May 19, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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COMING EVENTS 
5 WyAwi 
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Crystal Talaoe Summer Show. 
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1st Sunday a iter Ascension. 
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24 
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Royal Horticultural Society. Fruit and Floral Committees at 11 AM. 
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UNORTHODOX VINE PRUNING. 
OME time last year an article appeared in the 
Journal in advocacy of what may be termed 
the method of long-spur pruning when Vines 
failed to produce crops on the short-spur 
system. On reference I find the article on 
page 173, August 26th, 1886, and it is 
elaborately reviewed by Mr. Abbey on page 
244, September 16th, of the same year. 
The initial article was based on failures in producing even 
moderate crops of Grapes with Vines weak and exhausted 
on the one hand, producing small wood and foliage, and 
long-jointed and luxuriant, on the other, through strong 
roots entering the subsoil, few or no fibrous roots being 
found near the surface of the soil. It was stated that by 
a change in the method of pruning alone, Vines in the 
condition indicated might be rendered much more fruitful 
than before. An objection to the method of pruning to 
bold buds on ripened parts of the laterals, at whatever 
distance those buds might be from the rods, was antici¬ 
pated, and it was suggested that the habit of close 
pruning was so confirmed that its votaries of the follow- 
my-leader type appeared to think more about the appear¬ 
ance of Vine rods in winter than anything else; but it 
was further observed that nine out of ten of the owners of 
Vines want Grapes, and the cultivator who produces the 
most and the best gives the greatest satisfaction, and is 
in a far better position than he who prunes, as he imagines, 
in the “proper” manner, yet produces inferior crops. 
A rather striking example of the accuracy of those 
remarks is afforded by the results of Mr. T. W. Sanders’ 
experience at Lee. In the very interesting garden of Mr. 
J. W. Larking at The Firs is a good range of vineries. 
The Vines are old, having been cut back to the rafters 
more than once, and the roots are to a large extent beyond 
the control of the gardener, the outside “ border ” being 
only about 6 feet wide, while some of the roots have 
probably extended to nearer 60 feet. Yet something has 
been done to the outside 6 feet border that affords a signifi¬ 
cant lesson on the effects of lime. Those who saw the Vines 
in question four or five years ago and can see them now 
will be impressed with their great improvement. The 
lime on the narrow strip of ground outside the house has 
done something towards their improvement, but the 
change of pruning that was resorted to inside the house 
has done a great deal more. 
Weak wood, small thin leaves, and no Grapes worth 
mentioning is fairly descriptive of the Vines before Mr. 
Sanders took a departure in pruning. The wood is now 
as strong again, the individual leaves no doubt much 
more than twice the weight, and the crop of fruit will 
this year be of thrice the value that the Vines produced 
No. 360 .—Vol. XIV., Third Series. 
when pruned to the huds at the base of the laterals. 
And yet when gardeners have “looked round” in winter 
and seen the Vines “half pruned,” they have shaken their 
heads as if in doubt as to whether the pruner was “ pro¬ 
fessional,” and some of them have expressed concern as 
to Mr. Sanders “getting wrong over them Vines.” The 
truth is he knew what he was about better than his 
friendly critics did ; and so far from “ getting wrong ” 
has left his charge with honour for a new line of life, a 
position that only able men can fill. Had the old Vines 
been uprooted five or six years ago, new borders made, 
and young Vines planted, trim rods and finer Grapes 
would be had now than the old Vines are producing. 
But for reasons it is not necessary to particularise, such 
a renewal could not be effected; nor could the old Vines, 
with their roots “nobody knew where,” be taken up and 
replanted. No great crops were expected from the Vines, 
and all that the gardener was desired to do was to make 
the best of them as they were. He has done so. Fresh 
soil was applied to the narrow border, rich top-dressings 
given, liquid manure employed, an ammonia-charged 
atmosphere produced, with beneficial results; but it was 
not until the close-spur pruning was abandoned that im 
provement in the Vines became so apparent. 
On examination of the leaves produced at the base of 
the laterals they were found to be very small and withered 
before the season was over. The buds set at the base 
Avere similarly small—mere pointed specks, and it was 
concluded that little nutriment could be stored there. 
A few joints higher the leaves were better, the buds at 
their base rounder and bolder, these with the stems 
holding more nutrient matter secreted, and as the wood 
was ripe to some of those buds the laterals were shortened. 
The crop was better the first year, and during the season 
stronger canes and better foliage followed, with the 
material result that this year the crop of fruit is finer 
in turn. 
It has been said that lime was applied to the narrow 
outside border. The dressing was an extraordinary one. 
It was spread on at the least 2 inches thick, probably 
more—enough, however, to form a plaster-like casing. On 
breaking this up and raising the flakes it was seen that 
fibrous roots had formed there. “ Who will say after this,” 
remarked the gardener, “that Vines do not like lime ?” 
There can be no doubt that this lime, with the fresh soil 
and manure dressing on the strip of border, had a good 
effect; but it may be regarded as equally certain that its 
action would have been very considerably minimised if 
short pruning had been adopted, for then the greater 
part of the food gathered and stored in the Vines would 
have been cut away, and the weaker and impoverished 
parts left for cropping. But there is something more 
than theory to support the view that long pruning was of 
greater benefit than the lime dressing in invigorating the 
Vines and improving the fruit. 
In one house is a Muscat Vine grown on the exten¬ 
sion system—that is to say, one Vine fills the house, 
several main rods being trained up at intervals, and on 
these the laterals were closely pruned for years. They 
probably became smaller each year, at any rate they were 
only stout enough to develope small leaves and shoulder¬ 
less bunches of Grapes. A change in pruning, not violent 
but rather experimental, was resorted to, and it was soon 
apparent that the departure was a step in the right 
direction. At the last pruning a selection of the best 
wood was made, and the laterals shortened to the best 
placed of the better buds all over the roof—nearly, for 
No. 2016.— Vol. LXXVT., Old Series. 
