THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 85 



PLANTING THE VINES. 



In planting, which is the next operation, open a hole suffi- 

 ciently wide to admit of the roots being spread out to their 

 entire length ; care must he taken to spread out all the roots 

 separately, without injury to the small ones, and do not let 

 them overlay or interfere with each other ; make the soil fine, 

 and cover them with an inch or two of it ; with a rose water- 

 ing-pot, settle the soil and roots, by giving them a thorough 

 watering ; finish covering, and do not water them again.* 

 They should be planted about three inches under the surface, 

 and three feet apart ; if the border is only twelve feet wide, 

 five feet is near enough. If the house has been built on 

 posts, as directed, let the head of the vine, after planting, be 

 three inches from the front, on the inside, — the roots being 

 on the outside. If the vines are planted in the fall, they 

 should be cut back to three eyes immediately ; but, if planted 

 in the spring, they must be allowed to grow until the shoots 

 are one inch long, when rub off all but the three lower shoots. f 



* I recommend the planting of vines for tiie crop of fruit on the back wall as being 

 the most likely to give satisfaction ; for, although they do not give as large crops as 

 the rafter vines, yet they yield better fruit than the peach ; the fig does well thus sit- 

 uated. When the house is strongly and early forced, peaches and cherries do not 

 succeed ; the fruit of the latter, if it was sure, would be desirable, but it requires 

 more air in setting than is good for the grapes. 



" Vines do better with their roots inside the house than outside, if well managed, 

 and nothing placed on the soil in which they grow." — Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 080, 

 Oct. 1846. 



I am willing to admit, that vines do as well, thus planted, when, as it is said, they 

 are " well managed," but they require more care in watering, etc. I am not willing 

 to allow that they do better, and never would advise the rafter vines to be thus 

 placed, miless they cmi roam at pleasure in the open border ; when the vines are 

 planted on the inside, the roots will grow with rapidity, and push as straight as pos- 

 sible for the border outside of the house, thus proving that they prefer to be under 

 the influence of the full effects of the sun, air, and rain upon the soil. 



Do not shake the vine after planting, as sometimes advised 5 it CcUi do no good, 

 and will probably break some of the rootlets. 



t If the border is in a suitable condition, the vines do equally well when planted 

 at any time after the fall of the leaf If they are in pots, I know of no reason why 

 they may not be planted at any season of the year. 



