140 OPEN AIR GKAPE CULTURE. 



vineyards and gardens in the northern States where 

 our native vines are cultivated is substantially the 

 system explained by Hoare. The system pursued in 

 Ohio and in many European vineyards, is also a 

 modification of the long-rod system, but as we pro- 

 pose to give a full account of Ohio vine culture 

 amongst our examples of American vineyard prac- 

 tice, we need not dwell upon it here. 



The foUowino; are a few of the most eleo^ible modi- 

 fications which have been proposed : 



Mr. John Mearns, in the Horticultural Transactions, 

 (vol. iv.) describes a system which is not only well 

 adapted to the hot-house culture of the vine, but is 

 one of the best with which we are acquainted where 

 it is desired to fruit quickly, a great variety of grape 

 vines in a small place. This method is as follows : 



" My method of managing vines is in some respects 

 different from any other with which I am acquainted ; 

 by it I have never failed, for the last eleven years, to 

 obtain invariably the same luxuriant crops, although 

 I have never allowed above one-third of the bunches 

 which showed themselves to remain on the vine ; and 

 each succeeding crop has been as uniform as if the 

 branches had been placed, artificially, over the whole 

 roof. I have no doubt bat, under the same treat 

 ment, the vines will continue to be equally produc- 

 tive for any length of time. The shoots are so vigor- 



