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[397 ] 



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must heie be brief, for the mam princi- 

 ples will be found somewhat identical 

 with those connected with in-door culture 

 All superfluous young spray must be 

 thinned away, and the bearing shoots 

 stopped an eye or two beyond the bunch 

 Where, however, there is walling to be 

 filled, the dresser may leave several eyes 

 or buds beyond the bunch. In due time 

 the bunches must be thinned; one to a 

 square foot of wall will, in general, suffice. 

 The berries, too, must be thinned out at 

 the proper period, and a frequent stopping 

 of the lateral shoots practised, never 

 suffering them to shade the principal 

 leaves. Towards the beginning of Sep- 

 tember, all the stopped laterals may be 

 entirely removed, in order to permit a 

 free circulation of air, and allow the 

 sun to heat the wall ; protection, also, 

 must be afforded to the bunches against 

 wasps, flies, &c. 



Greenhouse Culture. Having attended 

 to the character of the soil requisite for 

 the vine, we have little to report on the 

 subject of border-making, which must, 

 however, be at all times considered the 

 most important point in the whole of the 

 proceedings. A more generous soil is 

 necessary for in-door vines, inasmuch as 

 a greater demand exists at times on their 

 vital powers through the powerful effects 

 of solar light beneath glass ; as also 

 owing to a greater amount of dryness at 

 times in the atmosphere. The first point 

 is to elevate the border above the ground 

 level in proportion to the lowness, cold- 

 ness, or dampness of the situation. 

 Thorough drainage we have before pointed 

 to ; it is not possible to drain too much 

 if the soil be of proper texture. As to 

 soil, turfy loam, inclining to sand, should 

 form nearly one-half the volume of soil. 

 To this may be added one quarter part 

 of coarse manure, leaf-mould, &c., rather 

 raw than otherwise ; and the other quarter, 

 part of rubbly and imperishable materials, 

 such as lumpy charcoal, old plaster, and 

 the rubbish of old buildings, coarse bone- 

 manure, <fec. All these well blended, and 

 filled in when dry, will produce a first-rate 

 compost, taking care to place a layer of 

 turf at the bottom. 



Course of Culture. Whatever combina- 

 tion exists as to a greenhouse vinery, 

 whether it be for vines alone or used in 

 conjunction for pot-plants, an uniform 

 system should be pursued as to the vines, 

 both during the growing season and 



the rest period. This system consists in 

 the regular pruning, dressing of the wood, 

 in order to the extirpation of all insects, 

 and the usual vine-dressing during the 

 growing period, the latter being, disbud- 

 ding, stopping, thinning the berry, and 

 training principles applicable to the 

 vine in all its positions. 



Stove Culture. Vines in stoves are 

 generally combined with pine culture, and 

 the excitement by heat is, therefore, at 

 times considerable. In former days it 

 was supposed that vines must be turned 

 outside the house and frozen, in order to 

 restore their energies ; but abundant 

 proofs exist that from 50 to 55 may be 

 submitted to, in extreme cases, during 

 the rest season. Whatever culture is 

 combined with that of the vines, it is 

 best to confine these to the rafters on the 

 spurring system. For early forcing, and 

 where the house is specially devoted to 

 vines, it is another affair : here either the 

 long-rod system or the spurring may be 

 used. We need not repeat advice as to 

 border-making, and the usual routine of 

 disbudding, stopping, thinning the berry, 

 and the frequent pinching of the laterals. 

 One remark may be permitted as to bor- 

 ders ; let them be inside the house if the 

 interior arrangement will permit, and 

 the front wall on arches. When at rest, 

 we would not allow the thermometer to 

 sink below 35. 



Vines in Pots is a mode of culture only 

 to be recommended as an adjunct to late 

 vineries, and where the possessor, not 

 desiring to build a house for early forc- 

 ing, yet desires to have a few early grapes. 

 The plants should be reared from eyes, 

 and receive very high culture ; and at 

 the end of the second summer they 

 should be strong canes, and in high per- 

 fection for forcing. They must receive 

 iberal shifts when they need re-potting, 

 and their shoots be constantly trained in 

 a very light situation. The young plants, 

 at the end of the first season's growth, 

 will require pruning back to two buds, 

 Vom which one may, during their pro- 

 gress, be carefully trained, and the other 

 emoved. When the cane has grown about 

 five feet in length, during the second 

 season, it is well to stop it, in order to 

 strengthen the lower leaves, on the 

 lealthy action of which the future crop 

 depends. The leader, however, which 

 succeeds, may be laid in full length, well 

 exposed to the light; but the laterals 



