210 



GRAPE. 



But the culture of the vine, for wine making*, is no 

 longer either a necessary or a profitable pursuit in 

 this country. The vineyards of France and Spain 

 and Portugal furnish us with the best wines, far 

 cheaper than we can manufacture them for ourselves. 

 This, among other causes, has operated to discou- 

 rage the culture of the vine in the open air in 

 Britain ; and has confined it to the walls of gardens 

 and nurseries, to the walls of dwelling-houses, and 

 to forcing-houses built for the purpose. 



In such situations the treatment of the vine has 

 arrived at the greatest perfection, especially since 

 the publication of the excellent works of Kennedy 

 and Speechley on this fruit tree. It is remarkable, 

 that Justice makes no mention of vine-forcing in his 

 very useful work published in 1732 ; so that it 

 w^ould appear vine-forcing was not then introduced 

 into England, though it must have been very shortly 

 afterwards. 



Experience has perfected the system of grape cul- 

 ture to such a degree of certainty, that it is hardly 

 possible for any practitioner to fail, if he only at- 

 tends to what is herein set down for his informa- 

 tion. And, first, concerning the different modes of 

 propagation : this is either by layers, cuttings, or by 

 single buds. 



Layers are expeditiously made into young trees, 

 and fit to be planted out for good in the course of 

 one season. The shoots to be layered, are either 

 led through or bent down into pots of rich earth, 

 where they readily strike root; and are fit to be sepa- 



