THE GRAPE VINE. -JJ 



vine -was isolated on its own piece of turf. The points 

 of their roots being cut, they flagged for a few days, but 

 soon threw out scores of small active roots from every 

 large one that was cut. When this had taken place, a 

 small trowel was run under each square, and the plants 

 lifted and placed on a similar bed of turf, but this time 

 from 9 inches to 12 inches apart, and filled in round 

 about with soil of the same character as at first, avoiding 

 manure of any sort. Here they soon began to grow 

 rapidly again ; and when they had attained the height 

 of 3 feet, and the borders were ready for them, they 

 were cut round as in the first instance, and allowed to 

 stand till a fresh set of young roots were just started, 

 when they were raised on a spade, with ball quite entire, 

 and placed in their new borders. This operation was 

 easily performed, and they received not the smallest 

 check, but grew rapidly at once ; and when cut back — 

 some to 10 feet and others to 3 feet— jjust eleven months 

 from the day the eyes were placed in the sand, their 

 average girth is from 2 to 8 inches ; and they are ripe, 

 close-jointed, and solid as hazel-sticks to the apex of the 

 houses — some 22 feet. Those that were not required 

 for planting were potted ; and for this purpose I can as 

 strongly recommend the system as for planting. When 

 vines prepared thus come to be turned out of their pots 

 in the process of planting, there is no occasion for break- 

 ing up the ball, for there are no coiled roots in it to dis- 

 entangle — they are more like those of a box or privet 

 bush than a vine, as usually seen ; and when planted, 

 they begin by taldng their work before them, instead of 

 running away out of the border. 



" So much for the vines. And now as to what may be 

 done with a view to retaining this tendency to a multi- 



