THE GRAPE VINE. 



617 



but advantageous, for the leaves which remain 

 after that operation will then direct all their 

 energies to the perfection of the grapes." Few, 

 we believe, who have studied the economy of 

 vegetable life, will dispute the correctness of the 

 views here stated. For ourselves, we believe 

 that excessive summer-pruning is most injuri- 

 ous to the health of the vine as well as of 

 other fruit-bearing trees. We would, however, 

 submit for consideration, whether the present 

 limited size of vineries in particular has not 

 much to do in the matter, and renders summer- 

 pruning a measure of necessity often against 

 reason and conviction; and added to that, the 

 number of vines planted, and the too crowded 

 manner in which the old wood is trained in. To 

 admit of the full development of the vine, our 

 houses should be differently constructed ; the 

 small, low, narrow lean-to's should give place to 

 the span-roofed form, and these should be glass 

 to within from 9 inches to 2 feet from the ground. 

 By this means a much greater amount of light 

 would be admitted, and, by increasing the width 

 and height, room would be provided for a much 

 greater development of both wood and leaves. 

 {Vide figs. 431, 432, vol. i., as examples.) 



Forcing. — It has now become no very un- 

 common thing for grapes to be seen on the 

 table every month in the year. The month of 

 March is that in which they are most difficult to 

 be produced, because the retarded fruit is kept 

 with difficulty till that period, and never with- 

 out serious injury to the vines, and the earliest 

 forced fruit is with equal difficulty brought so 

 early to perfection. Some, to get ripe grapes in 

 March, begin to put the vines in motion in 

 August, and to secure this with the greatest 

 amount of success it will be best to adhere to 

 the culture of them in pots. To have grapes 

 ripe in April is sharp work, and even under the 

 very best management the fruit will neither be 

 so abundant nor so high-flavoured. Long ob- 

 servation led former cultivators to draw the 

 following conclusions as to the length of time 

 which will ensue between the time of beginning 

 to force and the ripening of the crop — viz., five 

 months when the course of forcing coincides 

 nearly with the natural growing season; when 

 short days compose a third part of the course, 

 rather less than six months ; and when the 

 course includes full half of the winter it will 

 require seven months, — and even then the crop 

 can hardly be considered equivalent to the 

 expense and labour. Vines started early in 

 November have been ripened by Mr Mitchell, 

 of Brighton, between the 14th of March and 

 17th of April: being rested till the latter end of 

 May, and then pruned and put into action again, 

 they produced a second crop of ripe grapes by 

 the 1st of December. This is practicable, but 

 of its utility there are great doubts. Ripe 

 grapes, of excellent flavour and colour, are pro- 

 duced by Mr Fleming, at Trentham, so early as 

 March, by allowing the vines to break naturally 

 in autumn ; no artificial heat is applied to them 

 until they are nearly in blossom, when a higher 

 temperature is applied, and progressively in- 

 creased until they are ripe.- There are some 

 peculiarities in Mr Fleming's practice that 



deserve especial notice; and as a summary of 

 that practice has been given in " The Gardeners' 

 Chronicle," we cannot do better than transcribe 

 it. " By midsummer the young wood is perfectly 

 matured, the foliage drops, and the vines are 

 pruned. These early vines are never allowed 

 to bear upon the old wood : a young shoot is 

 brought up from nearly the bottom of the bear- 

 ing branch and is carefully trained, being the 

 source from whence next year's crop is to be ob- 

 tained." To obtain a crop of grapes moderately 

 early and of good quality, forcing may commence 

 on the 1st of January, at which period we pro- 

 pose to commence our remarks. These, however, 

 are applicable in a great degree to those started 

 about the end of November and any time during 

 December. It has been recommended, when 

 very early grapes are desired, to begin forcing 

 in September in preference to the middle of 

 December, as by the former course the fruit will 

 be set before the middle of November, and have 

 more assistance from the sun at that time than 

 it would have in January, about the beginning 

 of which month it would be setting if the vines 

 were excited in November. The first operation 

 in forcing is " to set your house in order," by 

 examining the heating, whether flues or hot 

 water, both of which should be put in a condi- 

 tion to go on throughout the season, as repairs 

 during that period would be attended with 

 danger (vide Forcing peaches). At or soon 

 after pruning, all the old and loose bark should 

 be removed from the stem and branches, but 

 not to the extent of wounding the inner bark 

 or liber ; nor should a knife be employed, lest 

 incisions may inadvertently or carelessly be 

 inflicted. This frees the trees of a useless en- 

 cumbrance, presents the young and useful bark 

 to the sun's influence, and removes multitudes 

 of insects and their eggs. Supposing the vines 

 to have been pruned in November, they should 

 now be washed, or rather painted with the 

 composition recommended for peaches, or with 

 some of those noticed under the head of Dis- 

 eases and insects. The same care should be 

 taken of the borders ; indeed, in all such cases 

 the whole surface-soil should be annually remov- 

 ed so long as the roots are not interfered with ; 

 for such additions to the soil, however much they 

 may be slighted by men of ordinary observation, 

 are of vast consequence to the roots, and conse- 

 quently to the vines, during the whole season of 

 growth. In the formation of the compost for 

 thus top-dressing the vinery borders, a greater 

 quantity of manure should be added ; for the 

 vine is a generous tree, and will give a return of 

 fruit to its owner much greater than any other 

 tree in cultivation. It is also a more gross 

 feeder, and can digest a greater amount of 

 manure than any other. The roots of vines 

 travel far in search of food ; and although, for 

 very early forcing, it is well to have them under 

 the protection of the roof during winter, it is 

 seldom that they can be so circumscribed as to 

 be kept within such bounds. When such is the 

 case, liquid manure should be applied to the 

 roots, but never at a lower temperature than 

 90°, or even more ; for before it can reach the 

 roots its temperature will be reduced to 70°, or 



