GRAPE VINES. 193 



them back to a single rod, but I take care that each branch is cut 

 back as near to the stem as possible, leaving one plump eye, for in 

 this eye is the germ of the future shoot, and the bunch of grapes for 

 next year. During the winter some gardeners delight in scraping 

 the bark and painting the rods with various compounds of sulphur, 

 soft soap, and lime. This rough treatment does much injury to the 

 vine, but no damage can be done by dusting over the I'ods with 

 flour of sulphur. 



These instructions are simple, and are almost invariably successful 

 when actually practised ; but if the gardener varies them ever so 

 little, a want of success will attend his efforts. Let the gardener 

 lower the temperature at night, expose the young wood to cold 

 draughts, leave overcrowded wood, too many bunches of grapes, or 

 the bunches unthinned, — let him keep the atmosphere too dry, or 

 make the air, while the grapes are ripening, too wet,— let him neglect 

 the mildew for a few days, — and all the labour which he does spend 

 will be labour lost. 



The grape contains much potash, which shows itself in the tartrate 

 of potash which is deposited in wine; it also contains much phos- 

 phorus: hence it is necessary to supply these materials to the soil 

 Bone ,dust or ivory dust should be sprinkled over the surface, to be 

 washed into the ground during the rainy season. The burnt tops of 

 trees should be applied, but above all a good supply of stable dung 

 should be yearly given to the vine border. It is true that when a 

 vine gets into congenial soil no manure is required. The vast vine at 

 Hampton Court neither receives nor does it appear to require manure, 

 yet the vine-growers up the Rhine give their vines manure, and our 

 vines ripening their fruit in houses are improved by an annual dressing 

 of stable dung. 



We follow what is called the Rod system, but this is not necessary, 

 as one vine can be made to cover almost any reasonable space 

 Nevertheless a large vine takes a long time to grow, and thus a 

 number of rods are, upon the whole, more convenient for the horti- 

 culturist, who desires quickly to obtain his produce. 



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