March 9, 1S71. 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



175 



at the rate of half a hundredweight to the cartload, some char- 

 coal, including wood ashes, and one cartload of old lime rubbish, 

 and the same proportion of leaves, not too far decayed, to 

 every ten cartloads of soil. This, then, is the soil in which 

 my Vines grow. Oar soil being light, I made my border under 

 the general ground level rather than above it, as is sometimes 

 seen. Of course, if my soil were clayey I should have made 

 the border above ground. Ours at the highest point, just in- 

 side the front wall where the Vines are planted, is only 1 foot 

 higher than the ground level. I should also advise means of 

 affording bottom heat to be provided, but not for amateurs, as 

 with them cost is a great consideration. 



Gkapes in Pots. — I propagate my pot Vines two years before 

 they fruit ; the eyes are selected from the early vinery, as such 

 start into growth with more freedom and with less artificial 

 heat than if taken from later-forced Vines. Sis eyes are 

 placed in a 6-inch pot, and plunged in a Pine pit with a bottom 

 heat of 80°, while the temperature of the atmosphere is be- 

 tween 55° and 60". As soon as they have made three leaves 

 they are potted singly in -1-inch pots, and when the roots have 

 covered the ball of earth the Vines are removed into 8-inch 

 pots, which will suffice for the season. The soil used in pro- 

 pagating consiois of equal parts of leaf mould and light loam, 

 pressed into the pots firmly to prevent its absorbing much 

 water. 



The plants are placed in the early vinery, and the shoots 

 trained to the wires. By the 1st of October the wood will be 

 ripe enough to admit of the Vines being placed in the open air, 

 and, by the end of the month, to be cut back to two eyes. All 

 the care afterwards required till they are again taken to the 

 forcing house will be protection from frost, and affording a 

 sufficient supply of water to prevent the rods from shrivehing. 

 I have tried many composts, but for the cultivation of pot 

 Vines I prefer the same soil as that used for borders. 



At the commencement of the second year the pots are first 

 thoroughly soaked with water and set upon the hot-water pipes. 

 The buds will begin to start in the course of a month, %vhen 

 the weakest are rubbed off ; the remainder will grow strongly, 

 so that at the point where the old and young wood join roots 

 are freely produced. I then have the Vines shifted into the 

 fruiting pots, which are about 14 inches in diameter, sinking 

 the base of the young wood a little below the surface of the 

 sou. The depth of drainage ie about 2 inches, one half of it 

 being half-inch bones. In repotdng, the loose roots are ex- 

 tended towards the outside of the pot. The soil should be 

 warm, moderately dry, and pressed sufficiently firm, but not so 

 much BO as to prevent the water from passing oft' freely. The 

 pots are replaced on the hot-water pipes, and the Vines trained 

 to the wires, the laterals being removed when they begin to 

 overgrow the bud. During the season of growth I supply 

 liquid manure twice a-week, and the guano used is just suffi- 

 cient to colour the water, which is applied warm. 



By this treatment I produce shoots 11 feet long and li inch 

 in circumference, and have them ripened by the Ist of July. 

 They are then placed out of doors in a north aspect to give 

 them all the repose that the season will allow, and they receive 

 whatever pruning may be required. 



The Vines are brought into the house in November and well 

 watered, the surface of the soil in the pots being covered with 

 sheep dung. 1 use an atmospheric temperature many degrees 

 higher than that which is necessary in ordinary cases, so I start 

 with 65° by day and a night temperature of 55°, and maintain 

 the same uniform heat till the buds begin to move, when the 

 temperatm-e is reduced to 60° by day and 55° by night. This 

 may be thought excessive, but it is no more than enough in 

 November. I usually take from sis to eight bunches from 

 each Vine, averaging about a pound weight. During the 

 swelling period the Vines are well supplied with guano water, 

 a good handful of guano being placed in a four-gallon watering- 

 pot, which stands on the pipes so as to keep the water warm. 

 A good watering of this is given once a-day until the berries 

 commence to colour. I stated in my former paper (see page 97) 

 the sorts which I grow, and therefore it is unnecessary to 

 notice these further than to mention my reason for forcing 

 late Grapes. I have found Lady Dowue's when so forced 

 hangs longer than any other Grape in an early vinery, so it 

 just comes in with the lluscat of Alexandria in August, as we 

 like to have black and white at the same time. 



General Managehest of Peemanent Vines. — In our early 

 vinery we have Hamburghs ripe to succeed those in pots. I 

 start the Vines in December, watering with water quite warm, 

 and it is by no means a small quantity which they require, as 



four 4-inch pipes 6 inches from the sm-face dry up the border 

 considerably, and when one would fancy enough water had 

 been given, at 6 inches below the surface the soil will be found 

 dust dry ; therefore, those who have Vines planted inside 

 should be careful that the water passes down to the drainage, 

 before concluding they have given enough. I do not surface- 

 dress the border inside untU I am sure the water has reached 

 every root. The outside border takes care of itself. I have 

 not so much as covered it yet, as the roots are still inside ; 

 when wanted in the winter dry leaves thatched with straw 

 make a good covering for outside borders. I surface-dress 

 inside with sheep's dung and half-inch bones. This dressing, 

 the abundant waterings, and the four 4-inch pipes 6 inches 

 from the surface, suit the Vines well. I once a-day damp the 

 house with liquid from the stable tank. This is done early, so 

 that all bad smell is gone by noon. Of course I am careful 

 that the liquid does not wet the foliage of the Vines or other 

 plants. The benefit it does is very great, apparently in con- 

 sequence of the ammonia which it sets free in the atmosphere 

 of the vinery, the leaves becoming dark green, and a leaf of 

 Lady Downe's which I measured last summer was 15 inches 

 wide. I do not approve of the young wood being too strong ; 

 from li inch to 2 inches in circumference I call strong. 



As already stated, the steaming-trays are kept full, damping 

 the paths, &c., and air is given as early in the day as the 

 weather will permit, shutting up early in the afternoon. I am 

 not afraid even if the temperature of the house be 100° in the 

 afternoon, but a Uttle air is admitted all night. Vines started 

 early should have the buds thinned, and as soon as the bunches 

 can be perceived in the points of the shoots they should be 

 thinned, and the berries also immediately after flowering. There 

 is no greater error, when endeavouring to secure well- finished 

 Grapes, than cropping too heavily, especially in very early 

 forcing. I grow my Vines on the spur system ; and as quality, 

 not quantity, is the aim, only from ten to twelve bundles are 

 allowed to remain. I stop the shoot one leaf beyond the 

 bunch, and when it grows again I stop at the next leaf, and so 

 on, and the same course is pursued with lateral shoots, taking 

 the point out as they make another leaf. 



I have grown Vines on many different systems, but this X 

 consider the best. I have, after the first stopping, allowed all 

 the laterals to grow, but this I consider untidy. I have also 

 not allowed a leaf or lateral to make its appearance after the 

 first stopping. Neither plan is bad, for I have seen splendid 

 Grapes with no stopping, and so I have with severe stopping. 



I recommend that the colouring should be a slow process, 

 plenty of air with a little fire heat being given. I protest 

 against the barbarous system of puUing off Vine leaves to let 

 the sun play on the bunches, to ripen them as it is supposed. 

 I would never take off a leaf until it ripened and fell off 

 naturally. I know this recommendation is contrary to the 

 advice of many Vine-growers, but I have proved that the 

 practice is wrong, for I have seen bad results follow. 



I have said nothing of diseases, such as shrivelling, ruat, 

 spot, bleeding, insects, and mildew, each of which would take 

 a paper to itself. 



In referring, at page 97, to the importance of a damp and 

 dry atmosphere, I meant the troughs to be kept full of water ; 

 as printed, the sentence reads not fuU. — C. M. McCeow, Nash 

 Court, near Faversham, 



VERBENAS ATTACKED WITH SPOT OR RUST. 

 VINE BORDER. 

 " S. W. J.," whose inquiry is on page 139, wiU find nothing 

 like a mild hotbed for his Verbenas. A few years ago I had 

 the misfortune to have a fine lot attacked in the way described; 

 as I used Verbenas largely at that time, it would have been a 

 misfortune to have lost them, and having an idea that a hot- 

 bed would bring most of them round, I prepared for them a pit 

 that was heated with hot water, filling it with leaves, well trodden 

 down, to within a foot of the glass. Before placing the plants 

 in it I had them gently rapped out of the pots, and the crocks 

 removed and replaced with pieces of charcoal. The plants 

 were then returned to the pots, and those most affected dusted 

 with lime; next day they were well syringed with warm water ; 

 they were then kept close for a week, and afterwards the 

 syringe was used freely, giving a little air in fine weather. In 

 about a month I found I had managed to save about one-hali 

 of the plants, and these were growing very freely ; indeed, I 

 had^moie cuttings than I wanted. I let a few of them grow, 



