MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c, 77 



If the season be warm and fine, the grapes of early kinds 

 ripen very well on these layers before they are taken up ; and, 

 if properly managed, they will bear some fruit the first year 

 after planting. One of the strongest shoots must be left nearly 

 at full length, cutting it as high as the uppermost full bud, 

 leaving nothing but round well-ripened wood. If there are 

 three shoots, the remaining two should be cut so as to leave 

 only two full eyes upon each, which should be trained at full 

 length, as before directed, to produce fine wood for next year. 

 The shoot which was trained the preceding year should 

 then be cut down, leaving only two strong eyes to produce 

 wood for the following year ; and so on every year, cutting 

 the branches alternately ; by so doing, you will be able to 

 keep your walls always covered with fine healthy bearing 

 wood. 



This method of laying is practised with great success by 

 many Nurserymen in the neighbourhood of London ; in parti- 

 cular by Messrs. Gray and Wear at Brompton-park nursery, 

 and by Messrs. Kirke at Brompton ; each of whom raises an- 

 nually several hundred plants, for which they find a great de- 

 mand. 



If any vines that have been raised from seed should not 

 prove to be of a good flavour, they will be very fit to graft or 

 inarch the finer sorts of vines on : As the coarser sorts grow 

 more vigorous than the finer, they are, for that reason, fitter 

 for grafting or inarching. 



The best manure for vines is a mixture of vegetable mould* 

 rotten spit dung, and fresh loam (turf and all) ; this should 

 be thrown in a heap, and frequently turned, for a year or two 

 before it is used. 



Observations and Experiments on the Training and Pruning 



of Vines. 



The following is the method that I pursued with some 

 vines which were planted against the piers of a South wall, and 

 among old peaches, nectarines, plums, &c. 



When I took them in hand, the fruit was so small and 

 hard as to render it unfit to be sent to the table. The vines 

 were trained upright, which caused them to grow so lux- 

 uriantly that the sap fiov/ed into the branches instead of the 

 fruit. 



* For producing vegetable mould see the directions for the management 

 of apple-trees. 



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