April 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
289 
T he stopping of Vine shoots should be performed in such a way 
as to give as little check as possible to the Vines. The aim of 
the cultivator ought to be, especially when dealing with the fruit- 
producing shoots of a Vino, to allow them to develop as many 
primary leaves as can be evenly distributed over the trellis without 
crowding. The reason for adopting this practice is that every well- 
developed healthy leaf creates corresponding activity in the roots 
of the Vine. It is not through the roots alone that plant life is 
sustained, for the leaves also play an important part in sustaining 
health and promoting energy by the invigorating effect of the 
atmospheric gases they inhale. It is therefore not difficult to 
understand that if, by reason of overcrowding, the leaves become 
thin in texture the roots are also prejudicially affected, and the 
Vines suffer. We have also to remember that the extension of 
Vine shoots causes a corresponding extension of the roots, there¬ 
fore it is important that the young shoots should not extend 
beyond reasonable bounds and then be ruthlessly cut away, because 
if root and top growth is carried on in a proportionate ratio, the 
reduction of the one must produce enfeeblement of the other. 
With these principles to guide the operator the stopping and tying 
of Vines may and should be performed in a manner that will 
ensure robust health and fruitfulness. 
The number of leaves allowed beyond the bunch must depend 
in a great measure upon the distance the Vine rods are apart, and 
the number of joints produced before the bunch shows. The 
stopping should generally take place at two leaves from the bunch, 
but in some instances it is necessary to stop at one leaf, while in 
others there is room to allow three or even four leaves, and the 
Vines will be all the better for these additions, which tend to 
increase root action. When dealing with very strong shoots I 
prefer to stop at two joints in places where there is room for 
extension, and remove the lateral at the extremity of this shoot 
as soon as it can be seen ; this will cause the main bud to 
break and supply a shoot to fill the vacant space remaining. This 
practice prevents the possibility of a few strong shoots robbing the 
weaker growths, which they certainly would do if allowed to 
extend till the majority of the shoots were stopped. When the 
spurs on Vines are well set out in the first instance, as advised on 
page 234, the advantage of being able to train the shoots in regular 
angles between each other will now be apparent, as a greater 
number of primary leaves may be secured without crowding or 
twisting the shoots. All sub-laterals should be removed below the 
bunch, unless the shoots, as is sometimes the case, show a thinness in 
the foliage at that point;; in such cases they may be stopped at one 
joint, the way in which those beyond the bunch should be treated. 
Stopping should be taken in hand as soon as the shoots have grown 
to the requisite length, the points can then be taken out with the 
finger and thumb ; this, instead of giving a check to the shoot, will 
simply cause its energies to be concentrated in it. The shoots 
left for further extension can be stopped when they have made the 
requisite growth. 
Although it is desirable that the points be taken out of Vine 
shoots thus early, it is by no means necessary that the tying-down 
process should begin at the same time, unless they are in danger of 
coming in contact with the glass. Unfortunately this is often the 
case by reason of the rods being trained closer to it than they 
No. 617.— VoL. XXIV.. Third Series. 
need be. Many of our best cultivat.rs train their Vines from 
2 to 3 feet from lhe glass, and do not tie down the shoots until 
the Grapes are set. There is then little danger of losing a spur 
in consequence of the shoot being forced from its socket if drawn 
down a little too far at the first tying. There are few gardeners 
who have the trellis fixed far enough from the glass to justify 
them in deferring the tying so late ; they must, therefore, proceed 
with caution, only drawing the shoots down sufficiently to 
prevent their reaching the glass again for the next few days. 
Where shoots spring from the Vines in an almost perpendicular 
position, all that can be safely done is to fasten the tying material 
near the extremity and slightly bend the point. Such shoots 
require daily watching to bring them down without accident. We 
usually go over the Vines three times, bringing the shoots down 
as above described in the first instance, five or six days later 
drawing them down a little farther, and completing the operation 
either just before or as soon as the Grapes have set. In the case 
of Muscats I think it a good plan to leave the final tying till then, 
as the sun reaches the bunches better while the shoots are in a 
partially upright position. In fastening the tying material to each 
shoot care must be taken to leave room for the swelling. 
All things considered morning and evening are the best times 
for doing this kind of work. The shoots are brittle and liable to 
break ; still, if the operation is performed without accident, there is 
no danger of their breaking after the sun shines, because it gradu¬ 
ally toughens them. On the other hand, if the tying is done during 
bright days, the shoots being slightly limp and tough, there is very 
little danger of their breaking at the time, but they ought not 
to be brought down quite so far as it appears easy to bring 
them, because they gradually stiffen and thus tighten the tying 
material as the cool air of evening refreshes them, the result some¬ 
times being that the shoots are forced from the sockets. With 
due care and attention to these details they may be safely tied 
down whenever they are ready for the operation, let the weather 
be what it may. Gros Maroc, Trebbiano, Golden Queen, and 
Alicante are the most liable to breakage. In cases where a blank 
is produced by the loss of a shoot the lateral from the spur below 
should be allowed to extend without stopping. This may be 
easily inarched on to the old rod in the usual way, and if 
bound round with moss and kept damp by syringing three times 
daily for a week or two a satisfactory union will be effected, and 
in the future a healthy spur will be formed.—H. Dunkin. 
YELLOW BEDDING CALCEOLARIAS. 
It is a matter of great regret that these fine bedding plants 
are so much subject to a disease which causes them to “go off” 
shortly after being transferred to their summer quarters. No other 
race of bedding plants yet introduced supplies such bright and 
telling shades of yellow as do these Calceolarias. They can, more¬ 
over, be preserved during the most severe winters without the aid 
of artificial heat. With these good qualities to recommend them 
they ought not to be discarded until every possible means has been 
tried to overcome the difficulty pointed out, and I hold the 
opinion that this difficulty may in the majority of instances bg 
conquered. 
Recent experience has convinced me that this disease is brought 
about by two mistakes in culture—first, by coddling the plants too 
much during the winter and spring months, and next by planting 
them in their summer quarters at too late a date, in which case 
the long hot days of summer are upon them before they become 
established, the consequence being that many of them succumb. 
Our plants are at present in a most promising condition, and have 
been grown throughout in a very hardy manner. The past winter 
has been severe enough to test the amount of cold they will 
endure without injury. Although wintered in an ordinary cold pit, 
they have on no occasion been given more protection than is 
No. 2273.—VoL. LXXXVL, Old Series. 
