JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 8, 1883. ] 
189 
8th 
9th 
10th 
Tn 
F 
s 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. 
11th 
12 th 
SDN 
M 
stii Sunday in Lent. 
13th 
Tu 
Royal Horticultural Society, Fruit anil 
Floral Committees at 
14th 
W 
Society of Arts at 8 P.M. 
[11 A.M. 
LIFTING VINES IN MARCH. 
^HEN old Vines are unsatisfactory we are 
frequently advised to clear them out and 
plant young ones. This was said to me 
in relation to a house of old Vines ex¬ 
hausted from overcropping and a satu¬ 
rated border; in fact the roots were in a 
very bad condition. I did not clear them 
out, however, and preferred for several 
reasons to improve them if possible instead of 
planting young Vines, and well have they repaid 
the time and labour necessary for carrying out 
the operation. They have improved each year since 
they were lifted, now five years ago, and it is question¬ 
able if young Vines would have produced finer fruit, 
and I certainly should not have obtained from them 
half the weight of Grapes the renovated Vines have 
produced. 
It was towards the end of February when I decided 
to lift them, and I had then to consider the best time 
for doing the work. I wanted a crop of Grapes from 
these Vines if possible, and this made me hesitate at 
first to lift them in the spring; yet I did not like the 
idea of waiting until autumn and thus lose a season; 
besides the crop, anticipating they would produce one, 
would have to hang upon them for weeks, or even 
months, after the usual time for lifting in autumn. It 
was early in March before suitable soil could be found, 
and the work was commenced by clearing out about 
4 yards of the old border from one end of the house, the 
border being inside. The new border, about yards 
wide, was made and the roots laid into it before the 
remainder of the old border was disturbed. Another 
portion was then removed and replaced as before, and 
so on until the whole was completed. The strong 
fibreless roots were remarkable for their black unhealthy 
appearance. These were shortened considerably, yet 
every healthy fibre possible was preserved. The Vines 
had many dead roots, especially near the bottom of the 
border, and the principal fibry roots they possessed 
were near the front and had evidently started from the 
collar one or two years previously. The soil the new 
border was composed of was fully too moist, and the 
Vines in consequence had no water for a long time 
after lifting. 
They were allowed to start into growth naturally, 
and it was thought best not to apply fire heat until the 
roots had commenced advancing. The Vines started 
fairly well, and the house was closed early in the day 
while the sun was upon it and with a moist atmosphere. 
The time between the lengtliening-out of the shoots 
and the action of the roots is not long in the case of 
healthy Vines, but these in question did not advance for 
two or three weeks; they flagged in spite of syringing 
when the sun shone upon the house, and the small 
leaves nearest the stems turned yellow and fell off. 
Anxiously I watched the Vines day by day going back, 
and even made preparation for raising young Vines by 
pegging one or two small Vines I possessed of suitable 
varieties into the turf of the border, as I concluded the 
few bunches—fifty to sixty in all—would, like the small 
leaves, eventually turn yellow and fall. At last I 
hopefully discovered the deeper shade of green making 
its appearance near the footstalk of the leaf; flagging 
became less frequent, and in a very short time lateral 
growths made signs of pushing—all satisfactory indi¬ 
cations that the roots had commenced to do their duty. 
These lateral growths were encouraged until they filled 
the entire roof, crowding being avoided. At the base 
they were encouraged until the border was almost 
covered and the top resembled a thicket. What about 
the bunches ? some may ask. A few turned yellow 
and fell, but fifty finished well and were conspicuous 
for their large berries. These Vines are by no means 
handsome when pruned, for we have never studied the 
orthodox system of spur-pruning with them, and they 
have yearly improved in the number and size of the 
bunches and quality of the fruit. 
The general desire, of young gardeners especially, is 
to root out old, or what we may term old, Vines if they 
are not quite satisfactory, and plant young ones, as 
from them something gigantic is anticipated. The 
first thing, then, to be considered is the requirements 
of the family a gardener serves. In many instances 
giant bunches, however startling they may be, are not 
so serviceable as those of a moderate size. When 
large a Vine cannot carry so many bunches, and in 
consequence Grapes for dessert fail long before they 
would if the Vines bore a greater number of smaller 
bunches. My advice, then, is, where the production 
of large bunches is not the primary object do not be in 
a hurry to destroy old Vines. These in many cases 
when properly renovated are capable of yielding after 
one year a full crop of Grapes. If the fruit for one 
year on exhausted Vines could be sacrificed they have 
a much better chance of recruiting themselves, and 
would in all probability go on with judicious treatment 
and moderate cropping for an indefinite period. 
Some contend the best time to lift Vines is just 
before the foliage falls. It may be; but rather than 
disturb them with a crop of Grapes hanging I would 
prefer doing the work in spring some time before the 
roots commence growing. If the roots are entirely 
outside and there is no means of protecting the new 
border from heavy rains, especially in wet low-lying 
localities, the spring is decidedly preferable to late 
autumn for lifting. I do not condemn autumn lifting 
if it can be done while the foliage is fresh, the crop 
cleared from the Vines, and the border either inside or 
well protected outside, for they would make roots in 
autumn before the foliage faded, which would assist 
them materially the following spring when starting 
into growth. It is not always a question of doing this 
kind of work at the season regarded as the best, for 
such operations have frequently to be done when cir¬ 
cumstances will allow, and the cultivator can procure 
fresh soil and find a favourable opportunity. 
Where practicable it is a good plan to clear out a 
No. 141.— Vol. VI., Third series. 
No, J797—VOL. LX1X. Old Series. 
