NOTES ON THE VINE. 
12G 
to shrivel prematurely, while the young wood, 
in all but the earliest forced house — which 
under such circumstances, it will be small and 
long-jointed — will require much firing to 
ripen it ; which artificial heating, if accom- 
plished by the medium of smoke-flues, will 
be sure to encourage the generating and 
ravages of red spiders and such pests. 
Therefore, seeing such to be the produce 
and consequences of deep rich borders, and a 
high dry atmosphere, theory would lead us to 
conclude that shallow borders of light porous 
soil would be the most fit and proper medium 
into which to plant, and that a high day tem- 
perature, with abundance of air, and a low 
night temperature, with abundance of mois- 
ture, and a close, calm atmosphere,would be the 
most proper climate in which to grow the Vine; 
theory, I say, would lead, and did lead me to 
conclude thus years ago ; and in practice I 
have had ample proof of the correctness of 
such surmises. 
"When I entered into the charge of the gar- 
dens at Eiecarton, in May 1842, I found the 
Tines growing in wide and very deep borders 
of rich, heavy, and retentive soil ; where, 
notwithstanding the drought and warmth of 
tliat summer, they made wood, the best cane 
of which was scarcely the thickness of an 
ordinary goose-quill ; and leaves, the largest 
of which would scarcely cover the palm of the 
open hand ; and fruit small, with a great ten- 
dency to shrivel, the very best of which was 
but ill-coloured and of indifferent flavour. I 
certainly felt vexed and annoyed at the cir- 
cumstance, but had the consolation — if so it 
may be called — of being informed by my em- 
ployers, that such, and no better, had been the 
crops and appearance of the vineries for many 
previous and successive years. Next Au- 
tumn I pruned the Vines severely, and early 
in Spring, 1843, 1 lifted their roots, excavated 
out the soil in which they were planted, to the 
depth of thirty inches, then trod and beat into 
a pretty firm floor, with a good slope outwards, 
the surface at which I had then arrived, and 
upon which I laid a stratum, one foot in depth, 
of old peas sticks ; above which I placed a 
stratum of decaying tree leaves, and some 
partly decomposed herbaceous refuse, mixed 
with light, rich, but very sandy soil. On this 
stratum I laid the roots, and over these I put 
about a foot of the original soil, made lighter 
by the addition of a considerable quantity of 
lime rubbish, sand, and thoroughly decayed 
leaves — indeed, upwards of one-third part of 
the one-foot thick stratum over the roots was 
composed of these light, poor materials. The 
consequence has been that now, in Autumn 
1844 (eighteen months after the operation), 
the canes all over the houses are round, firm, 
short-jointed, plump-eyed (such, and in many 
instances better, than the specimen I herewith 
enclose to you), having leaves from eighteen to 
upwards of twenty inches direct across, and 
fruit of first-rate quality. My employers, 
and many others who have tasted of it, say 
so. Some canes of last year's growth have 
this season borne twelve pounds' weight of 
fruit; and some canes of this year's growth 
will, next year, easily, and well, bear and 
mature twenty pounds of fruit. 
Making this assertion of the capabilities of 
an annual cane, leads me, in conclusion, to 
attempt to give you a sketch of my mode of 
training and pruning the Vine, as it is differ- 
ent from the modes practised in this locality. 
During the first year — it matters not whe- 
ther the plant be a young one, or a cut-over 
old plant — one shoot, and only one, is trained 
up direct under the rafter ; one, of course, 
from a different root being trained up under 
the centre of the sash ; and so on, one under 
each rafter, and one under each sash, all over 
the house, and all trained and treated alike ; 
which shoot is allowed to grow unchecked 
until it has attained a length of six to eight 
feet, when, having it well grown, from fifteen 
to twenty eyes or buds formed,, it is stopped 
then, and repeatedly afterwards, during the 
season. When the pruning arrives (which, with 
me, is the end of Autumn), all the, -indifferent 
eyes or buds are scooped out from, the shoot, 
until ten or twelve only are left. These will 
next season produce strong shoots, having, 
some three bunches of fruit, some two, and all 
at least one bunch; which bunches must be 
cut away, or thinned,*until only what will ma- 
ture to ten or twelve pounds of fruit are left. 
All the shoots, of course excepting the mother, 
or leader shoot, and one from the base of the 
plant, are stopped one eye beyond the fruit, 
while the leader and base shoots are each 
allowed" and encouraged to perfect their ten or 
twelve good eyes, for next or third year ; on 
which year the original cane, sape as second 
year, bears fruit only on the shoots proceed- 
ing from the twelve eyes on previous year's 
growth, the twelve shoots on the under part 
of it being cut close away after bearing first 
and only crop, and no others allowed to 
emanate from their parent stem in their 
place, which place will be occupied on this, 
the third year, by the shoots proceeding from 
the young, or base shoot, of previous year's 
growth. "On fourth year a third young or 
base shoot is allowed to perfect its twelve or 
fifteen eyes, and the original cane, after bear- 
ing a crop on its twelve upper eyes, is cut 
clear away as near the ground as possible; 
and so on, year by year, a young cane is 
started, and an old one cut away. Thus, 
bunches of fruit, numerous as by the open 
system, and much heavier, may be had regu- 
larly all over the house, without old or weak 
wood, or confusion of training. 
N 
