GRA 



[ 44Q ] 



GRA 



and stock, which are to be fitted, and 

 then to bind them carefully together 

 close, but not too tight just as in or- 

 dinary grafting. A little moss may be 

 fastened round the point of junction, 

 and this frequently moistened. In- 

 arching of the growing shoot is, how- 

 ever, the best practice, but it is an ope- 

 ration that requires nice handling. The 

 shoot of the stock is best at about the 

 middle of its annual growth, when it 

 has begun to acquire some solidity and 

 toughness. The scion may be some- 

 what younger, and everything being 

 adjusted, a section must be made in 

 each, as before, cutting through the 

 bark and a little into the alburnous 

 matter, and fitting them nicely toge- 

 ther. It may be observed, that the 

 ligature must not be so tight as in the 

 old wood. The whole may be covered 

 with moss, and in six weeks the junc- 

 tion will be complete. In the mean- 

 time a progressive stopping of the spray 

 on the stock must take place, in order, 

 by degrees, to transfer a portion of the 

 luxuriance of the stock to the scion. 

 When the pruning season arrives, the 

 stock may be cut back in part or wholly. 

 Thus a vinery possessing inferior kinds 

 may be renovated in a very short pe- 

 riod. 



Seed. Perfectly ripe grapes of the 

 kinds intended to be propagated from, 

 should be pressed, the seeds washed 

 and thoroughly dried, and then secured 

 like other seeds until the following 

 February. They may then be sown in 

 well-drained pots, in a light, rich soil, 

 rather sandy, and plunged in a bottom 

 heat of from 70 to 80. In about a 

 month they will vegetate; the seed- 

 lings may be potted off, and hencefor- 

 ward reared as plants from eyes, con- 

 tinuing bottom warmth until Midsum- 

 mer, and training the shoot (unstopped) 

 fully to the light in a warm situation. 

 They may in the autumn be cut back 

 to two or three eyes, and grown through 

 the following summer as before ; again 

 pruning back in the autumn. In about 

 four years they will fruit on their own 

 roots; but, perhaps, a year will be 

 gained by inarching them near the ex- 

 tremity of a sound and fruitful old vine. 



Wall Culture. The first essential is 



a mellow and thoroughly drained soil. 

 An ordinary sandy loam is the best 

 staple, but almost any ordinary garden 

 soil will suit, if it is capable of receiving 

 and transmitting moisture with facility. 

 Vine roots will descend to a considerable 

 depth if the soil be mellow, but we 

 would rather grant them extra width, 

 especially if the situation is not par- 

 ticularly favourable. Whether bor- 

 ders, or, what are much more econo- 

 mical stations, are made, we would 

 first thoroughly drain the site, and 

 then place some imperishable ma- 

 terial, as stone, brick, or clinkers 

 rammed close beneath them, leaving 

 only half a yard of soil in depth, 

 unless the roots are securely limited in 

 width. This done, the natural soil 

 must be examined with practical accu- 

 racy, and accordingly, as sand or clay 

 predominates, so must be the amount 

 and character of the correcting mate- 

 rial. If destitute of organic matter, or 

 turfy fibre, something must be intro- 

 duced to enrich it, such as fresh manure, 

 and abundance of rotten weeds, leaves, 

 &c., indeed, anything of a decaying 

 vegetable kind; remembering that a 

 good portion must be such as will endure 

 long, and slowly give out its enriching 

 qualities. Some coarse bone manure, 

 and rubbly charcoal, will be a capital 

 addition ; and a good deal of charcoal 

 rubbish or brush wood. If the situa- 

 tion is cool and damp, place half the 

 volume of this material above the ordi- 

 nary ground level. 



Planting. The end of March is the 

 most eligible time ; and strong plants 

 being at hand, if in pots, let the soil be 

 carefully shaken away, and every root be 

 carefully uncoiled, and spread out, like 

 a tree fan-trained, and place a little 

 superior compost about the roots, 

 covering the surface with three inches 

 of coarse charred material. This will 

 absorb a great amount of heat from the 

 sun, and admit water freely when ne- 

 cessary. As the plants grow, they must 

 be carefully trained, and no stopping 

 practised the first season. In the 

 autumn, however, they must be pruned 

 back to three or four eyes ; and in the 

 next season the shoots from these eyes 

 must be trained to the desired form, 



