GLEANINGS ON HORTICULTURE. 



9 



the sap meets with from the old knots, and can only liken 

 them to the spavined hock of an aged or worn-out horse. Close 

 pruning the vines is far preferable ; leaving growing eyes where 

 wood is wanted for next year's bearing. 



Take care to cut the wood of last year back in October, and 

 so place the wood of the late summer's growth, that it may have 

 the benefit of the sun to ripen it : this makes the wood bear well 

 during the following season. Invariably remove all old wood as 

 soon as there is strong well-grown young wood to take its place. 



Admit air freely when the grapes are coloured, and that will 

 prevent the steam from condensing upon the stem of the bunches, 

 which would otherwise stop the circulation of the sap, and 

 deprive the berries of nourishment. 



When beginning to force, take care that the roots and stems of 

 the vines outside the house are kept in the same temperature as 

 the branches in the interior. This can be carried into effect on 

 old borders, being supplied liberally with hot stable manure, 

 covered with oilcloth. 



At my request, my kind father has recently constructed a hot- 

 house at Rolleston Hall, on a novel principle, explained to me 

 by Mr. Evan Baillie, of Dochfour, near Inverness, who has 

 adopted it with gi'eat success.* The vine border is heated by a 

 warm air-chamber underneath, encircled with a brick flue ; thus 

 the temperature is easily regulated by an hygrometer and ther- 

 mometer ; Yorkshire flagstones support the earth wherein the 

 vines are planted, and at each end of the warm air-chamber there 

 is a ventilator, and free cii'culation of air from thence to the 

 interior of the hothouse, which is built on arches. 



Cut out, from the bearing shoots that are retained, all the 

 lateral shoots, close to the bases of the buds, and also the remain- 

 ing portions of the tendrils and footstalks of the bunches of fruit 

 (if any) as well as all excrescences, and every portion of old wood 

 that remains in the vine. Prune them all smoothly, close to 

 their parent branches, leaving behind no unsightly ragged edges 

 or extremities to disfigure the vine. 



The annual removal of the bark, which comes off easily from 

 the stem, is very desirable before the vine is dressed with the 

 black sulphur receipt for destroying the red spider; this may be 

 regarded as absolutely necessary, for it tends very greatly to 

 promote the prosperous vegetation of a vine. Copious sprinklings 



* Vide Plans at the end. 



