September 9, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
227 
COMING EVENTS 
9th 
Th 
Towcester Horticultural Exhibition. 
10th 
F 
Paisley Horticultural Exhibition. 
11th 
S 
Sale of Bulbs at Mr. J. C. Stevens’ Rooms, Covent Garden. 
12th 
SUN 
16th Sunday after Trinity. 
13 th 
M 
[ternational Potato Exhibition. 
Entries close for Messrs. Suttons’ and Carter’s Prizes at the In- 
14th 
TU 
16th 
W 
Brighton Horticultural Exhibition. 
LIFTING OLD VINES. 
ANY gardeners are under the impression that 
old Vines are of no use, hut only fit for the 
rubbish heap. I am quite aware that many 
old Vines are apparently in that condition, but 
some of them at least, I think, can be reno¬ 
vated. I have seen many Vines worn out at 
twelve years of age, and others not worn out at 
forty or fifty"years of age. The reasons are easily told 
—overcropping, and not giving proper attention to the 
borders. But, it may be observed, there are Vines more 
than half a century'old which bear large crops of good fruit 
annually, and yet have very little care bestowed on the borders. 
The reasons are, that the natural soil is very good or the roots 
are working in a drain, while the rods have not been over¬ 
weighted with fruit. I believe that if the natural soil is not 
good for Vine-growing the borders require renewing every 
twelve or fourteen years, and if they are both inside and out 
the work can be easily done without losing any of the crop. 
The Vines here are between fifty and sixty years of age, 
and were in a miserable state when I entered on my duties 
thirteen months ago. All gardeners who saw these weak and 
scraggy examples said they were worn out and would never 
come to any good. But my employer not desiring to have 
fresh Vines, there was no alternative but to lift the roots, 
and that work was commenced at once. The borders were 
inside and out, not a root could be found within 3 feet from 
the surface in the outside border, and those were few and as 
black as burnt sticks, destitute of fibres. The crop was cut as 
soon as possible, and we commenced lifting the roots towards 
the end of September whilst the foliage was on the Vines. 
The weather at the time was dull, so that it was seldom ne¬ 
cessary to shade the roof; had the weather been bright shading 
would have been imperative. 
We commenced with having a quantity of turf cut about 
3 inches in thickness, and to every cartload was added one 
bushel of inch bones with a good sprinkling of old lime rubbish 
and charcoal dust; but it was mixed as the border was being 
made, as the soil was used in turves. We cut a trench 7 feet 
from the Vine stems to the depth of the border, and worked 
the soil back from the roots. It was very tiresome work, the 
soil being very hard and stiff quite to the stems of the Vines. 
As the soil was removed from the roots they were covered 
with damp mats. No more soil was removed than could be re¬ 
placed in a day. We placed at the bottom 18 inches of brick 
rubble sloping to the front, then a layer of turves with the 
grass downwards, and built a wall of turf at the outside. The 
border was filled up to within 10 inches of the top, when the 
roots were laid out, the ends being cut clean with a sharp 
knife, and the roots notched at intervals. They were then 
covered with 10 inches of the compost, having it rather fine 
about the roots. 
The house was closed when we commenced operations, and 
kept so for about three weeks, and the Vines were syringed 
three times a day. Air was afterwards admitted freely, and 
with the help of a little fire heat the Vines ripened their wood 
and foliage well. The inside border, in which there were a 
few roots, was kept moist during the winter to keep these 
roots fresh. The outside border was protected with straw 
during the winter. 
When the Vines were pruned they were cut to the best buds. 
The Vines were started gradually the second week in February, 
and broke evenly and well. After they had made 6 inches of 
growth they were kept at 55° as a minimum and 60° as a 
maximum temperature, so as not to exhaust the rods of their 
stored-up sap. About this stage they commenced to emit 
clusters of quill-like rootlets from the old roots, which had 
callused over in the autumn. The shoots were not stopped till 
they had produced five joints beyond the bunch, and the top 
shoots were allowed to extend freely. At this time the inside 
border was kept well supplied with liquid manure. 
We left a good number of bunches on the Vines as we could 
not lose a crop. The result is, that the berries have swelled to 
a much larger size than they were before, and the new border 
is full of roots for future work. These roots are on the top of 
the border, which was watered as required, and the inside 
borders have been well supplied with liquid manure. On two 
Vines young canes had been run up previously, and the old 
rods were cut out at pruning'time. These young canes did not 
show fruit so well as the old rods, but the bunches and berries 
are much larger and better coloured. Although we lifted the 
Vines we have not only not lost a crop, but have, on the 
contrary, secured one far superior to that of last season, and 
we have a supply of well-finished and good family Grapes.— 
A Southern^Grower. 
[We saw the Vines referred to last year, and they were 
indeed “miserable." We have seen Grapes produced by the 
Vines this year, and they are excellent. We congratulate our 
correspondent on his well-earned success.— Eds.] 
POPULAR GREENHOUSE FLOWERS. 
CINERARIAS AND CALCEOLARIAS. 
Although there is an abundance of what are generally 
termed florists’ flowers, and annuals more or less suitable for 
culture in pots, the number of really popular and serviceable 
kinds is somewhat small. With this limited selection, how¬ 
ever, it is really remarkable what a display can be maintained 
all the year round with but poor convenience for the work, 
and at a comparatively small outlay. At the present time 
we have Balsams, the strains of which are now of the best 
description. Cockscombs, Celosias, and Torenia Fournieri in 
the way of annuals ; Zonal Pelargoniums, both single and 
double flowering, many of which produce immense trusses ; 
and Fuchsias in bountiful variety, with a good batch of 
Gloxinias and tuberous-rooted Begonias. These relieved with 
a few Ferns, Selaginellas, and spring-sown Panicura pli- 
catum form a cheap and very effective display, while the 
No. 11 .—Vol. I., Third Series. 
No. 1667.—Von. LXIV., Old Series. 
