THE GRAPE VINE. 



605 



the natural fruit-buds from prematurely pushing; 

 but if the leading shoot be kept growing forward 

 as directed, the buds will not prematurely break 

 or be injured — on the contrary, will be a great 

 deal bolder, and produce much finer fruit the 

 ensuing year." 



Harrison recommends planting at this season 

 also, but suggests taking the vines from the pit 

 • and placing them in a greenhouse, or some 

 cooler apartment than they were previously in, 

 with a view to prevent them receiving a check 

 by their removal. " After they have been thus 

 prepared for two or three weeks," he says, " they 

 may be planted." In planting, he recommends 

 that the ball be placed so far from the front 

 wall that five eyes of the new shoot, lying 

 horizontally upon the earth in the hole, may be 

 outside, the top of the vine being introduced 

 into the house through the opening in the wall. 

 The vine must be placed so deep in the hole that 

 the upper side of the ball may be 6 inches below 

 the surface, allowing 2 or 3 inches for settling. 

 This we think planting too deep. Others plant 

 by placing the roots 2 feet or more from the 

 wall, laying that length of the stem of the plant 

 in the ground, and tonguing it underneath with 

 a view to cause it to send out roots between the 

 ball and front wall of the house, a process in 

 summer planting we think quite uncalled for. 



Mr G. W. Johnston, in " The Gardeners' 

 Monthly Volume," vol. ii. p. 50, remarks on 

 vine planting : " A very fine loose soil should 

 be promoted, containing a considerable portion 

 of lively sand, which is well known to facilitate 

 quick rooting. Beneath each vine should be 

 placed a barrowful of chopped turf and of 

 sandy loam, which have been lying together for 

 several months : their being in lumpy masses, 

 not disintegrated, will at once facilitate the 

 escape of moisture and promote a rapid exten- 

 sion of root. To prevent sudden droughts, 

 owing to extreme porosity, the looser compost 

 may be strewn through and over the fibres. 

 The best time -to plant is when the plants are 

 about emerging from their torpidity, whether 

 naturally or induced. The ball of earth should 

 be carefully separated, and the roots trained as 

 carefully out as an exhibition-flower on a trellis. 

 When merely covered with a fine compost, a 

 layer of the same turfy matter may be placed 

 over it, and over that a mulching of such fer- 

 mented droppings as are used for making a 

 mushroom-bed. If indoors, they require skil- 

 ful applications of water for the first four months, 

 after which they may have it more frequently 

 in the heat of summer, especially if they have 

 made much progress. Those planted outside 

 are liable to suffer in the first four months from 

 drenching rains, which must be guarded against 

 by some kind of covering." Our own practice is 

 to remove the soil to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, 

 and to a sufficient extent to admit of the roots 

 being spread thinly and carefully over the space. 

 The pot being laid upon its side, presuming the 

 roots are to be outside the house, and the young 

 shoot placed in a proper position so as to pass 

 over the top of the parapet-wall, care being 

 taken that neither the stem or any of the leaves 

 are injured, the pot is then broken to pieces, 

 VOL. II. 



the ball carefully broken down, and the roots 

 singled out to their full extent; a little light 

 rich soil is shaken over them so as completely 

 to cover them, and over this 3 or 4 inches of 

 the prepared border-soil is placed on top. The 

 surface is then mulched over to prevent exces- 

 sive evaporation, and a gentle watering of tepid 

 water is applied. The shoot within is then 

 brought up by degrees to the end of the rafter, 

 and trained to it very loosely, to admit of the 

 plant following the roots, should they sink an 

 inch or so into the ground. Such shallow 

 planting requires water to be frequently given to 

 the roots should the weather be dry, and during 

 the first season the ground over them should be 

 kept covered to prevent excessive evaporation. 



It will be necessary to have previously pro- 

 cured young plants from eyes — others are not 

 worth planting — and of one year's growth. 

 Towards the latter end of February or begin- 

 ning of March, these plants should be headed 

 down to one bud, and placed in a mild dung-pit, 

 but not plunged for the first few days. They 

 should be repotted into 10-inch pots in light 

 rich vegetable soil, and placed near to the glass. 

 As the young shoots advance, care must be 

 taken that they be properly supported to pre- 

 vent their being broken ; and when from 4 to 6 

 feet in length, which they will be by the middle 

 of May, they are in a fit condition for planting ; 

 but to attain this height they must not be 

 excited too much, and abundantly supplied with 

 air and liquid manure during their growth. 



Vines intended to be grown against walls in 

 the open air should be planted about the first of 

 May, presuming they have hitherto been grown 

 in pots. It would be useless to plant earlier, as 

 the soil is cold, and there is in general little 

 growth in the atmosphere. Where vine borders 

 are vaulted and heated below, which, to have the 

 vine in perfection, must eventually be generally 

 done, we would advise that the plants be slowly 

 excited under glass without the aid of fire-heat, 

 but the pots plunged in a mild bottom tempera- 

 ture for the encouragement of the roots. Under 

 such circumstances the vines may be forwarded 

 to the extent of a foot of young wood, or more, 

 previous to planting out. For a few days the 

 bottom temperature should be attended to, to 

 prevent any check to the roots; and with a 

 similar intent towards the young shoots, they 

 should have the temporary protection of a glass- 

 light for ten days or a fortnight, or, in default of 

 these, a shading of fine semi-transparent canvass 

 during the day, and a thicker covering during 

 the night ; for if vines sustain a check at the 

 first outset of growth they seldom recover it. 

 If this is properly attended to, by the first of 

 June they will have established themselves, and 

 thus be considerably in advance of those planted 

 in the ordinary manner. Where the advantages 

 of heated borders do not exist, a somewhat dif- 

 ferent course should be pursued ; namely, to 

 plant just as the buds begin to swell. In the 

 case of vineries, there are two cases to be con- 

 sidered ; namely, whether the plants are to be 

 planted inside the house or outside. If the for- 

 mer, great advantage will be obtained by having 

 the vines brought forward in pits or otherwise, 



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