FORMATION OF THE BORDER. 
11 
required, our reasons for preferring it. With 
our border ready then, prepared as we have 
mentioned, we select the proper number of 
vines with the strongest canes, for that in- 
dicates the real health and strength of a plant; 
and turning it out of its pot, we lay the ball 
of earth on its side, sufficiently deep to level 
the bed as it was at first, and yet cover the 
ball, as there is no great harm if a little stuff 
were heaped over it, to prevent exposure of 
the fibres. We have now to make up our 
mind whether to take the present cane through 
the hole into the house, and cut back to the 
last two eyes inside; to grow it directly, or 
cut it right back to the ground, and have 
another year's cane, which would of course be 
stronger. We should, if the canes were 
strong, use them to lead into the house, and 
cut back to the two eyes just within to grow 
from ; but it must be seen that there is no 
violence used in bending them to their places, 
and ample room must be left in a sufficiently 
sloping position. There is, however, a way 
of planting inside usually adopted by those 
who want the trunk of the vine where 
its branches are : this is done by building 
arches just under the surface along the front 
wall; by planting in the centre of these arches 
close to the wall the trunk is kept under, 
while the roots will grow out, because there 
is nothing to stop them. The only good ob- 
tained by this, is, that the trunk is not bent 
to get it from the outside to the in; but holes 
in front walls for passing vines in, ought to 
be made differently to those in the older houses. 
This plan of building arches is only tempt- 
ing where there is no glass over the border 
itself, and where, if the way be clear, the 
trunk will be as much protected as it ought to 
be under any circumstances. 
Having now seen the vine planted and cut 
back to two eyes inside the house, we should, 
after a few days' growth, select the better of 
the two for our next year's cane, and let it 
grow as hard as it would, fastening it along 
the rafter or wire trellis, or to whatever 
other contrivance was prepared for it, as it 
lengthened, and pinching off any side boo! 
that made their appearance. If a bunch of 
fruit appeared in either of the breaks at first 
starting, it would determine us to choo e the 
other; but if one appeared in both, we should 
remove the fruit as soon as wc could get hold 
of it, from both, and select the stronger of the 
two for growth; for if we allowed it to bear 
so soon, it would throw back the vine two 
seasons. With tolerable growth, the cane will 
go pretty well the length of the rafter.-; and 
now we have to make up our mind as to the 
intended mode of training. If the house is to 
grow nothing but grapes, you prepare to co\ i r 
the roof; but if to grow other subjects as well, 
one cane to a rafter is enough, and each year 
it is fruiting, there must be a fresh cane 
growing; but having found a good cane to fill 
the length of a rafter, it may be as well to 
adopt the spur system, keeping the cane for 
the main branch, and taking off clo.se, from 
time to time, all weakly growing branches, 
merely leaving such number of them strong 
enough to bear, to grow for fruiting spurs 
next year : these being cut back to the last 
eye for another season, are sure to yield fruit. 
But the principal object to attain in the 
present day seems size of berry and handsome- 
ness of branch: these can only be obtained by 
greatly limiting the number of both. Those 
who set about such things in good earnest, 
will, as soon as they show themselves, select 
the handsomest branches, and sacrifice half 
the others on the vine if they have any doubt 
of the capacity to do justice to all. As soon 
as the grapes are large enough (to get hold of 
with thin pointed scissors) we considerably 
thin their numbers, taking care to preserve 
those important to the bunch — as those on 
the shoulders and points. This must be done 
with great care, not only on account of the 
bloom being so easily destroyed, but also the 
grapes being so easily prevented from swell- 
ing by bruising the footstalk, which in that 
young state is done almost by bending any a 
little on one side. In a week afterwards they 
will be swelled enough to show which others 
are in the way, and to enable you to remove 
those least likely to help the bunch. These 
thinnings must take place a number of times, 
but the more of these requiring removal, that 
can be moved at the first thinning, the better 
for the remainder, as all the size attained by 
those which are ultimately cut off, is to the 
loss of those remaining on, and which might 
have shared it had the intruders been re- 
moved at first; nevertheless, it is desirable to 
avoid doing too much, for one grape lost, 
that ought to be retained, will spoil a bunch ; 
and it is rather desirable to thin at several 
different times, that these important ones may 
be better seen. It must be recollected, that 
