176 JVest London Gardeyiers' Association. 



them, where a succession is not required, may be placed in a pit on a gentle 

 bottom heat of either leaves or tan, not exceeding 65° ; the atmosphere of the 

 pit not ranging above 60°, syringing when necessary, and watering with deer- 

 dung manure water. When the buds begin to burst, fire heat to be applied 

 by flues, or by what he considers preferable, hot-water pipes. The vines to 

 be stopped one joint above the fruit, removing all laterals, and allowing three 

 bunches to remain for ^ach pot ; the atmosphere should not be allowed to rise 

 higher than 65°, until the grapes begin to expand their bloom, when it may be 

 gradually raised to 70°. When the fruit is set, the berries to be thinned ; 

 when stoning, the temperature of the house to be reduced a little, as much 

 excitement at that particular time will cause them to become stunted ; water 

 to be given sparingly at that period of their growth, but to be applied co- 

 piously when the berries begin to swell. When they begin to change colour, 

 the temperature to be raised to 75°, as heat and light are now the principal 

 agents by which they are brought to the greatest perfection ; heat is the agent 

 by which the aqueous matter contained in the berry is changed to the sac- 

 charine, and colour is communicated to the fruit by the influence of light. It 

 is of the greatest importance to know the sun's declinationj with the latitude 

 in which a gardener is placed, to ascertain the proper angle, at the season the 

 fruit is to ripen, to command the most vertical sun. The sorts recommended 

 for forcing in pots are, Black Hamburg, White Muscadine, Black Prince, 

 White Muscat, and Black Esperione. In conclusion, he objected to the 

 coiling system of growing vines in pots. 



Mr. Caie observed : As light is one of the chief agents of vegetable life, he 

 agreed with Mr. Judd in the great utility of constructing the roofs of hot- 

 houses with such an angle that the sun's rays may fall perpendicularly at the 

 particular time the crop is expected to ripen. — Mr. Keane remarked that 

 vines raised from eyes produced the best plants ; layers, when cut from the 

 parent plant, are deprived of a great portion of sap, the vessels contract, and, 

 consequently, the growth of the plant is much retarded ; cuttings are ob- 

 jectionable for nearly similar reasons. He objected to butcher's garbage, as 

 vines would grow too luxuriant to fruit the first season ; would also, in pruning 

 them, cut down to two buds, and take particular care to force them gently 

 that the buds may break regularly. He observed, when vines were planted 

 outside, and heat applied to the house, they were excited to put forth shoots; 

 the sap was elaborated by the leaves, and when it descended to the roots it 

 was chilled by the cold ; the circulation was retarded until the roots were ex- 

 cited by the influence of the sun, when the sap was propelled through the 

 branches to cause a second growth, which, for want of regularity of tempe- 

 rature, must be injurious to the future crop. He objected to the system 

 adopted by many gardeners of cutting away so much wood at their winter 

 prunings, as he preferred to regulate the tree by nipping off all superabundant 

 wood in the summer. — Mr. Caie also objected to the system of cutting out 

 much wood. In pruning all trees and plants, their habits should be properly 

 understood; a proper equilibrium should be kept up between the roots and the 

 branches. He always saw the best crops of grapes grown upon small short- 

 jointed and well-ripened wood. That the cause of vines pushing out strong, 

 rampant, and unproductive shoots, was to be attributed to improper pruning, 

 through an ignorance of the principle of what the tree is able to bear. — Mr. 

 Judd remarked, in objection to Mr. Keane's observations, that he preferred to 

 cut back and allow four eyes to remain; as there would be a better chance, if 

 it so happened that one or two of them failed to swell. In forcing vineries, 

 he always covered the borders to excite the roots, as the success of the crop 

 most essentially depended upon the proper temperature of the roots. From 

 the regulai'ity of temperature, he never saw a shanked bunch of grapes in 

 the pot culture of the vine. — Mr. Caie agreed with Mr. Judd, that the 

 shanking and shriveling of grapes were prmcipally caused by an unequal 

 temperature, as in late vineries he scarcely' ever saw a shanked bunch of grapes. 

 — Mr. Keane was decidedly opposed to the coiling system of growing vines in 



