On the Cultivation of the Vine, 



beginning of February the plant began to break its eyes, and, as 

 I purposely kept the house rather dry, a very fine piece of wood, 

 on the same plant, but trained to the trellis, broke only eight buds 

 at its extreme end, while the one above described broke every bud, 

 and nearly of equal strength, except those at the extreme end, 

 which, by lowering a little from the glass, broke also ; and this 

 piece of wood, of about half an inch in diameter, with 32 buds, 

 shewed 65 healthy bunches of grapes, or two on every bud, with 

 an additional one on the fifth bud from the base. Having 

 satisfied my mind in bringing an important desideratum to a 

 settlement, I headed it back to its 20th bud ; and though I in- 

 tended cutting it out entirely in the outset of the experiment, 

 I now chose rather to leave about half a dozen bunches on it, 

 disbudding, of course, the remainder, &c. &c. That to study 

 the variation in the heat of the glazed surface of a hothouse, caused 

 by radiation, is a subject worthy our attention will be readily ad- 

 mitted ; for, although it appears that the uppermost surface is the 

 coldest in midwinter, yet an effect directly contrary to it is produced 

 as the season advances, and a practice, contrary to the one above 

 stated, is required, which can only be conveniently and effec- 

 tually obtained by the use of a moveable trellis, fixed at its 

 lower part, but capable of elevation at its upper end. This 

 would not only secure, by its use in the dreary months of 

 winter, a good breaking of the vine at an early season, but it 

 would give an advantage above the fixed trellis in other particu- 

 lars, especially in the prevention of a disease common to grapes 

 at their approaching a state of maturity ; for whatever conclusion 

 experience may end in as to the cause of the disease, it is certain 

 that the rays of the sun falling upon condensed vapour produces 

 an air not very fit for a delicate plant, loaded with fruit, to live 

 and to flourish in ; but, as Mr. Judd expresses it, one that is 

 calculated to produce an effect equal to scalding, in consequence of 



