238 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
use. To give precise and accurate directions ! joints, seem disposed to bear, may be detailed 
in print for selecting a suitable soil is difficult, as follows : — From the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd buds 
but it is deserving of remark, that a pasture ! thereof, there will seldom proceed a shoot, 
abounding with, and luxuriantly sustaining j If the 3rd does shoot its produce will pro- 
the British varieties of the Ranunculus or bably be but one large bunch. From each of 
Butter-cups, as they are usually called, has the 4th, oth, and 6th buds two perfect bunches 
also been found congenial to the Asiatic species. | may be expected ; from each of the 7th, 8th, 
The addition of fertilizing agents to maiden 
soil, is of paramount importance. Many 
composts have been recommended, the pro- 
portionate ingredients of which have been 
and 9th, three such bunches ; from the 10th, 
four such bunches ; from each of the 11th. 
12th, and 13th, three such bvnches ; from 
each of the 14th, loth, and 16th, two such 
prescribed with the precision of a physician's j bunches ; from each of the two or more buds 
formula. The secret of vigorous foliage and 
enormous blooms, has been a mixture of 
powerful chemical stimulants, or a substra- 
tum of cow-dung afoot thich, or some other 
equally unnatural process ! Our advice is to 
next thereto, one such bunch followed by 
an imperfect bunch ; after which one imper- 
fect bunch only may be found produced by 
two or three of the next buds ; and then 
nothing but tendrils should be expected. 
avoid quackery. Many valuable collections The gradual increase and then decrease of 
have been ruined by excessive applications of the number of bunches (in which sense the 
suitable manures, or the use of such as are ; word 'order' is here intended to be taken) 
destructive rather than nutritive. Decayed the writer hereof does not recollect to have 
stable and cow-dung in equal quantities, seen previously attributed to the vine in any 
constituting together about one-third, added treatise thereon. But, (though he is writing 
to two-thirds of loam, will, when mixed and on a retrospection of his own observations as 
thoroughly incorporated, form a compost for a pruner, made for the greater part more than 
the main depth of the bed ; reserving a por- a quarter of a century ago — writing, through 
tion of loam sufficient to make a top layer of j being in his old age, and almost as oft as he 
soil two inches deep, to which about half the happens to ramble on foot here and there, 
above stated proportions of well-decomposed compelled as it were to see before him the 
manure, may be added. It is of importance unwelcome proofs of very many Londoners, 
that the tubers should not be placed in contact not enjoying the rich feasts from their own 
v?'\th fresh manure, as it engenders disease in vines which they might easily, without incur- 
the roots, and consequent injury to the soils." ring any greater expense than what they are 
Out-of-door Grape Vines.* — Under the now at in debarring themselves and friends 
title quoted below, a small pamphlet made its from those feasts, as well as exposing their 
appearance during the last year, the object j inexpertness to the prying eyes and sneers of 
of which was to demonstrate that vines on judicious pruners passing by,) he feels satis- 
open walls are very generally pruned and j fied that the order and number of bunches 
managed on erroneous principles. "We recom- j here set down as producible, ■will be found 
mend the book, which is quaintly but forcibly j nearly correct. It is not, indeed, meant to be 
written, to the attention of those who feel contended, that there is never a variation of 
interested in out-door vine culture ; and for 
the sake of illustration transcribe what is said 
the said order and number on like shoot; 
under like circumstances. Xeither, granting 
of the relative fruit bearing capacity of a | the probable produce stated, not to be above 
series of buds along a vigorous shoot. An I the mark, may it be always, or ever, fit to 
engraving is given, part of which is supposed 
to represent a "strong and well ripened shoot 
of 184o, (say shoot of the white muscadine, a 
prolific bearer much cultivated in England, 
and one of the best out-door vines for that 
allow so many bunches to remain for ripening 
on each shoot. One rule almost always 
adopted by the writer, was to cut away the 
upper shoots down to where two perfect 
bunches on each shoot commenced. In leav- 
climate,) pruned down to about 18 or 20 buds, j ingfor bearing 16, 18, or 20 joints, it requires 
and exhibiting its crop of fruit therefrom." 
The shoot here alluded to is represented as 
being trained in an ascending serpentine form. 
"The order in which strong well-ripened and 
otherwise proper shoots, left with so many 
* A few observations on the mismanagement and 
consequent barrenness of numerous out-of-door grape- 
vines, in and about London ; and on the means likely 
to restore many to a state of fruitfulness. By F. N. 
London : T. Cazaly, Tottenham Court Road. 1846. 
ome skill to make each bud push ; i. e. each 
bud beyond the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lowest ones, 
seldom observed to push in such long wood. 
The way adopted by the writer has been to 
top the shoot from the upper bud, one joint 
above the last embryo bunch, so soon as he 
could safely effect the same by finger-nails, 
points of scizzors, &c. ; and this can often be 
effected easily when the sboot altogether, be 
the embryo bunches thereon one or two, has 
not advanced more than a couple of inches : 
