FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDENS NEAR PARIS. 



237 



Formerly the vines were planted 4 feet from the wall, and 

 layered till they reached it. This mode is not now strictly 

 adopted. The plants are 16 inches apart. The plant A having 

 reached the first horizontal bar of the trellis, which is 6 inches 

 above the surface of the ground, it is there cut at the winter 

 pruning ; and shoots are trained from it to form the cordon, 

 right and left. The distance between the cordons is 18 inches ; 

 and when the vine B has extended so far above the cordon 

 formed by A, it is likewise cut, for the second cordon. In this 

 manner the vines C, Z>, are treated at the winter pruning, 

 after they have attained the respective heights. At F is repre- 

 sented the mode of introducing a vine, to form a cordon, from 

 the other side of the wall. 



It will be seen that each vine has two arms, extended in oppo- 

 site directions; and that their utmost extent horizontally is only 

 8 feet ; whilst the bearing shoots are not allowed to pass the next 

 cordon : consequently, each vine is limited to 8 feet by 1£ of trel- 

 lis, or 12 square feet. We had the opportunity of seeing the vines 

 at Thomery winter-pruned, as in the lower cordon of the above 

 figure; and not pruned as in the four other cordons. At the 

 winter- pruning the upright shoots which have borne the fruit 

 are cut close to the small eyes situated at their bases ; and from 

 these eyes, only two shoots are allowed to grow up to bear fruit, 

 to be stopped in summer below the next cordon, cut back, like 

 their predecessors, at the next winter-pruning ; and so on for 

 perhaps half a century. We saw some old knotted subjects 

 occupying no more space than that above mentioned, that had 

 been planted by the grandfather of the present proprietor, fifty 

 years ago. Their space indeed seemed ample enough for their 

 apparent vigour. They would certainly form the greatest con- 

 trast imaginable wdth the vines described by travellers in the 

 East, having stems l^foot in diameter, with branches, supported 

 to form a canopy 50 feet in length and breadth, covering 2500 

 square feet. Yet, on such a portion of wall as is represented 

 by the figure, being only 8 feet in length and as much in height, 

 it is calculated that not fewer than 320 bunches would be pro- 

 duced. 



The soil is not rich, nor does it get much manure ; only a 

 little when the shoots become very weak, once in three or four 

 years. It is a poor light brown sandy soil, such as would not 

 be supposed capable of supporting anything like a crop of grapes. 

 We obtained some of it, which has been analyzed by Professor 

 Solly, and gave the following result. 



