132 



Cross-heads, 27 inches long, made of split wood 2 inches x 

 4 inches, are bolted on at the top of the posts. Lower cross-heads, 

 a little shorter, about 24 inches long, may also be bolted at a lower 

 level say, 18 inches from the ground. Three wires for each tier 

 are used, the middle one slightly lower than the outer ones. The 

 end posts are well strutted ; No. 8 is used for the central wire and 

 No. 10 for the outer wires. 



The currant vines are trained alternately on the top and bottom 

 tier, and thus more room is afforded for their development. The 

 vines may either be trained right and left T fashion, or with one 

 single bent arm like an inverted L. The main arm is trained up 

 along the middle wire (3), the long rods (a) being tied alternately 

 to the outer wires, any buds beyond the wire being cut off. The 

 short rods (b) usually bear as much fruit as the long rods. 



COST OF STAKING AND TEELLISING. 



The cost of trellising currant vines according to thej above 

 method, recommended by Mr. Thomas Hardy, if done in a substantial 

 manner, says that gentleman, is in any case a heavy one, and to do 

 it in any other way is false economy. The figures given below 

 would vary somewhat with the cost of posts and of wire. 



For one acre of vines it will take : 



s. d. 



118 posts at 6d. each 2 19 



11 straining posts at Is. .... ... ... 11 



11 struts at 6d 056 



123 crossheads at 10s. per 100 012 3 



5cwt. of wire at 10s. .... 2 12 6 



301bs. bolts at 3d 076 



Labour erecting- .. ... ... ... 3 1 6 



If two tiers, extra ... ... ... 4 10 6 



<14 19 3 



STAKING AND TRELLISING VINES. 



A great many vine-growers are deterred from staking or 

 trellising their vineyards on account of the somewhat heavy expendi- 

 ture of money it entails. Instead, therefore, of pruning such vines 

 long, as require long pruning, they spur prune them, with the result 

 that the crop the vineyard is capable of producing is, in a great 

 many instances, shortened by one-third or even more. 



