve the roots, their 

 fibres being exceedingly brittle. Lay a thin coat 

 of rotten dung over the mould, and give the 

 plant a gentle watering ; then take oft' the band* 

 age, and fasten the top of the shoot to the raf- 

 ter. Only one shoot should remain on each 

 plant. Two may he left for a time; but when 

 one is secure, the other must be taken off, but 

 not close to the old wood, as that would occa- 

 sion it to bleed, and greatly injure it." 



It is observed that "from the timethevines be- 

 gin to grow, they will require constant watering, 

 especially in dry weather, and before the roots 

 have penetrated sufficiently deep into the border 

 or earth in which they are planted. It is the 

 common practice, in these cases, to train a shoot 

 up to each rafter ; and if the rafters be not a suf- 

 ficient depth to keep the leaves of the vines from 

 touching the glass, to have iron pins of about 

 nine inches in length, fixed at proper distances 

 under each rafter; which should have a small 

 hole or eye at the bottom, through which a small 

 iron rod or strong wire should be thrust, for the 

 support of the branch, which pins or wires 

 should be painted." 



Mr. Forsyth, however, remarks that when 

 vines are trained straight up the rafters in this 

 manner, they only throw out a few eyes at the lop, 

 the rest of the branch being naked ; he therefore 

 advises the serjientine method as nmch preferable. 



The plants often show fruit at one year old, 

 but it should not be suffered to stand, except a 

 single bunch, to ascertain the sort. In the 

 sunmier season the shoots should be constantly 



trained, keeping them regularly fastened to the 

 ralters ; divesting them of their wires and lateral 

 slioots ; and guarding them well against the red 

 spider and other insects. 



The vines may in general be suffered to run 

 two-thirds of the length of the rafters before 

 they are stopped ; and those which grow re- 

 markably strong, the whole length. When these 

 shoots are stopped, which is done by pinching 

 off their tops, they will, in general, push out 

 laterals, at three or four eyes on the upper part 

 of the shoot, which should be allowed to grow 

 twelve or fourteen inches before their tops are 

 })inched off; when these in their turn will push 

 out other laterals, which should be pinched oft' 

 at the second or third joint; and thus the sap 

 may be diverted till the end of the season. 



When the leaves begin to fall is the best sea- 

 son for pruning. In the first season, supposing 

 the vines to have grown with equal vigour, the 

 shoots may be pruned alternately to three, four, 

 or five eyes, or about twenty feet; but when 

 they have grown moderately strong, the shoots 

 should be pruned down to about eleven feet ; as 

 by this alternate pruning the former shoots will 

 make fine wood for the succeeding season, and 

 the latter will produce a crop of fruit j after 

 which, these fruit-bearing shoots must all be 

 cut down nearly to the bottom of the rafters. 

 But when any of the plants appear weak, and 

 have not made shoots more than eight, ten, or 

 twelve feet long, it will be proper to prune every 

 shoot down to two, three, or four eyes. In 

 performing the work the shoots should be taken 

 off with a clean sloping stroke, about half an 

 inch above the eye, making choice of a bold eye 

 to terminate the shoot, and fastening it to the 

 rafter in a complete manner. 



The vines in pine-stoves begin to make weak 

 shoots early in January ; the house being then 

 kept warm on account of early crops raised in 

 most hot-houses. But when it is kejjt to a pro- 

 per degree of heat fer pines during the winter 

 months, they seldom begin to push till about 

 the middle of February. It is usual for them to 

 push only towards the ends of the shoots, the 

 other eyes remaining in a dormant state, and 

 causing a long space of naked wood ; but to make 

 them push more generally, as soon as the sap is 

 in motion, the house should be kept for a short 

 time a few degrees warmer than usual. In the 

 morning the thermometer should be 5° or 6° 

 above temperate, and in the day-time the house 

 be kept as warm as the weather will permit. It 

 will also be necessary to guard the stem of the 

 vine on the outside against frost; for one severe 

 night would greatly injure, if not totally destroy, 

 the hopes of a crop. Thii may be done by 



