488 
On the Culture of Twines in Pots. 
them down to three eyes, and placed them in the front of the vinery: 
I trained one shoot up the middle of each light, to the length of five 
feet, and during the summer, paid particular attention in assisting them 
with the three principal elements, viz., air, water, and light. After 
they had grown to the length of five feet, and their extremities were 
stopped, they made efforts to grow again ; however, I kept them con¬ 
stantly stopped,—this caused the sap to enter the axillary shoots, or 
those produced at the base of each leaf on the main stem. Indeed, I 
gave them in every respect the same treatment as vines in houses gene¬ 
rally receive. In the autumn, the plants were placed in the open air, 
and the roots protected from frost. 
On the 2nd of January, these six plants were placed in a house of 
about the temperature of 60 deg. Fahr.; when in a short time they 
broke, showing fruit at every eye, some two, three, or even four bunches 
each, being on an average about 40 bunches on each plant, or 240 
collectively. And what is more surprising, the shoots are what every 
person acquainted with vines, would term weak, being in fact little 
thicker than a good quill towards the base of the stem, and not more 
than twice that thickness at their extremities. 
It certainly becomes every one connected with the culture of the vine 
under glass, to devote a little attention to their growth in pots. A 
young practitioner will learn much by a close application to the process. 
How useless is the practice of bundling together ten or twelve rods under 
a rafter, when, with judicious management, the whole object may be 
obtained with one. I certainly consider that a great portion of the fer¬ 
tility may be attributed to the proper supply of water ; for this purpose 
I always keep a feeder under each pot, for although this is very contrary 
to the practice and judgment of modern times, I am still an advocate for 
their use, as I am confident every plant so situated is very much bene- 
fitted by capillary attraction. If we enquire into the cause why many 
trees grow to such an extraordinary size, we find it to originate in the 
extremities of their roots, being so situated as to be able to absorb or 
reject the water,—analagous to a plant in a pot furnished with a feeder. 
There is one more particular I would beg to name, and that is, who¬ 
ever attempts to propagate the vine by cuttings, should make choice of 
such shoots as are upon the most productive part of the vine, otherwise 
their plants will partake of the bad qualities of the parent, for a person 
may collect either fruitful or unfruitful cuttings from the same plant; 
for instance, if we raise plants from a strong shoot, with the cellular 
texture of a dark colour, these plants will retain this appearance as 
hereditary. 
George Stafford. 
Willersley, March 5, 1832. 
