Chap. XXII.] CULTURE OF THE VINE AT THOMERY. 



389 



the straw mats, -which ought to bo taken off eyery morning and 

 replaced in the evening." 



Thus M. Kose-Charmeux speaks of his forced culture of the 

 Vine. In addition to the houses here figured and alluded to, he 

 employs a well- constructed portable lean-to house — portable 

 because the French yet believe in the virtue of the plan of alter- 

 nately forcing and resting their trees, a system which we have 

 long ago proved to be worthless. 



' The following is a French mode of training Vines on walls, and 

 a very good one ; the walls are trellised with split pieces of Oak 

 which last nearly as long as the walls themselves. The Vines 

 are planted against them about six feet apart, as there are 

 three tiers of Vines, or cordons as they may be termed. The 

 distance for each Vine to run horizontally is something like nine 

 feet or so ; the horizontal shoots are tied to the first bar or lath, 

 and the rest of the space is left for the summer-shoots and fruits, 

 only one bunch of Grapes being left on each pair of shoots. The 

 shoot that fruits this year does not bear fruit next, and so on 

 throughout. It is a simple and quick way of covering a wall, 

 and one which in the southern part of England might be advan- 

 tageously practised. 



French mode of imining Vines on open Wall. 



2 D 



