82 



THE I'LOIlIS'r AND POMOLOGI3T. 



. The latter operation is very often dreaded and staved off from year to year 

 from the apprehension that several years must elapse before young Vines can 

 be got to yield even a moderate return of fruit. But,- if there exists no more 

 valid reason for hobbling along with a set of worthless Vines than the one just 

 referred to, it is now being exploded by the practice of many gardeners who 

 have hastened up from the old slow march into double quick time. To some 

 extent, the practice of cutting down young Vines for several years after they 

 have been planted, with the erroneous idea of strengthening them, has been 

 the cause of the apprehension which it is my object to show is entirely un- 

 necessary. It would not be difficult to raise unanswerable objections to the 

 practice of cutting back to the front sash young Vines which the first season 

 have made well-ripened growths as thick as a man's finger. Surely, to allow a 

 Vine to run the length of a long rafter, and, it may be, down a back wall, 

 developing itself into lateral growths and laying hold of the border with a net- 

 work of roots, and then to cut it 'down near to the surface of the border and 

 bring it away the second year with one shoot, is a questionable way of 

 strengthening any Vine. The more likely way of increasing the diameter of 

 the main stem and its hold of the border, is to leave the first season's growth 

 at least a third the length of the rafter, and let it malce lateral growths besides 

 the leading one. By adopting the latter practice a few bunches of Grapes may 

 be allowed with impunity, and the ultimate object — namely, a strong Vine the 

 whole length of the rafter established with fruit spurs, is more speedily attained. 

 My own practice i3 to leave them 6 to 7 feet upwards from the front 

 light and take half a dozen bunches from each Vine, and thus a Vine is estab- 

 lished the whole length of the roof in two or three years, instead of, as in 

 many instances, six or seven. 



But to enter more directly into the primary object of these remarks and 

 show to the inexperienced (who may fear the sacrifice consequent on replacing 

 old Vines with young ones to be more formidable than it really is) how to 

 secure a very considerable crop the following season, a simple narrative of my 

 own practice may serve to make the matter obvious and plain : — On entering 

 on the charge of the gardens here in the summer of 1858, the state of the 

 Vines made it advisable beyond a doubt to get rid of them and renew the 

 borders with as little delay as possible consistent with a supply of Grapes 

 which was at the same time desirable. With these ends in view, a quantity of 

 young Vines that were struck from eyes in the spring of the same year were 

 procured in June, and grown on into very fair fruiting Vines the same season. 

 In November a new border was made to one of the houses, and by the end of 

 May, 1859, the pot Vines above referred to had yielded 160 bunches of 

 Grapes, and in June the permanent Vines were planted and made good canes 

 by the end of the season. Instead of planting the ordinary number of two 

 Vines to a light, three were planted, and when the Vines were pruned the 

 strongest Vine in each light was left the full length of the rafter, and the 

 others intended for the permanent Vines were cut down to within a few feet of 

 the bottom sash, and were allowed to bear a few bunches each. These latter 

 were cut further back than I deem necessary, so that the former might have 

 more scope. The supernumeraries, ten in number, bore from eight to twelve 

 bunches each in 1860 and finished them well both in berry and colour. In 

 fact, this house furnished the table with more good Grapes than two of the 

 old ones, with their almost 50 per cent, of shanking and shrivelling. When 

 the crop was cut the stop-gaps were cut out, leaving the permanent rods, which 

 in 1861 bore on an average ten bunches each. Another house, 65 ft. long, 

 was planted cotemporaneous with the above, and managed and cropped pre- 

 cisely in the same manner and with fully better results, inasmuch as the Vines 



