CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 
495 
and shifting, and, if it can be done, they should be placed in a bottom 
heat till the grapes are set at least. I have had fine and well per¬ 
fected grapes from a muscat cutting this season, treated as I have 
described; and those from a cutting ten feet long, as well as from a 
Black Damascus, and Black Trepoli, the berries of all being finely 
swelled, and of fine flavour. 
The vines are now extremely fine, and the wood well prepared for 
a plentiful crop next season. The eyes are as fine as I could wish 
them; the wood is from one inch to one inch and a quarter in girth. 
I have one vine coiled into a pot, but not more than eight or nine 
inches above it, which has got a young shoot, twice stopped, eight 
feet long, and is one inch and a quarter in girth; if I had not stopped 
it, I have no doubt of its being from twenty to thirty feet long; but 
should not so certainly have accomplished my object, in having it a 
fine bearing shoot for next season; which it now' promises to he. 
It is known to the experienced grape-grower, that his only cer¬ 
tainty of fruit buds depends upon such shoot springing from an eye 
of the previous year; if that be not attended to, and it spring direct 
from old wood, without a previously prepared eye, however fine the 
shoot may he, it is generally abortive. This can he obviated, and a 
year may be gained by cutting the shoot back, after it has made six 
or eight eyes to the second or third. Pull off the laterals as soon as 
they appear, and encourage the uppermost main eye to break; by 
such an act, fine bearing wood will be produced for the following 
season; but if weak, it must not be permitted to run to too great a 
length till its top is pinched off, so as to strengthen the wood and 
eyes for next year, but not so as to excite such eyes into action, 
unless desired. For, if so, such as the Verdelho and others of the 
small and free bearing sorts can be made to fruit the same season , 
when the main eyes are excited, and yet not affect them for another 
year’s fruiting. I have at this time two crops of grapes upon what 
w r as this spring an old sickly stump of a Verdelho vine in a small 
pot; it had neither roots nor wood younger than three years ; and I 
think if I were to excite some more eyes to spring, by toping, I 
might have a third and even a fourth shew of fruit; and 3 7 et ensure a 
good crop next season. 
None who are desirous of growing grapes in pots need fear at¬ 
tempting it; for if they will attend to the excellent rules laid down 
by Mr. Stafford, and other experienced growers, they are certain to 
succeed. Those who have written in condemnation of the system, I 
would recommend not to give it up as fruitless; for if they w ill try 
it by my rules, they cannot fail to produce plenty of the choicest 
fruit. 
