Book I. 



CULTURE OF THE VINERY. 



517 



it in a house of small dimonslmis, I thought I should obviate these iiiconveiiioncGS, in great part, and 

 attain anoUier object, presently to be mentioned, by training the branches in a horizontal direction, and 

 keeping the whole of the fruit-bearing part of each tree nearly on the same level. 



2982. Five vines were planted at the ends of a house, tiventy-Jive feet in length, for this purpose, provided 

 with rods placed horizontally under the glass of the roof, twenty inches asunder, and extending from end 

 to end. The first vine, placed at one end, beiiig trained up to the two lower rods, a shoot of it was laid 

 along each of them, and continued successively from year to year, till it reached the other end : then the 

 shoot on the lower rod was turned upwards to the next, and led back upon it towards the stem of the 

 ti'ee ; while that on the upper rod was turned down, and led back, in like manner, on the lower one. 

 During this process, a sufficient number of spurs, or short branches, was left annually on the old v/ood, 

 to produce fruit. When the leading shoots, which had been thus trained in a retrograde direction, ap- 

 proached towards the end, whence the original branches proceeded, preparation was made for a succession 

 of young wood, bringing forward two fresh shoots from the stem of the tree, and leading them along, 

 close to the preceding ones. As these, and the leading shoots of the first branches, which were then on 

 their return, advanced, the spurs on that part of the old wood, to which they had reached, were cut out, 

 to make room for them, the naked stem only being left. "When the second series of branches had re- 

 turned nearly to the end, at which the trunk was situated, the first series, on which there was then but 

 little of the herbage remaining, was cut out at the trunk. Fresh shoots were then brought forward to 

 succeed the second series ; and so on without end. It would be superfluous to dwell on the mode of 

 managing the other trees ; as it v/ill be perceived that, following the same principle, they must be laid 

 along the higher rods in succession, two rods being allowed to each tree ; and v/hen the stem is not at the 

 end of the house, two branches are to be trained eastward, and two westward, along the rod. Thus, in a 

 house of twenty-five feet in length, instead of having only fifteen or sixteen feet, to admit of the length 

 of a branch, as would be the case under the usual mode of training across the house, we have a range of 

 thirty feet, which afFords ample scope for the long shoots at the extremities ; and these, I find, when laid 

 on in the horizontal position, and left from three to five feet long, according to their strength, usually bear 

 fruit at all their buds, while the spurs on the old wood are also very productive. By these means, the 

 tree possesses the double advantage of no part of it being robbed of its nourishment, by means of any other 

 vegetation, which is supplied fi-om the same root, being situated either in a higher position or warmer 

 atmosphere. To what extent the former of these circumstances alone may operate, I cannot detei-mine 

 from any actual experiment ; but, from the genei-al observations I have made, that the growth of the 

 vine, as well as of other trees, is most luxuriant in the parts that are situated highest, I am inclined to 

 think, that its effects are very considerable. Others, who have made the same observation, have recom- 

 mended the training of the shoots in a zigzag manner, advancing upwards, with the view of retarding the 

 ascent of the sap through the inclined parts : this, however, I have found to have little or no effect, the 

 general direction of the shoot being upwards, through all the bendings. But whatever may be the effect 

 produced by the horizontality of the position, in equalising the luxuriance of the growth, I conceive that 

 no doubt will be entertained, in regard to that of a uniformity of temperature; and this is fullv 

 obtained by the method in question. I now come to the other object to be attained by the mode of 

 treatment, which will be stated in a few words, as the effects produced in regard to it will be very 

 evident. 



2983. In the usual mode of management, each tree is under the influence, in its different parts, of all the 

 degrees of temperature in the house ; but under the mode now proposed, each tree has its own peculiar 

 climate, to which alone all its parts are exposed. This affords us the command of a most convenient variety, 

 in regard to earliness in the ripening of fruit. For example, if there be a wish to save fuel, and yet to have 

 grapes of several varieties, which ripen at different seasons, of the late sorts there v/ill, under the common 

 method, be only a few brought to perfection at the tops of the trees, whilst those that are near the bottom 

 will not ripen, and that part of those trees will accordingly be useless. But in the arrangement above de- 

 scribed, the early and late sorts may be procured at the same time in equal abundance and perfection, by 

 training the early sorts, let us suppose the sweetwater, at the bottom ; the middling ones, such as the black 

 Hambro', next ; and the late, such as the muscat of Alexandria, at the top. A gain, ifit be wished to have 

 some vei-y early, and others very late, the order may be reversed, by placing the early varieties at the top, 

 and the late at the bottom ; in which case more fuel will be required. This method, it will be perceived, 

 may be varied in many ways, and will operate under all the degrees of forcing. {Eort. Trans, vol. iii. 

 p. 9. to 13.) 



2984. In Griffiii's 7node of training and prwiing, only a single shoot is led up under each rafter. The, 

 vine is planted outside, close to the parapet, and introduced through a hole immediately under the rafter 

 up which it is trained. On planting, it is cut down to one eye ; about Christmas, the shoot formed during 

 the preceding summer is cut down to two or three feet ; the second year one shoot only is trair.ed from 

 the extremity, and it is again headed down in winter, so that the joint length of the two years' wood is 

 from ten to fifteen feet ; and at the Christmas of the third year, the shoot is cut off at the end of the rafter. 

 The fruit, it is obvious, is to be obtained from the side shoots, or spurs, proceeding from this main shoot. 

 The spurs are cut down to single eyes every winter, till the main shoots get coarse and rugged, which 

 will happen in about ten years ; it is then cut away entirely, a young stem having been previously trained 

 up the two preceding years from the bottom to substitute in its place. As soon as the plants become suf- 

 ficiently strong to furnish wood, from the point where they enter the house, for a second and third branch, 

 then a proper number must be fixed on as permanent plants, and their side branches brought successively 

 forward and trained to the contiguous rafters, " one bearing branch being applied to each rafter, and the 

 plants which originally belonged to these rafters taken away entirely." 1 ho weight of grapes pi-oduced by 

 the vine under each rafter by this mode of pruning is generally about forty pounds, two bunches to each 

 spur, or from fifty to a hundred bunches, averaging half a pound each. When the house is in forcing, the 

 branches are suspended from the rafter by strings from two to three feet long, fastened to nails or hooks 

 on each side the rafter ; by this means they are let down from the glass when danger from frost is appre- 

 hended, in the manner effected by the hinged rafter-ti-ellis. (1677.) " I also contrive," adds this very 

 successful cultivator, " to spread the branches, when in bearing, on either side of Uie rafters, u;ider the 

 glass, but so as not to occupy the whole space under the glass with the foliage, for I consider that very great 

 advantage arises to the fruit from giving free admission to the sun from the centre of each light." It will 

 be asked by some gardeners, what is done with the leading shoot at the end of every main stem ? This 

 Griffin " stops during its growth in the summer, leaving three or four joints at the utmost ; and these must 

 be cut away, at the time of pruning, down to the old wood, or nearly so : sometimes, to prevent the top of 

 the house being crowded, a little of the old wood at top may be cut off also, and replaced by the next year's 

 shoot." [Hort. Trans, iv. 104.) 



2985. The long, or succession mode of pruning vines, may be exemplified in the practice 

 of Mearns of Shobden Court, Herefordshire. The vinery there, as at Wood Hall, is of 

 the common form, with wooden sashes and rafters ; the vines are planted inside the house, 

 at two feet and a half apart, nearly close to the front wall, and are headed down to 

 within a foot of the soil {fig. 459. a). One shoot only is allowed to proceed from 

 each plant, which at the end of the first season is cut down to the second or third eye 

 (b). Next year, two leading shoots are encouraged, the strongest of which is stopped 



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