1034 



Gardening for Amateurs 



each of the side shoots or laterals, most of 

 which will have produced fruit the previous 

 summer. Two shoots will grow, and the one 

 that bears a bunch, or, if neither shows fruit, 

 the stronger one, is left and the other is 

 rubbed off when 1 or 2 inches long. This 

 in turn is cut back the following December, 

 and so gradually, as the Vines age, a series of 

 gnarled, knotted stumps, known as spurs, are 

 formed. The amateur rarely prunes his 

 Vines sufficiently hard, with the result that 

 the shoots become weak and thin and cover 

 the trellis with useless growth. 



It is not necessary to restrict the Vine to a 

 single stem. Two, three or four stems may be 

 trained up from one root, if thought necessary, 

 simply by allowing the required number of 

 shoots to extend in the spring following 

 planting. The directions as to temperature, 

 ventilation, watering, etc., already given, 

 should be followed each season as the Vine 

 starts growing, so there is no need to repeat 

 them. A few special items, however, call 

 for mention. 



Vines in Flower. If the Vines are started 

 into growth at the end of February / they will 

 be in flower late in April or early May, and 

 during the period of flowering, which lasts 

 two or three weeks, the temperature ought, 

 if possible, to be a few degrees higher than 

 usual. This extra warmth, together with a 

 drier atmosphere, aids the dispersal of the 

 pollen and assists the Grapes to " set." This 

 may be helped further by tapping the vines, 

 so as to cause a movement of the pollen and 

 bring it in contact with the stigma. 



Such varieties as Black Hambro', Foster's 

 Seedling, Buckland Sweetwater, Madresfield 

 Court, and Alicante usually " set " their 

 fruit freely, but some varieties are " bad 

 setters," for instance, Muscat of Alexandria, 

 Muscat Hambro', Canon Hall Muscat and 

 Alnwick Seedling. It is best to fertilise 

 these by hand, using a soft brush to transfer 

 the pollen to the stigma. It is better to use 

 the pollen of a free-setting variety, if possible, 

 and none is better than Black Hambro'. 



Grape Thinning. It is surprising how soon 

 the berries begin to swell after the fruits are 

 " set " or formed. When they are as large 

 as peas it is time to begin the process of 

 thinning. A pair of Grape scissors, having 

 long pointed blades, and a thin forked stick 



are required : the latter is to hold the stem 

 of the bunch, to keep it steady, while the 

 scissors are used. The berries ought not to 

 be touched by the hand or head, or they will 

 be blemished. The first thing is to cut out 

 the smallest berries and those right inside the 

 bunch. One generally finds that the berries 

 are in threes on tiny branches, and it is safe at 

 the first thinning to cut off two of these after 

 the seedless ones have been removed. In 

 three weeks the bunches ought again to be 

 looked over, cutting out a few berries here 

 and there where they are likely to be con- 

 gested when the bunches are full grown. 

 Some varieties of Grapes (like Gros Colmar) 

 have bigger berries than others, and the 

 final thinning needs to be rather more severe 

 than in the case of a Grape having smaller 

 berries, such as Black Hambro'. 



Stoning takes place when the berries are 

 about half-grown. Indications that this 

 process (the formation of the seeds) is going 

 on are found in the fact that for about three 

 weeks the berries seem to be at a standstill, 

 no apparent increase in size taking place. 

 At the end of this time, rapid swelling takes 

 place and continues until full size is attained 

 and colouring commences. During the pro- 

 cess of stoning the temperature of the vinery 

 should be kept a few degrees cooler, and a 

 little air left on the vinery all night. When 

 the berries begin to change colour a little 

 extra warmth is desirable, and this is where 

 the heated vinery has the advantage. By 

 keeping the pipes warm it is possible to admit 

 more air both by day and night without 

 lowering the temperature, and this helps the 

 berries to colour and ripen. Take care that 

 at this time the border is not allowed to 

 get dry. 



Early Grapes, those which are, under 

 ordinary treatment, ripe in August and 

 September, may be kept in good condition 

 on the Vines for some weeks if the atmosphere 

 is fairly dry and airy. In cold, damp 

 weather it is necessary to have some warmth 

 in the hot-water pipes. 



VARIETIES. There are numerous varieties 

 of Grapes, many of which are of no interest 

 to the amateur. The following is a selection 

 of the best : Alicante, a late, heavy-cropping 

 black variety, one of the easiest Grapes to 

 grow, the flavour, for a late Grape, is good ; 



