West Londoji Gardeners^ Association. 1^5 



blanching of which are evidently carried to' the highest perfection by our gar- 

 deners. 



Several extra articles were produced at this meeting, for which the thanks 

 of the Society were voted ; in particular, a fine cluster of the Dacca plantain, 

 produced at the Royal Botanic Garden, under the management of Mr, William 

 M'Nab J a small but very pretty seedling apple, raised by Mr. Archibald 

 Gorrie, and to be called Annat Scarlet; a seedling camellia, with flowers of 

 a large size, raised by Mr. John Christie, gardener to Miss Gilchrist, Sunny- 

 side, &c. — F. N. Edinburgh, Dec. 1839. 



Art. III. The West London Gardeners' Association for mutual 



Instruction. 



October 28. 1839. — This evening, Mr. Judd read his paper " On the 

 Culture of Vijies in Pots." At the autumn pruning of vines in houses, shoots of 

 well-ripened wood, perfectly firm, with prominent buds, to be selected, and 

 placed in large pots of sand, protected from the frost until the month of 

 February, when the eyes are to be cut out, with a small portion of the wood, 

 in the same way as the rose, before taking the wood from the bark, and in- 

 serted separately into 60-sized pots, for the purpose of making plants to fruit 

 the following year. The reason of placing each singly in a 60-sized pot is, to 

 prevent any check from shifting them from one pot to another. As good 

 fruit depends much upon the perfecting of the wood, it is of the utmost im- 

 portance that the growth be not retarded, which must be the case if more than 

 one eye is placed in each pot; being divided when shifted, the roots are likely 

 to be broken, and their growth much retarded until new spongelets are pro- 

 duced. When the eyes are potted off" and well watered, they are to be placed 

 in a frame on dung heat with a temperature varying from 65° to 70° Fahr. ; 

 kept close until they begin to push through the soil, when air is to be ad- 

 mitted by degrees, watering the roots and overhead when necessary, until the 

 pots are filled with roots ; then potted into larger-sized pots to keep them 

 growing, and on no account to stop the leading shoot; being so luxuriant they 

 will burst some of the main eyes which are to produce fruit the following 

 season. All laterals and tendrils to be removed as soon as they appear. 

 The plants the next time of shifting, which is to be done before the roots are 

 allowed to get matted, should be removed to a vinery or stove with a tempe- 

 rature of 70° or 75°; trained up the trellis under the lights, or on the back 

 wall, there to remain until the wood is perfectly matured ; air being gradually 

 admitted, to prepare them for their next situation. It is the practice with 

 many gardeners to place their vines in the open air, or to take the lights off 

 their houses to mature the wood ; but he would always prefer to admit air 

 during the day, apply a little fire heat, and close up with a dry atmosphere at 

 night. The plants should be placed in a favourable situation in the open air, 

 where they would not receive too much wet ; it is best to elevate the pots on 

 boards or bricks, and fill up the interstices between and over the tops of the 

 pots to the height of 6 in., that the roots may receive no injury from frost, 

 and where they are to remain until wanted for forcing. The compost for 

 striking the eyes to consist of two thirds rich gritty pasturage loam to one 

 third well pulverised old tan. The compost for growing and fruiting the 

 plants to consist of two thirds loam, and one third well decomposed butcher's 

 garbage, with a small portion of old tan. The pots in which they are to 

 produce fruit to be the twelfth or eighth size ; the last shifting to be performed 

 in September. The plants will require no shifting when placed in the house 

 to force J if shifted when forcing is commenced, they will produce a super- 

 abundance of wood, which would be injurious to the quality of the fruit. 

 About the end of December, or beginning of January, he prunes his vines, 

 leaving only three or four eyes to produce fruit : a portion, or the whole of 



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