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Art. XII. On the Cultivation of Vines in the open Air in 

 Great Britain. By R. A. Salisbury, Esq., F.R.S., L.S., 

 H.S., &c. 



Many years ago, the writer of this paper had an extensive 

 range of glass-houses, built chiefly for the cultivation of exotic 

 trees and plants, half of which being removed into the open air 

 for seven months, the rafters were devoted to training vines 

 along them ; and the climate being cold and soil unfavourable, 

 namely, one of the more barren districts of Yorkshire, some of 

 the grapes never ripened well, no artificial heat being given, as 

 a far more abundant supply than was wanted, ripened in 

 his other frames and hothouses. A very large brick build- 

 ing adjoining this range of glass was covered entirely with a 

 single vine of the miller's grape, and as it was ornamental to 

 the building, it was pruned and trained yearly, at no trifling 

 expence, though it very seldom ripened twenty bunches out of 

 from 1000 to 2000, which it annually bore. 



A Scotch nobleman, who often visited the place, one autumn 

 made the following remark, and, I believe, nearly in the fol- 

 lowing words : — " When 1 was a young lad, I remember 

 eating ripe grapes from a vine in the open air near Stirling 

 Castle, which was brought to ripen half its crop in most sum- 

 mers, and a whole crop in warmer summers, by the following 

 treatment : — On the 20th of September prune the vine as 

 you would in the month of December, taking off all the leaves 

 and grapes, ripe or unripe, and shortening all the branches to 

 1, 2, or 3 eyes at most. The following spring it will push 

 its buds a few days before any neighbouring vines pruned in 

 winter. Train it as carefully all summer as if you was cer- 

 tain it would ripen its crop of fruit. Pursue the same system 

 annually, pruning the tree always between the 20th and 30th 

 of September, and in the course of seven years, you will be 

 rewarded for your patience and expence, with half a ripe crop 

 in most summers, and a whole ripe crop in warm summers." 



This mode of treatment was immediately begun in his lord- 

 ship's presence, and five years afterwards some excellent wine 

 was made from the grapes. 



The only remarks I have to add to your intelligent readers, 

 are 



1st, That sage prince of gardeners, as Linne called him, 

 Philip Miller, informs us, that if the vineyards in the north of 

 France are neglected, it takes seven years' careful pruning and 

 proper treatment to make them ripen their crops of fruit. 



2dly, The experienced president of the Horticultural So- 

 ciety has found that all vegetables, which require to be left 

 in a state of inactivity during winter, vegetate sooner in spring, 



