286 
JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
April 4, 1895. 
safe for fruiting the following. Cut-backs only can be relied 
on, and these must be started early to make the desired growth 
and ripen it for satisfactory cropping. Vines in pots can be 
prepared in half the room of those planted, an excellent place 
for the former being a lean-to pit with about 9 feet of trellis, 
the pots being stood on slate shelves resting on the hot-water 
pipes. This is all very well so far, but the Vines in pots are 
one thing and planted out canes another. We secure a Vine 
by the potted system capable of producing six to eight bunches 
of Grapes, averaging f lb. each, and the production seldom exceeds 
G lbs. per Vine. 
This is the highest average for Vines started at the beginning 
of November and ripening the Grapes in late March or early in 
April. The cost of production is nearly double by the potted 
system as by the planted, for canes in pots require watering 
much more frequently, and more nutrient matter escapes from 
the pots than is retained by the soil. Where labour is no 
consideration, or in other words where the expenses have not 
to be curtailed to the lowest possible point, this is not material, 
but apart from this the results are consequential, as there is 
as much room needed for fruiting Vines in pots as for those 
planted. 
The planted method requires a house with a south aspect, 
a lean-to or three-quarter span of 9 or 10 feet width. It may be 
partly sunk in the ground and have roof lights only. Wooden 
ventilators in front, opening on the hot-water pipes or below them, 
are an advantage, and with the usual top ventilation is all that is 
necessary. Four rows of hot-water pipes in front and two at the 
back afford the requisite top heat. The bed need not exceed 4 feet 
in width, the walls being taken up 9 inches thick to within 15 inches 
of the top, which should be about 18 inches below the front wall 
plate, the upper 15 inches, being 4^ inches brickwork in cement. 
This will form a ledge on each side, and a 4j inch wall up the 
middle, built pigeon-hole fashion, of corresponding height, form 
the requisite rest for the slate or stone covers. In this chamber, 
which should not be more than 9 inches deep, two rows of 4-inch 
pipes, raised clear off the floor and not touching the cover, should 
be fixed. An inch of clean rubble being placed on the covers and 
2 inches depth of old mortar rubbish, such as remains in a half¬ 
inch sieve after sifting out the small, affords the requisite drainage, 
and a thin layer of turves, grass side downwards, makes the drainage 
secure against clogging. This leaves a depth of 1 foot for soil, and 
a ridge of 2i feet base and 18 inches top breadth along the front, 
answers for planting in. Good turfy loam five parts, old mortar 
rubbish one part, and half part each wood ashes and charcoal 
“nuts,” form a suitable compost. If the loam be poor add a part 
of fresh horse droppings, and about a pint of some approved 
fertiliser may be allowed to each barrowload of loam. When 
warmed through the cut-back Vines should be planted, they having 
been started in January and forwarded for turning out by early 
February, the long roots being shortened, as it is not bare roots 
but fibres that are required. The way to secure these is to 
grow the Vines in turves about 9 inches square and 6 inches 
deep, cutting the roots extending beyond the turves two or 
three times during the previous summer to planting, as this 
insures an abundance of fibrous root formation which is very 
essential, or grow in 6-inch pots in firm soil and water moderately 
for a time. 
The canes should be p’aced 24 feet apart, and always have any 
corkscrew-like roots cut backr The Vines will spread rapidly in 
a suitable temperature—namely, 60° to 65° at night, 70° to 75° by 
day, and 10° to 15° rise from sun heat, with a genial atmosphere 
secured by damping the house two or three times a day, and 
keeping the compost properly moist. Soil must be added to the 
ridge as the roots show at the sides, and thus supplied they will 
occupy every inch of it and form numberless fibres provided it be 
rammed firmly. The canes can be trained 1 foot from the glass. 
better. Stop the laterals to one leaf, and sub-laterals in like 
manner, pinching out the points of the canes at 9 feet, or 1 foot 
from the extremity of the space. 
By June the Vines are as thick as walking sticks and the buds 
prominent, so that it becomes a question of ripening the wood 
and plumping the buds, which is sure to happen in the heat of the 
summer, and the leaves will fall as the growths mature, which can 
be accelerated by reducing the laterals gradually. Care, of course, 
must be taken in reducing the lateral growths so as not to start the 
buds in the axils of the principal leaves, and with this precaution 
the sooner they are removed after the wood commences to ripen 
the better. With complete control over the roots, as this system 
affords, resting can be effected readily, but it should not be induced 
by flagging, but by diminished supplies of water and atmospheric 
moisture. The Vines should not be allowed to become too dry 
during the resting period, and will not start with moderate root 
moisture if abundance of air be admitted day and night, especially 
during the latter part of the month of August and through 
September and October, 
When the leaves are all down the Vines should be pruned. 
This consists of cutting off the end of each Vine to the first plump 
bud below the stopping of the canes in the first instance, leaving a 
length of about 8 feet 6 inches. On November 1st forcing can 
commence in earnest, for the Vines need no preparatory process 
beyond cleansing the house, washing the canes with tepid softsoapy 
water, and moistening the soil evenly through. A bottom heat of 
60° to 65° and top heat of 55° till the buds start is ample, then 
gradually raise the former to 70° and 75°, and the latter to 60° and 
65° at night, and 70° to 75° by day by the time the Vines are in leaf. 
The bottom heat causes root action in advance of top growth, and 
this should be assisted by additions of fresh soil. Thus sturdy 
well-developed leaves are formed, instead of the puny leafage of 
potted Vines. Every planted Vine has 10 feet of soil surface 
available for feeding purposes, and as many cubic feet of rootage. 
This means something in the shape of results, other conditions 
being favourable—say six bearing shoots on each side of the cane 
at 15 inches apart, or twelve bunches per Vine, and all over 1 lb. 
in weight. 
These results double those of the very best early forced Vines 
in pots, while there is no comparison of the two for appearance, 
size of berry, and finish. 
The early varieties only are available for forcing. Black 
Hamburgh and Foster’s Seedling being perhaps unequalled for 
this purpose, though there is far too many of this class of Grape 
grown, and too few of Madresfield Court and Muscat of Alexandria 
for the requirements of the London season. The Vines may be 
kept a second year for fruiting, but it is not the way to produce 
anything better than very early forced potted Vine Grapes, which 
are too small in both bunch and berry to meet acceptance at the 
hands of those caring only for sterling value. It is better, there¬ 
fore, to crop the Vines once and throw them away. This neces¬ 
sitates the employment of two structures and takes all the “ gilt 
off the picture.” The same thing is essential for potted Vines, 
which are readily moved from place to place, and, as a consequence, 
often receive checks and treatment the reverse of beneficial. 
Attempting too much usually results in the indifferent performance 
of the subjects. The structures must be kept for the Vines, no 
other plants being allowed to interfere with them in any way. 
There is space in the first year for raising Tomatoes for planting 
in other structures during the spring and early summer months ; 
the back wall of the house will be available for bearing plants of 
these in the preparatory year, and in the season of bearing strong 
Tomato plants can be planted in the bed after the Grapes are 
cleared without any change of soil, as Tomatoes are an excellent 
rotation crop after Vines, so that there is really no waste of space 
or time, but two of the easiest-grown crops in the most re¬ 
munerative form are duly catered for by a straightforward and 
practical method.—G, Abbey, 
