GRAPE VINES ON OPEN WALLS. 25 



even three hundred superficial feet. It then contains 

 a vast number of long and useless limbs, on which 

 may be seen scores of excrescences, dignified with 

 the name of spurs, producing in the growing season a 

 superabundance of foliage, but with little fruit, and 

 that of an inferior description, and requiring in its 

 management a tenfold portion of time and trouble, 

 beyond what would be necessary under a proper mode 

 of culture. 



To these characteristics of the usual method of 

 managing a vine, may be added two others; namely, 

 that of suffering the stem and principal branches to 

 be covered with several years' accumulation of decay- 

 ed layers of bark, and of continually digging the bor- 

 der in which the roots run, and cropping it with 

 vegetables, even close up to the very stem. 



This brief description of the method of cultivating 

 vines on open walls, will apply, I believe, to ninety- 

 nine out of every hundred throughout the country. 

 And it may be remarked of it, that during the very 

 first year of the plant having been suffered premature- 

 ly to ripen fruit, and throughout every successive 

 year afterwards, not a single point of culture has 

 been practised, but what may be described as most 

 erroneous. Every step taken has been apparently 

 for the purpose of rearing a superstructure of old bar- 

 ren wood, rather than the production of abundant 

 crops of fine flavored fruit. 



Can it be a matter of surprise, therefore, that under 

 such a mode of culture, grapes grown on open walls, 

 do not, in general, attain to a higher degree of per- 

 fection 7 



