474 On Forcing Grapes, as practised in Denmark. 



with it, both facing the south-east, or more properly speak- 

 ing their meridian being eleven o'clock ; I have in latter 

 years observed the advantageous situation in which this Vine 

 is placed ; it derives assistance from the Pine-pit, as well as 

 from the Vinery itself, the forcing of both commencing at one 

 period, viz. about the middle of February. The root of the 

 Vine being placed between two warm pits, the growth of it is 

 much promoted. No fire is applied to either of them, for the 

 Pines only remain in the pit in the summer months. 



I shall now proceed to describe the management of the 

 Vine in question; the two first years after the Vine was 

 planted I put boards under the branches, so far as I thought 

 they would extend that season. The shoots were carefully 

 trained and fastened to the boards, and when the first four 

 laterals had made their third joint, I then nipt them off above 

 an eye : a fortnight after, the three or four next laterals were 

 treated in the same manner, and the first which were nipped 

 above an eye, were then entirely cut away about a quarter of 

 an inch above the dormant eye of the main stems, and so I 

 proceeded till the middle of August, when the shoots were 

 stopped, leaving on the extremity three or four laterals for 

 conducting the sap and nourishing the buds. 



In the autumn, when the frost begins, I cover the whole 

 border with old horse dung rather dry, about six inches 

 thick, to protect the roots against the frost, and let it remain 

 till the end of May or sometimes longer, according to the 

 state of the weather. The dung during the winter being 

 almost dissolved by rain and snow, conveys much nutri- 

 ment to the roots of the vine; and though the winters are 

 generally severe with us, I have never found the soil frozen 



