By the Rev. Blakley Cooper. 457 



leading shoots, will be weak and dwindling. Hence the 

 system of cutting back (and thus sacrificing the best bearing 

 wood) to short lengths, commonly called spurs. It is well 

 known too, that, in the Pine stove, although Grapes grown 

 there are brought to much earlier maturity, by the high 

 temperature of the house, yet the crop is never in proportion 

 to the quantity of bearing wood ; and for the same reason, 

 because the roots do not make equal progress with the 

 branches, and the supply of sap, therefore, is not given up 

 beyond the maintenance of a part, namely, of the leading 

 shoots, the rest become weak and defective. The remedy for 

 this is, I apprehend, so to accelerate the growth of the roots, 

 as to enable them to keep pace with the branches, when the 

 supply of sap will be adequate to all the demands of Nature. 

 The bearing wood may also, by these means, be trained to 

 any reasonable length, for every eye will receive a due supply 

 of nutriment ; each therefore will break regularly, and each 

 make strong and vigorous shoots, and consequently be 

 capable of bearing fruit. By this system too, Grapes may 

 be brought to a ripe state in much less time ; for, instead 

 of the slow and cautious proceeding required for bring- 

 ing out the eyes at the commencement, a high degree 

 of temperature may be kept up in the house ; for, as the 

 roots are taking up, in consequence of their rapid growth, 

 a larger quantity of nutriment, the supply of sap is more 

 rapid ; and therefore a more rapid growth of the branches 

 may be promoted. 



Acting on these principles, I commenced last year an expe- 

 riment on a small scale, by planting in the border over one of 



