THE GRAPE. 



509 



Soil. The border should be thoroughly prepared and pulverized 

 before planting the grapes. Two-thirds of mellow sandy loam, mixed 

 with one-third of a compost formed of well-fermented manure, bits of 

 broken charcoal, and a little lime rubbish, forms an excellent soil for 

 the grape in this climate. If the soil of the garden is old, or is not of 

 a proper quality for the basis of the border, it is best to prepare some 

 for this purpose by rotting and reducing beforehand a quantity of 

 loamy turf from the road-sides. The depth of the border need not ex- 

 ceed two feet, but if the subsoil is not dry at all seasons it should be 

 well drained, and filled up half a foot below the border with small stones 

 or brick-bats. 



Pruning. Decidedly the best mode of pruning for a cold house, or 

 vinery without fire-heat, is what is called the long or renewal mode, 

 which we have already partially explained. Supposing the house to be 

 planted with good young plants, something like the following mode of 

 training and pruning may be adopted. The first season one shoot only 

 is allowed to proceed from each plant, and this, at the end of the first 

 season, is cut down to the second or third eye or bud. The year follow- 

 ing two leading shoots are encouraged, the strongest of which is headed 

 or stopped when it has extended a few joints beyond the middle of the 

 house or rafter, and the weaker about half that length. In November 

 these shoots are reduced, the strong one having four or five joints cut 

 from its extremity, and the weaker one to the third eye from its lower 

 end or place of origin. In the third season one leading shoot is laid in 

 from each of these, the stronger one throwing out side shoots on which 

 the fruit is produced, which side shoots are allowed to mature one 

 bunch of grapes each, and are topped at one or two joints above the 

 fruit. No side shoots are allowed to proceed from the weaker shoot, 

 but it is laid in to produce fruit the ensuing season, so that, by the 

 third season after planting, the lower part of the house or rafters is fur- 

 nished with a crop of fruit proceeding from wood of the preceding year. 

 At next autumn pruning the longest of these main shoots is short- 

 ened about eighteen inches from the top of the rafter, and the next in 

 strength to about the middle of the rafter, and all the spurs which had 

 borne fruit are removed. Each vine is now furnished with two shoots 

 of bearing wood, a part of old barren wood which has already produced 

 fruit, and a spur near the bottom for producing a young shoot for the 

 following year. In the fourth summer a full crop is produced, both in 

 the lower and upper part of the house, the longer or oldest shoot pro- 

 ducing fruit on the upper part of its length, and the shorter on its 

 whole length ; from this last a leading shoot is laid in, and another to 

 succeed it is produced from the spur near the bottom. At the next 

 autumn pruning the oldest or longest shoot, which has now reached the 

 top of the house, is entirely cut out and removed, and replaced by that 

 which was next in succession to it, and this in its turn is also cut out 

 and replaced by that immediately behind it, a succession of a yearly 

 shoot being obtained from the lower part of the old stem. (Mcintosh.) 

 This is decidedly the most successful mode for a vinery without heat, 

 producing abundant and fair crops of fruit. Hoare, who is one of the 

 most experienced and ingenious writers on the grape, strongly recom- 

 mends it, and suggests that " the old wood of a vine, or that which has 

 previously produced fruit, is not only of no further use, but is a positive 

 injury to the fertility of the plant. The truth of this remark depends 



