CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE VINE 

 ON OPEN WALLS. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTROD U CTION. 



The Grape Vine, VITIS VINIFERI. Class and order, PENTANDRIA. Mono* 

 GYNIA of Linnaeus. 



"THE Grape Vine is a trailing, deciduous, hardy 

 shrub, with a twisted irregular stem, and long flexible 

 branches, decumbent, like those of the bramble, or sup- 

 porting themselves, when near other trees, by means of 

 tendrils, like the pea. The leaves are large, lobed, en- 

 tire, or serrated and downy, or smooth ; green in sum- 

 mer, but when mature, those of varieties in which the 

 predominating colour is red, constantly change to or are 

 tinged with some shade of that colour ; and those of 

 white, green, or yellow grapes, as constantly change 

 to a yellow, and are never in the least tinged either 

 with purple, red, or scarlet. The breadth of the leaves 

 varies from five to seven or ten inches, and the length 

 of the foot-stalks from four to eight inches. The 

 flowers are produced on the shoots of the same year, 

 which shoots generally proceed from those of the year 

 preceding ; they are in the form of a raceme, of a 

 greenish-white colour, and fragrant odour, appearing in 



