170 
THE FLOIilST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ August, 
or two ago, in going through the vineries in a nobleman’s garden, I noticed 
in one of the houses where Pines were also grown under the Vines, that 
air roots were hanging like a heard from one Vine at the end of the house. 
On mentioning the circumstance I was informed that they made their 
appearance on the same Vine annually, and the cause was pointed out. A 
path ran along the hack and front of the Pine bed, and across one end. 
Underneath the bed were several rows of pipes for affording bottom heat, 
among which water was occasionally poured to keep up moisture. At the 
end of the bed where the path went round, there was an armhole in the 
wall for feeling the bottom-heat pipes with the hand, and through this the 
steam escaped from beneath the bed and constantly ascended against the 
stem of the Vine in question—indeed, the current of warm moist air from 
the opening could easily he felt in i^ssing, and the condensed vapour was 
always visible on the glass immediately above. From the stem of the 
Vine at the same place hung several bunches of air-roots 2 or 8 inches in 
length. They also appeared farther up the Vine stem, but became shorter. 
The Vines were Black Hamburghs, and they were generally started about 
February, and ripened their crops in July. 
To prove that air roots will make their appearance on Vines under the 
most favourable conditions, I will relate another instance. I planted a new 
house of Muscats here about sixteen months since, the border is about 
22 feet wide, nearly all inside, aerated thoroughly, and made of the best 
materials. The Vines were planted in April, and by the end of July they 
had grown 22 feet, when they were stopped; the wood was thoroughly 
ripened to the top, and when pruned in winter the rods measured generally 
nearly 2 inches in circumference at 4 feet from the ground, and 14 inch 
at the top of the rafter. They were cut down to within 5 feet of the ground 
and were again started last February, and now promise to be more vigorous 
than ever. Many of the Vines, which were only struck from eyes last year, 
showed bunches, which when just coming into bloom measured 1 foot 
in length, and from 8 to 9 inches across the shoulders. I state these par¬ 
ticulars to prove that the conditions suit them; yet, although the vinery 
has been kept but sparingly moist, and regularly ventilated day and night, 
air roots have made their appearance on the stems—only of a rudimentary 
description certainly, and in but a few instances, but still they are there ; 
and what I wish to notice is, that they have made their appearance in every 
instance at the base of the most vigorous shoots, and in most cases at the 
bottom of the leading shoots only-—that is, at the junction between the young 
and the old wood. Now here the cause is evidently local, and has no con¬ 
nection with the state of the roots, or the border ; and I would beg to submit 
the following explanation as the probably correct one in this and similar cases. 
The returning sap in its downward rush along the vigorous and fast-swell- 
