304 Review of Loudon's Gardener^s Magazine. 



the vines when they reached it. The border ought not to be deeper 

 than from two to three feet ; as, if it is more, the roots of the vines 

 will get away from the action of the summer weather, and the good of 

 the manure that may be ])ut on the surface. Instead of having the 

 border almost composed of a stiff clay, as is often the case, I would 

 have it formed of decomposed turf and good black earth, with a suffi- 

 cient quantity of decomposed cow-dung, vegetable mould, and cold 

 [slaked] lime, well mixed by frequently turning it, and which should be 

 allowed to lie for two years if convenient. Having the border filled in 

 and subsided, I would plant the vines in rather poor soil, as the roots 

 will run farther in such soil, the first year, than in a strong rich soil. I 

 would have good strong plants planted close to the wall on the outside, 

 and introduced through holes made in the building, from four to six 

 inches in diameter, projecting upwards towards the inside, and proceed- 

 ing from a few inches above the surface of the border on the outside. 



" I would not plant more than one plant for every two sashes in the 

 house, as the less the roots are interwoven with one another the bettei-; 

 and there is no difficulty in filling any house in this way. I would train 

 up only two shoots the first year, keeping the sashes of the house on all 

 the first season, until all the leaves have fiillen off; at which time I 

 would cut down both shoots to three buds. The second season I would 

 put on the sashes on the first of March, giving plenty of air through 

 the day, and shutting up at night. It will be observed that I have al- 

 lowed three buds to remain on each shoot of last year's growth, which 

 will produce three for every sash this year, which I would train up to 

 their full length. There should be a little fire put on this season, about 

 the latter end of August, at night, or when the nights turn cold ; and 

 this fii-e should be continued until every leaf falls off. The third season 

 I would allow the shoot in the middle of the sash to remain, nearly to 

 the top of the house, cutting down the other two to two buds, or eyes, 

 which will produce two shoots on each side of the fruiting one, and 

 which are to be trained up to their full length. The house may be 

 shut up about the 1st of March, and the fire lighted about the middle 

 of that month, the heat being raised gradually to 75°, at which it may 

 be kept until the fruit is ripe ; when it should be allowed to fall off by 

 degrees, but not entirely discontinued until the whole of the leaves have 

 fallen off. 



" I now come to the winter pruning for the fourth season. It will be 

 observed, that I had one fruiting shoot and four young shoots for every 

 sash last year: the old one I would allow to remain, with spurs of three 

 buds, and one of the young shoots on each side of it, nearly to the top 

 of the house ; the other two I cut down to two buds, which will pro- 

 duce two young shoots on each side of the three fruiting ones, to be 

 trained up to their full length. If the vines have been all along treated 

 as above, they will now be very strong, and will be able to stand forcing 

 nearly a month earlier, if required ; and, also, more heat than when 

 they were younger : indeed, I consider that vines, after they have at- 

 tained to the age of standing forcing, should have much more heat than 

 is commonly given to them. 



" I will now describe my method of winter pruning for the fifth year, 

 which will show how I would continue it. It will be observed that I 

 had three fruiting shoots, and four young ones, for every sash last year; 

 the spurred one I cut away altogether, and spur the two which had 

 only fruited one year, with two of the young shoots, which will leave 

 two for cutting down, to produce four young shoots again. Now it 

 will be seen that I have always two spurred shoots, and two young 

 shoots fruiting, and two to cut down ; which is not only a regular 

 method of pruning, but one which will keep the vines in a far more 



