Qiieries and Answers. 47 



to disparage those of the gentlemen before-mentioned, and must regret that the 

 subject has not been taken up by an abler hand than mine, and one more 

 accustomed to the pruning-knife than — Robert Wilson, Gardener. Norton, 

 Stockton on Tees, Nov. 16, 1840. 



Art. VI. Queries and Anstvers. 



Propagating the Mistletoe. — Will any of your readers, who has had 

 some experience in propagating the mistletoe, favour me with a notice respect- 

 ing the best method of raising plants of that parasite, stating upon what kind 

 of trees they will best flourish ? — An Amateur Gardener and Constant Reader 

 of the Magazine. Ashton-under-Line, Dec. 2. 1840. 



Shanking of Grapes. — Having seen in j'our Magazine for 1840, p. 598., the 

 question again broached, "What is the cause of the shanking of grapes," and 

 that after all that has been said and written on the subject, the cause is still 

 left undecided, I take up my pen to offer a few remarks. The paper that 

 Mr. Fish read at the West London Gardeners' Association gave no system 

 that ought to be pursued, by which the disease should be prevented from 

 showing itself. There is not the shadow of a doubt, in my opinion, that too 

 many branches on a vine will cause shanking and shrivehng. This is easily 

 remedied by reducing the number of branches to the strength of the vine ; but 

 how often do we see that, after this has been done, the evil still exists ? The 

 varieties of Constantias, Frontignans, and Muscats are more liable to the 

 disease than others, notwithstanding all the care that can be bestowed as 

 regards ventilation and keeping the border in a porous state. Some years 

 ago I used to be sadly plagued with shanking, but now I have seldom a bunch 

 that is affected by it. What first led me to prevent the disease was this : 

 I never observed a bunch that was produced from a spur, and that had been 

 neglected by not thinning out the berries, to shank. By following up this 

 observation, I concluded that cutting out the berrries before they were stoned 

 caused fermentation, and ultimately death to the parts affected : but if I left 

 the thinning process till the cambium began to descend, that this acetic 

 fermentation would not take place; and as the cambium does not begin to 

 descend till the berries are stoned, I considered this would be the most proper 

 time to thin the berries. Having a house here that is entirely planted with 

 the varieties of Frontignans and Constantias, I determined to try the system 

 that I had laid down to myself on the whole house. It succeeded, and has 

 done so ever since. I never take a berry from out of a bunch of grapes till 

 after the berries are stoned, and then only a few at a time, going over the 

 house frequently, and always taking care to leave a sufficient quantity of berries, 

 that when the bunch is ripe the berries may be closely wedged together, and the 

 bunch quite stiff. Grapes that are produced on long rods are at all times 

 more hable to shank off than bunches that are produced from spurs, which is 

 owing to the loose habit of the bunches, and is still increased by injudicious 

 thinning. In short, I never saw a bunch shank that the scissors had been kept 

 from. 1 hope some of my brother-gardeners will try this system, and very 

 seldom will their grapes be disfigured by shanking, — Cotsiuold, near Stroud, 

 Nov. 16. 1840. 



If our correspondent will favour us with his address, we shall be much 

 obliged. — Cond. 



Shanking and premature Shriveling of Grapes. — Want of food appears to me 

 to be the sole cause of the shanking and premature shriveling of grapes, 

 about which so many conflicting opinions have been advanced in this Magazine. 

 This deficiency of nutriment might arise from various causes, but, undoubtedly, 

 the principal one is a bad border ; under which head I include not only poor 

 hungry soils that are incapable of supporting a plant in vigour, but those deffep 

 and narrow pits of rich earth in which vines are generally planted, and even 

 borders of proper dimensions, if the subsoil is wet and the drainage imperfect. 



