JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 7, 1881. ] 
267 
7th 
TH 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. Linnean Society at 8 P.M. 
8th 
F 
Quekett Club at 8 p.M. 
9 th 
s 
Royal Botanic Society at 3.45 p.M. 
10th 
Sun 
Palm Sunday. 
11th 
M 
12th 
TU 
Royal Horticultural Society—Fruit and Floral Committees at 
13th 
W 
[11 A.M. 
SPRING NOTES ON VINES. 
LL who possess Vines will now be considering 
what it is best to do with them to insure succ ess 
in their culture. Experienced cultivators have 
fixed rules for growing Vines, and have no 
occasion to depart from them ; but amateurs 
who may only lately have acquired a vinery, 
and others whose previous practice may not have 
altogether pleased them, will no doubt readily accept 
any suggestions which are likely to help them. 
Much valuable advice bearing on this matter has 
appeared in these pages of late years, but the great number of 
questions still answered weekly indicate that information on 
the subject is as eagerly sought as ever. Many of these no 
doubt come from new readers, and I daresay others who may 
have grown Vines for some years] often find difficulties arise on 
which they are glad of advice. 
It is generally admitted that fruit trees have suffered much 
through the influences of the last three unfavourable seasons, 
and although many may Think this can only be the case in the 
open air, I think it also applies to a certain extent under glass. 
The absence of sun is felt under glass as much as anywhere ; 
and the ill effects of this deficiency of sun heat are very 
marked in the Vine. The chief value of the fruit, especially 
if it has to be kept long, is to have it thoroughly ripened, 
and the wood soon loses its fertility if only imperfectly ma¬ 
tured for two or three seasons in succession. A long season 
of growth and early ripening of both fruit and wood in autumn 
are the best means of guarding against deterioration. August 
and September are generally our brightest months, and to have 
Vines growing instead of maturing at those periods is a 
great mistake. Early Vines that were started into growth in 
February or earlier will be safe so far as early ripening is 
concerned, but we must not forget the great number of vineries 
where the owners depend on their Vines being started into 
growth in a natural way as the days lengthen. In many such 
cases April will be nearly over before the Vines have com¬ 
menced growing, and as five to six months are required to 
produce ripe Grapes, it will be seen that late starting is simply 
courting defeat. 
To some it may appear extravagance to start Vines into 
growth in March or early April under the influence of fire 
heat, when by waiting a few weeks longer the expenditure 
would be greatly reduced. The latter practice is, however, 
not economical in the end, as it will probably lead to ill- 
ripened fruit and imperfectly matured wood in the autumn, 
the fire heat that is then wanted to finish the crop and after¬ 
wards prevent it from decaying far outweighing the expense 
of a month’s extra early firing in spring. Were the very 
latest Vines started into growth by the beginning of March, or 
as soon after that as possible, the Grapes would be thoroughly 
ripe by September, and the advantages of this system would 
soon be seen in the high colour and rich flavour of the 
fruit. The wood, too, would become riper than it would do 
in the sunless months of October and November. The more 
delicate Grapes are, the better do they require to be ripened 
for late keeping ; and it is only by starting Black Hamburghs 
at the time we have named, and having them ripe in Septem¬ 
ber, that w T e can depend on them keeping until the new year 
or afterwards. 
If all late Vines have not been started into growth, no time 
should now be lost in commencing. The inside border should 
be saturated with water, and when this is thoroughly done at 
the commencement of the season it will be long before the soil 
becomes very dry again. On the lower side of one of our manure 
heaps there is a large tank to catch all the liquid that runs 
from the dung. This tank often becomes filled during the 
winter, and to avoid losing any we generally empty the tank 
on to the Vine borders, and this has a good effect on the Vines 
when they commence growdng. Liquid manure is better for 
Vines at the present time than pure water, as the size of the 
berries depends in a great measure upon the vigour of the 
young wood. In short, it is to the roots we must look for all 
our success in Grape culture. If these are in the finest possible 
condition atmospheric influences will be of secondary con¬ 
sideration, but imperfect root-action will never be compensated 
for by any attention to the stem growths. A balance between 
both, however, is what is most desired. 
The growths must be trained and attended to from their first 
appearance. Those who leave long spurs in pruning will have 
many young shoots starting from each ; only one, or not more 
than two, will be wanted of these. The weakest should be 
removed as soon as they are 1 inch long, leaving only two or 
three of the strongest for a time until it is seen which is most 
fruitful, and then remove the others. Crowding the rods and 
young growths is well known to be much against successful 
Vine culture, but the knowledge of this fact does not appear 
to deter many from adhering to the practice very closely, as 
in the majority of vineries we find, say, about a dozen of the 
side shoots on each rod bearing fruit, and double that number 
fruitless. To allow these all to bear would be overcropping, 
but to allow them all to remain on the Vine is as great an 
evil. What good they do it would be impossible to say, but 
the harm is easily seen. All Vines bear freely enough from 
the same spur for years in succession, so that fruitless wood 
need not be retained under the impression that from this will 
be secured the finest and only bunches the following season. 
If one-half of the fruitless shoots were removed an improve¬ 
ment wmuld result in the wood and fruit remaining. To secure 
the best results from this practice the shoots should be removed 
before the bunches have flowered. 
When Vines become old, although the roots may be in good 
order, the spurs run out far from the main stem, and sometimes 
both the bunches and berries are smaller than formerly. Young 
canes would alter this state of matters completely, and those 
having old Vines would do well to take up a few young canes 
from them annually. We do this regularly, and some of our 
oldest Vines have now clean healthy young canes, and that, 
too, without losing time or a crop, as the young rods reach the 
No. 41.—Yol. II., Third Series. 
No. 1G97.—Yol. LXY., Old Series 
