86 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c February 2> 1882. 
the small shoots that are not strong enough to flower. In 
adopting the close-pruning system with these varieties the ma¬ 
jority of the flowers would be pruned away. They produce a 
flower from nearly every eye along the shoots, which frequently 
are many feet in length. What further pruning is needed is 
best done after blooming by removing the old wood that pro¬ 
duced the flowers, allowing the growths near the base to ex¬ 
tend. Many other varieties of Tea Roses need the weak 
growths removed and the stronger shortened ; their compact 
habit, especially outside, renders much pruning unnecessary.— 
W. Bardnky. 
VINES AT LONGLEAT. 
( Continued from page 69.) 
PARTITIONING THE BORDER. 
By tlie time two of the compartments were ready for 
the border the spring of 1870 had arrived, and as I 
thought it advisable to have fruit as soon as possible 
after the house was complete, a quantity of fruiting 
Vines had been grown in readiness the previous season, 
with the intention of placing them along each side of 
the centre of the house and arching them over the 
pathway, making a continuous avenue about 8 feet wide. 
To carry out this plan it was necessary to make all the 
border at once, and as it was not thought advisable 
to allow the roots of temporary and permanent Vines 
to extend over it indiscriminately, 4 £-inch partitions 
pigeon-holed at the bottom were rim along each side 
about 8 feet from the walls, so as to confine the per 
manent plants to this space. Besides these longitudinal 
partitions others were built across the part intended for 
the more permanent Vines, dividing the length of about 
80 feet into three spaces, in order that we might, if 
necessary, take out some of the plants without injuring 
all. It will be seen from the foregoing that even at 
this stage I had some idea that the Vines I now call 
permanent would not all be required, and that some 
provision was made for emergencies. 
THE HEATING. 
As I had already met with some disagreeable experi¬ 
ences since my arrival here in this matter, the pipes in 
the forcing houses being arranged with the greatest, 
possible number of dips, and with the return pipes on a 
higher level than the flows, I was naturally anxious 
about this part of the subject, and insisted on having the 
simplest arrangement possible. Happily there was no 
one to disagree with me, for the tender of Messrs. 
Weeks was accepted, and they very obligingly fixed the 
pipes just where I wanted them, took all the responsi¬ 
bility off me, and guaranteed their working satisfac¬ 
torily. There are ten rows of 4-incli pipes, one flow 
and four returns, on each side of the house, either side 
in each compartment working separately. There are 
two “Long No. 4 ” tubular boilers fixed, but one at a 
time is sufficient to do the work, and we frequently 
employ them alternately. The only objection I ever 
had to this kind of boiler no longer exists. There used 
to be a sad waste of fuel, half the heat escaping up the 
chimney. However, since the form of the boiler has 
been altered so that it can be set with a spiral flue there 
is no reason to complain in this respect. Many of the 
pipes are cast with troughs on them to hold water for 
evaporation, but I have long ago discontinued their 
use. 
THE TRELLIS. 
This is not fixed parallel with the roof as is usually 
tire case, but is 2 feet from the glass at the lowest point, 
and is carried over the central part of the house just 
8J- feet from the surface of the border, where, owing to 
the lantern being above, it is some 7 or 8 feet from the 
roof; and at 8 feet from the centre where the lantern 
rises, the trellis is about 4 feet from the glass. It 
consists of galvanised wire rather larger than a knit¬ 
ting needle stretched lengthways of the house and 
10 inches apart. There are screws at one end of each 
wire to tighten it when required. My readers will see 
that the oft-repeated advice, “ keep close to the glass ” 
has not been followed here, and I will endeavour to 
give my reasons for this departure. But first, as to the 
disadvantages. There are several imaginary ones 
pointed out by visitors, but the only real one I have 
been able to detect is the loss of 18 inches for the Vine 
rods if we take a section across the house ; all other 
disadvantages being quite imaginary. “ Keep close to 
the glass ” was sound advice no doubt when there was 
very little glass to keep close to, the panes being small, 
not very clear, and the roof half wood. But things are 
altered now. The roof of a modern vinery or greenhouse 
does not obstruct so much light as to be injurious, in¬ 
deed it is rather the reverse during bright weather, 
and the old advice should die with the old houses. But 
we gardeners cling very tenaciously to old advice given 
by our forefathers when the circumstances were entirely 
different. I do not underrate the merits of our fore¬ 
fathers as horticulturists. I consider that with their 
rude appliances they did more creditable things than 
we do at the present day, but that is no reason we should 
follow them blindly under totally different circumstances. 
We do not find that plants become drawn in such a 
place as the Crystal Palace—it would be unreasonable 
to expect such a thing to happen, neither do my Straw¬ 
berry plants become drawn during forcing, though they 
are from 4 to 8 feet from the glass. Of course there is 
nothing between them and the glass, and the latter is 
in large panes and kept clean. But I am rambling—I 
have pointed out the only disadvantage I know of in 
having the Vine trellis so far from the glass, and will 
now endeavour to name some of the advantages. 
Firstly, I can reach without steps every bunch of 
Grapes in the house except those immediately over the 
pathway. The amount of time this saves is very great 
in the course of the year when pruning, tying, thinning, 
gathering, and general supervision are taken into 
account. The latter point cannot be overestimated, 
because, every bunch coming under the eye of the chief, 
he cannot easily be deceived in the work of those 
employed under him. 
Secondly, The advantage of having the ventilators 
5 or 6 feet above the foliage in cold spring weather is a 
great one, as the fresh air cannot reach the delicate 
tissues till it has become considerably softened by the 
moisture and warmth of the internal atmosphere. 
Thirdly, The advantage of keeping the foliage clear 
from the glass instead of allowing it to press close 
against it as it usually does is greater than many people 
imagine. When the latter is the case many of the best 
placed leaves cannot perform their functions because 
their upper surface is moist half the time, and is 
pressed so close to the glass that respiration and in¬ 
spiration cannot go on as it ought to do ; and to this 
alone I attribute the want of finish in many an other¬ 
wise good crop of Grapes. Then, again, the changes of 
temperature are so great close to the glass. In severe 
weather we have ice actually inside the glass of a hot- 
