Grapes 



( 384) 



Grapes 



fully done, or the eyes damp 'off. As the roots of 

 the young plants reach the sides-of the. pots they 

 are shifted, being potted tii-jnly and given rich soil. 

 A fruiting cane is obtained in two years, but for 

 permanent planting three year old canes are better. 

 Propagation by cuttings is a common method upon 

 the Continent, and is sometimes practised here. 

 Layers root readily, but eyes produce good plants 

 with such certainty that layers are not needed. 

 Budding is occasionally used to produce a new rod 

 low down on a cane, where a natural break cannot 

 be had. Grafting is by the method known as 

 inarching. Its value is to give a weak growing 

 variety, but one whose fruit is of good flavour, a 

 more vigorous root system than its own. Seeds 

 are only employed to raise new varieties. 



Planting. Vines may be planted at any time 

 provided they are growing in pots, but the best 

 time is when the canes are dormant, or approach- 

 ing that stage. Do not bury the roots deeply, but 

 spread them out thinly at their natural level, and 

 work fine soil gently in among them. Four feet 

 apart is a good distance to plant. 



Methods of Training. Two systems only are in 

 vogue the spur, and the extension or long rod. 

 Of these the spur system is the more generally 



Cultural Routine under Glass. A temperature 

 (night,) of 45", rising to rtO-'ii>" by day, is suitable 

 at starting time. This should be raised gradually 

 1 or 2 per week until it is tiO by night when the 

 Vines are in flower. The summer night temperature 

 should not be less than 60 to 65, and 7U for 

 Unseats, with a corresponding rise by day. For 

 early crops the rods should be untied from their 

 fastenings and bent down, to ensure equal breaking 

 into growth up the stem. Syringing should be 

 performed regularly twice a day until the Vines 

 are in leaf, when it may be discontinued. Dis- 

 budding, or the removal of surplus shoots, should 

 be done gradually until only the requisite number 

 of shoots is left. Tying down the shoots to the 

 wires is a delicate operation. Pressure must be 

 put on very gradually, or the overstrained shoot 

 will snap out from the spur, leaving the latter 

 " blind." Shaking the stems at midday is generally 

 sufficient to ensure setting of the berries, but with 

 shy-setting varieties, like Lady Downe's, a rabbit's 

 tail mounted on a Bamboo should be passed lightly 

 over the bunches. Pollen from another variety 

 may be used if desired. Thinning is an operation 

 that needs considerable care. First of all the 

 small berries inside the bunch should be taken out, 



1'liinu: t'unacll ii- LOlupail'l, IittL 



IIlAV TO SET UF GllAl'ES FOU EXHIBITION. 



practised. It consists in spurring back the growth 

 made each season to one or two buds. The main 

 rod is thus a permanency, new laterals being thrown 

 out every year. A young Vine when first planted 

 may be cut back to within three or four eyes of the 

 ground, and one of the resulting shoots taken up to 

 form the rod or cane, the others being rubbed out ; 

 or a shoot maybe selected at the required height 

 from the uncut cane, taken up, and the others 

 rubbed out. The following winter this young rod 

 is cut back to within 5' or O'of its origin, and all 

 laterals are spurred to one bud. The next year the 

 topmost shoot is taken on as leader, to be pruned 

 back the following winter as before, the laterals 

 also being treated as in the first year. This goes 

 on until the limit of space has been reached, when 

 the leader is spurred back closely each year in the 

 same way as the lateral.-!. All laterals should be 

 trained in at right angles to the main stem, except 

 in the case of weakly shoots, which may form, with 

 the main cane, an angle of about 45. Enough 

 shoots should be laid in to cover the space nicely. 

 As a rule, when the spurs are thickly placed, one 

 shoot from a spur is enough, but occasionally two 

 shoots are required. All laterals should be stopped 

 at the second or third joint beyond the bunch, and 

 side shoots from them (sub-laterals) at the first leaf. 

 Under the extension or long roil system young 

 rods are trained in to form the bearing shoots, the 

 old ones being cut out. This treatment is suitable 

 for some varieties, especially Uarbarossa. 



(hen the outer ones should be thinned, until they 

 finally stand about J" to 1" apart. In the case of 

 Muscats whose bunches have distinct "shoulders," 

 these shoulders should be supported with strings 

 tied to wires. Vines in bearing need plenty of 

 water, and liquid manure frequently. Sewage is 

 good, but it should not be strong, or given on hot 

 days, or the foliage will burn. Thomson's Vine 

 manure is a capital chemical fertiliser. Bone meal 

 is also excellent applied at the rate of 3 oz. to the 

 square yard, pricked in with a fork, and watered 

 in. Frequently damp the house down until the 

 Grapes show colour, then discontinue. Ventilate 

 freely at all times, but never so as to cause 

 draughts. Ripen the wood oft thoroughly, by fire 

 heat if necessary, and by plenty of air day and 

 night. Only just keep the frost out of the house 

 during the winter. 



Pot Vines. These are subject to the same 

 general rules as those planted out. Twelve-inch 

 pots are needed, and often a collar to hold supple- 

 mentary top-dressings is required. Pot firmly, and 

 let the soil be rich and good. A Melon pit is a 

 capital forcing house for pot Vines. The brick 

 beds may be filled with fermenting material, and 

 the pots stood on it or plunged to the rims. The 

 runts will then work through the holes in the pots 

 and find sustenance in the decaying matter 

 beneath. 



Culture Outdoors. As a rule, outdoor Vines do 

 not need so much disbudding, and the rods may be 



