602 Horticultural Register. 



of the globe," and adding that no pains or exertions will be spared to 

 render the work of general acceptation, the sixth page commences with 



Parti. Horticulture. Original Communications. Art. 1. Description of a 

 House for forcing Vines in Pots. By Mr. Stafford, Gardener to Richard 

 Arkwright, Esq., of Willersley Castle, near Cromford, Derbyshire. The 

 vines are proposed to be grown in pots, placed on a sloping stage over a pit 

 or air-chamber, heated by flues. In the front of the house it is intended 

 to have vines to supply the rafters when the plants in pots have ripened 

 their fruit, and may De removed. These vines are kept torpid till May, 

 by excluding them from the air of the house by a 4-in. wall about 1 ft. 

 within the front wall, and a covering of boards sloping from the former to 

 the latter. The space so enclosed communicates with the open air by 

 apertures in the front wall ; and thus the temperature will be kept suffi- 

 ciently low to prevent the vines from breaking till the desired season. " In 

 respect to the treatment of the plants [in pots], I never throw them out on 

 account of old age, I always renovate them [see below], and have plants 

 ten years of age as perfectly young, to all appearance, as though they were 

 raised last year in the pot. The size of the pots I grow them in is 13 in. 

 wide at the top (inside measure), tapering to about half the width at the 

 bottom, and about 15 in. deep. The soil I make use of is light rich 

 vegetable mould. 



" The sorts I would recommend are those naturally prolific, and not the 

 large-bunch-bearing kinds. All the most delicate sorts are superior 

 when grown in pots to any I ever saw grown on the rafters ; and I have 

 often proved that a pot placed in the house on the 1st of January, and the 

 same species trained up the rafter and subjected to the same heat, the 

 former will ripen its fruit at least a month earlier than the latter. 



" After the vines in the pots have done bearing, the pit might be filled 

 with bark, and pine plants plunged in it, which might be allowed to remain 

 until the vines were again brought in ; this should be some time before the 

 rafters are cleared of fruit." 



In a note by the conductors, it is observed, that " if a vinery was built 

 on this plan, and well managed, there is little doubt but it would produce 

 sufficient grapes for a small family nearly the whole of the year. For 

 instance, suppose the first plants in pots were put in on the 1st of December, 

 these grapes would be ripe about the end of April or beginning of May ; a 

 quantity more might be introduced on the 1st of February, to ripen about 

 the latter end of June ; the half of those on the rafter should then be put 

 in action about the beginning of April ; these would ripen in August ; and 

 the other half of the rafter crop could be introduced by the middle of May, 

 which would ripen in October ; and in August more pots might be brought 

 in, to ripen in January ; thus giving a complete succession of grapes all the 

 year round." 



It is added : — " Mr. Stafford is a practical gardener of the first order, 

 and one of the best grape-growers we are acquainted with ; he furnishes 

 Mr. Arkwright's table with grapes nearly all the year round, and that in 

 superabundance. His plan of treating them in pots is deserving the 

 attention of every person who has a hot-house, or is likely to erect one : 

 for it is an astonishing fact, that he can produce nearly as great a weight of 

 fruit as the weight of the soil in which the plant grows ; this has repeatedly 

 come under our observation ; we can therefore speak of the surprising 

 crops he produces in this way, equally as well swelled, and much better 

 flavoured than when trained up the rafters." 



" The means he uses to prevent his plants ever becoming old and useless, 

 is well deserving notice : — He puts the plant deeper m the pot every suc- 

 ceeding year ; thus allowing the wood that was above the pot the preceding 

 year the opportunity of making new roots, which it does in abundance. 

 At his next time of potting, he takes from the bottom about the same pro- 



