JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
126 
[ February 16, 1882. 
jurious to most plants, a very small proportion in the atmo¬ 
sphere producing detrimental effects in a short time. Many 
years ago experiments were made by Drs. Turner and Christison 
to ascertain the actual effects of some gases upon vegetation, 
and it was found that so small a quantity of sulphurous acid 
gas as one ten-thousandth in a certain volume of air—a pro¬ 
portion so minute as to be quite imperceptible to smell—was 
sufficient to destroy the leaves of plants confined in it in forty- 
eight hours. Sulphuretted hydrogen is injurious in a similar 
degree, but its action differs from that of the acid gases. In 
the experiments already referred to it was found that it caused 
the leaves to hang down perpendicularly, becoming flaccid and 
lifeless in appearance, and from this the plants so affected 
rarely recovered when removed to a suitable atmosphere. The 
acid gases affect the tips of the leaves first, the discolouration 
gradually extending to the leafstalk, and with careful treat¬ 
ment plants have resumed growth even when seriously affected. 
Carbonic acid gas has been found to be deleterious only 
when in excessively large quantities. In pure air the propor¬ 
tion of carbonic acid varies from 0-035 to 0 04 per cent., but in 
the atmosphere of towns it may be as high as 0T per cent. 
Some continental observers have found that some plants will 
bear 8 or even 10 per cent, without injury, while a few have 
been slightly affected by 2 per cent. ; but most plants have 
been found to succumb to a proportion of carbonic acid gas as 
high as 20 per cent, when the air has been confined to a par¬ 
ticular vessel.—C. W. 
VINES AT LONGLEAT. 
(Continued from page 10S.) 
EARLY TRAINING. 
Immediately after planting tire young Vines had 
small stakes placed against them to conduct them to 
the trellis, and when they reached the trellis a stake 
was also tied on to the top of the wires above each 
plant for the purpose of fastening the young soft 
growth to as it progressed. When the Vines were 
about 9 or 10 feet long they were stopped for the first 
time, the laterals all being stopped to one leaf as they 
were produced, and not more than one leaf or two at a 
time was allowed to he made on the main rod after this 
without the point of the shoot being stopped. In some 
cases the upper eyes started, but the stopping was still 
persisted in, a watch of course being kept on the lower 
eyes, to which, however, no harm came, and the canes 
swelled regularly all their length, made some very 
leathery-looking leaves and plump eyes, and most of 
the latter proved to have two or three embryo hunches 
in them—in fact they were just like good Vines in pots. 
It will be seen that here again I have not followed 
the orthodox method. It is generally supposed to he 
necessary to allow young Vines to grow very much more 
than I have done, the idea being that a large growth of 
foliage produces a corresponding large amount of root- 
action, which no doubt is true. It will also be seen 
that I had left no space for a large amount of growth 
at this time, for the temporary Vines being placed 
along each side of the centre and trained over the path 
on the trellis, left not more than about 12 feet for the 
younger Vines to run in a straight line without over¬ 
lapping their elder brethren. Was I, then, favouring 
the temporary Vines at the expense of the permanent 
ones ? for I have already acknowledged that the root- 
growth corresponds in quantity to the growth of foliage. 
I do not think I was, at any rate that was not my in¬ 
tention, and I must here state that the quality of the 
roots also corresponds with the quality of the foliage 
and the stems, and that mere quantity in either case is 
not the chief object. 
As far as I know 9 or 10 feet of rod is about as much 
as we can bring to perfection during the first year of 
a Vine’s existence. This 9 or 10 feet being strong and 
fully matured is a good proof that its roots have been 
sufficient, and it seems to me that to attempt to pro¬ 
duce more roots by means of top growth which cannot 
be ripened will also produce roots which will be im¬ 
mature at the end of the season, and which, even if 
they could survive, could not be of much benefit to the 
Vine. Some people are greatly afraid lest the roots of 
their Vines and fruit trees should enter cold soil and so 
produce immature growth, such as will he a prey to all 
the evils to which vegetable life is subject, yet they 
encourage growth which cannot possibly ripen, and 
thus bring about the very evil they have been so care¬ 
ful to guard against in other ways. This part of my 
argument holds good even where light and air can 
reach the foliage which I take to be excessive, and is 
produced, say, later than the month of July ; but what 
shall we say about that which is produced much later 
in the season, and which from being encouraged to 
grow anywhere and everywhere much of it is produced 
in semi-darkness ? If what I have stated about that 
which is produced abundantly in good light be correct, 
then the evil here must be greatly multiplied. We do 
not want mere length of timber in our Vines, we need 
circumference as well, and more than all we require 
solidity such as is guaranteed by short joints and plump 
buds, and this can only be produced by thick leathery 
foliage such as may be looked for in vain in a thicket 
of growth. 
I do not think there is anything remarkable about 
the system of training I have adopted and now recom¬ 
mend. It is something like the plan we should probably 
follow if we had never heard of any other, and perhaps 
that will account for my following it, for I have never 
yet read an essay on Vine culture. I had had some 
rather heavy practice thrust on me somewhat unex¬ 
pectedly before such a work was placed in my hands, 
and then when I had time to open its pages I saw their 
contents did not agree with what I had found out for 
myself, and—well, I closed the book again. That w r as 
about fourteen years ago. I have continued gaining a 
little knowledge in my own way ever since, and have 
come to the conclusion that I shall have to live to be a 
very old man before I know all about it. 
THE EIRST PRUNING. 
Having taken the greatest possible care to grow the 
Vines through the first twelve months, I daresay it will 
surprise those of my readers who do not profess to 
understand the art of Grape-growing as it is followed 
by most of our leading men of the present day, when 
they are told that the proper way to proceed next is to 
cut them down ; and I daresay it would surprise the 
fore-mentioned professionals if they had not already 
heard something about it to be told that once more I did 
not choose to follow the fashionable plan. Well, then, the 
non-professional will say, “ If you cut them down and 
throw one part away, which part will it be, top or 
bottom, since you have taken so much pains with the 
top ? ” In my case probably the top would be the 
most valuable, for Vines are so free to strike root at 
either end that with the excellent wood now produced 
I almost dare give an opponent the part with the roots 
and a challenge at the same time as to which shall 
surpass in three years’ time—the headless roots or the 
