452 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November 17, 1881. 
houseful of growth that will be cut away and burnt. The latter 
however, Mr. Bardney says, is not a loss, as the ashes “ can be 
returned to the border for food again for the Vines.” I cannot 
but admire that observation. Wood ashes are undoubtedly of 
great service to the Vines, as supplying the requisite potash ; 
but the ashes thus obtained, even if applied, would not go far 
towards restoring the fertility needlessly expended. 
The advantage claimed by Mr. Bardney as the result of un¬ 
restricted growth is the certainty of securing heavier and well- 
finished crops without the risk of early exhaustion. Now this is 
just the result I ask for proof of; but it must be further sub¬ 
stantiated to convince me. For instance, what number of bunches 
did Mr. Bardney allow on each Vine the second year after plant¬ 
ing, and again the third year, and their aggregate weights ? 
Mr. Bardney’s case alone, however, whatever the results may 
be, is not sufficient to demonstrate the correctness of his or the 
incorrectness of my assertions, simply because his borders are 
made piecemeal, whereas the majority of cultivators, either of 
necessity or from choice, complete their borders at once. These, 
therefore, have not the opportunity of pinching back the leading 
roots in order to more thoroughly fill a limited width of the 
border. On the contrary, the roots rapidly run through the 
whole, and as rapidly exhaust that whole of its fertility. What 
is the consequence ? The first few years excellent crops and 
prizes are taken, but presently comes a reaction, and unless an 
expensive remedy in the shape of a renewal of the border is 
resorted to, failure from exhaustion takes place. Of such growers 
it is said “they have had their day,” “their borders are ex¬ 
hausted,” “ their Vines are getting old,” and similar, by no 
means complimentary, expressions. It is true that borders can 
be enriched from the surface, but after all that is not equal to 
what the roots find in the body of a well-constituted unexhausted 
border. If this is not so, why does Mr. Bardney shift his Vines 
from the pots in which they were grown into still larger pots 1 or 
Mr. Coleman and other noted growers frequently renew the fronts 
of their borders ? All borders eventually become exhausted, and 
it is necessary to renew them occasionally ; not, however, to 
furnish food for storing, but rather to provide a feeding ground 
for the next season’s new roots. At the risk of being again voted 
ignorant, I assert there is a possibility of storing up much sap 
needlessly. Did anyone observe any great harm accrue to Vines 
that bled excessively when started ? I never did ; and I am not 
in the habit of going about with, metaphorically speaking, my 
eyes shut. 
Growers of Vines in pots will not be much impressed with Mr. 
Bardney’s crop. A weight of about (1 lbs. of Grapes per Vine is 
far from being an extra heavy crop. In the large pots Mr. 
Bardney fruits them in they ought to perfect such a crop, and 
not be exhausted, without resorting to extended top growth. 
I have two important reasons for finding fault with Mr. 
Bardney’s otherwise excellent practice with the planted-out 
Vines. The first fault is encouraging the leading shoots to ex¬ 
tend as fast as they can till they “resemble a thicket at the top 
of the house, the laterals only being pinched up to the place 
where the leader was stopped the second time.” By so doing he 
strengthens the top of the rod at the expense of the base ; the 
only advantage really gained being an “abundance of sources in 
which to exhaust the supply of sap.” This again is a doubtful 
advantage. Anybody can grow good bunches at the top of the 
house, but it is not everybody who can secure equally as good at 
the front. Make a good start by well furnishing the base with 
vigorous laterals, and by ordinarily fair treatment these will con¬ 
tinue strong. It is at the base where growth should be encouraged 
in case of defective root-action, and not at the top ; at all events, 
to so great an extent as your correspondent advocates. There is 
no doubt unrestricted growth enlarges the stems, but nurserymen 
do not depend upon the head of a young standard Apple tree to 
strengthen the stems ; on the contrary, the laterals are retained 
and gradually shortened till this is accomplished, when they are 
cut away. The finest Vine stems I have yet seen were treated 
similarly, with this difference, the laterals down to the ground 
are still retained. I do not believe in rapid commencements, but 
prefer rather to keep the stems constantly swelling ; and instead 
of a short-lived reputation as a good Grape-grower I should be 
infinitely more proud to be able to remark of a house of Grapes, 
say at the end of nine or ten years, “that is the best crop of 
Grapes I have yet secured from those Vines since planting them.” 
At that age the border could not well be too full of roots ; it is in 
the earlier stages that 1 object to having the borders needlessly 
exhausted. 
The other objection to a houseful of top growth in the earlier 
stages is this. I attach much importance to the crop of Grapes or 
Tomatoes that can be grown on the back wall or in the body of 
the house, preferring to have supernumeraries in these positions 
rather than crowded in among the permanent Vines. 
When I submitted my views on this subject 1 did not expect to 
meet all the arguments that might be adduced in antagonism to 
my opinions, and certainly did not think of airing my limited 
scientific knowledge, knowing as well as “ Single-handed” that 
science must be thoroughly understood or let alone in a public dis¬ 
cussion. At the same time I fail to see where I gave such lament¬ 
able proof of my ignorance of the rudiments of the structure and 
functions of plants, including the Vine. He mu t have a poor 
opinion of my intelligence if he supposes I am under the impres¬ 
sion the borders are filled with roots for no presumably good pur¬ 
pose. What they are so filled for I leave to the advocates of the 
practice to explain, and merely argue against it, being under the 
impression a much less number of roots would suffice. Vines 
trained as I described would also have “ ample working power of 
foliage, ample room to work in, ample feeding, ample supplies of 
heat and light,” and it is unnecessary for me to dip still deeper 
into science to assert such foliage thus obtained would be in a 
better state to elaborate sap than those that are included in a 
“ thicket of growth.” A few large leathery leaves are preferable 
to a greater number of thin papery foliage, and young sappy 
growth surely does not do much towards filling the “reservoirs 
with organised material in the autumn.” That it is necessary to 
have material stored at hand to support the young growth of 
Vines is obvious, but it is superabundance to which I object, as this 
results in the formation of too sappy growth. It is not necessary 
to retain the whole of the roots of well-established Vines, the 
canes of which are severely pruned ; and if a number of the roots 
are severed in the autumn before the loss of foliage, they will heal 
and produce more roots, which in good soil will afford a plentiful 
supply of sap when this is really required. 
In support of my arguments, and in conclusion, I quote the 
following from a contemporary relating to fruit-growing at Saw- 
bridgeworth — “The most surprising evidence of the accom¬ 
modating nature of the Vine was that of two plants, Black Ham¬ 
burgh and Royal Muscadine. The pots in which they grew were 
12 inches in diameter, but perforated, and standing on a small 
bed of compost, into which the roots were allowed to spread. The 
bed was scarcely a yard square and not more than a foot in depth. 
Of course the roots were fed with liberal doses and dressing of 
manure. After the crop had been taken and the canes thoroughly 
ripened the soil in the bed beyond a margin of 4 or 5 inches from 
the pot is entirely cut away and replaced with fresh compost. 
The two Vines in question were bearing each—and had borne for 
two years, I was told, previously — from twelve to fourteen 
splendid bunches. The Vines consisted, of course, of single canes, 
and stood on each side of a doorway in a house 9 feet wide, in 
which young Vines were grown ”—not much room for unrestricted 
growth there, and the majority of the “ underground stems 
generally called roots ” were not much valued, at all events as 
“reservoirs.”—W. Iggulden. 
Two able correspondents have questioned the soundness of 
Mr. Iggulden’s views on the management of Vines, and I am 
not disposed to dispute the general accurary of their statements, 
bint still I do not regard them as conclusive. The subject of 
rampant growth in the early stages of a Vine’s career, as ad¬ 
vanced by Mr. Iggulden, is highly worthy of discussion. Great 
enthusiasm exists amongst growers of Grapes, and enthusiastic 
people often carry their notions to extremes. Mr. Iggulden D, 
perhaps, apt to restrict his Vines unduly, and Mr. Bardney and 
“ Single-handed ” to attach too much importance to a free ex¬ 
tension of growth ; but whether they do so or not depends on their 
mode of pruning afterwards. Mr. Bardney states that he pinches 
the laterals up to a height of 3 or 4 feet, and beyond that the 
Vines are allowed to grow as much and as fast as they can. If 
he cuts them down in winter to the point below where free growth 
was encouraged, he will simply cut off the best buds that would, 
if left, produce the best bunches and finest Grapes. The eyes on 
the lower or restricted portion will be weak iu comparison with 
those above them, and weak eyes produce weak growths, and 
these cannot afford the best Grapes. 
If Mr. Bardney can remove nine-tenths of the growths from the 
V nes and preserve all the root-fibres alive, as he appears to tl irk 
he can, I do not hesitate to say that he stands alone. Anyone 
wffio examines Vines grown in pots, no matter how well they may 
be grown, will find that many fibres decay even when the canes 
are not materially shortened, and they will certainly do so in a 
border where the Vines are severely pruned. The main roots, 
however, will not decay, and these undoubtedly are storehouses 
of food for the Vines. But the question arises, Of what avail is 
food if it is in greater quantity than can be appropriated, as it 
