330 f ON COILING SHOOTS OF VINES, 
*T+ 
in good soil, produce roots, and that every bud would produce a shoot. 
It occurred to him, therefore, that by reducing the number of the latter, 
■> and increasing the numbers of the former,—that is, lessening the out¬ 
lets, and enlarging the number of the inlets,—a sufficient portion of 
nutriment would be inducted, as would serve to excite and bring to 
perfection a small number of buds reserved for the purpose. 
This appears to have been the leading idea, or train of ideas, which 
induced Mr. Mearns to try whether, by divesting a long well-ripened 
shoot of all its buds but two or three at the top, and coiling the dis¬ 
budded portion in a pot of good fresh soil, as many roots would be 
formed as would probably yield a few bunches of grapes in the first, 
and certainly a fair crop in the second year. 
But, at the same time, the experimenter knew that, though, when 
the shoot was so placed, it should be put where it would receive the 
ordinary excitements of warmth and moist air, it is not in a condition 
to be forced. A very moderate temperature is at first necessary, be¬ 
cause the shoot is rootless; and as fibres cannot be produced without a 
simultaneous expansion of the buds, the utmost moderation in the 
exciting causes is at first only requisite. If placed in the open air, it 
would, in the course of the spring and summer, eject a very numerous 
fringe of roots from every part beneath the surface, and the bud or buds 
in the air would burst, and grow away vigourously, though slowly ; and 
though bunches would be developed, the fruit would not ripen. But 
for assisting the rooting, shooting, and perfecting a coiled shoot, sup¬ 
pose it to be placed in a mild hot-bed in the month of February or 
March, and receive such subsequent treatment as such a plant requires, 
the growth would be expedited, so that its shoots, leaves, and fruit 
would be as much matured as the condition of the plant in the first 
season would perform. 
The French gardeners practise something similar with their young 
vines intended to be trained against walls or trellises. They conceive 
it of the greatest importance to increase as much as possible the number 
of roots near the surface, that is, within the influence of the air, as 
adding greatly to the prolificacy of the tree, as well as to the perfect 
ripening of the fruit. Instead, therefore, of placing the root close to 
the wall or trellis, as is commonly done, they place it at the distance 
of several feet, or as far off as the length of the stem allows, laying the 
latter in a shallow trench, bringing up the bearing shoots only on the 
face of the wall. The buried stem emits new roots along its whole 
length, and thereby increases the number of active fibres to assist the 
enlargement of the branches and fruit. Now, though this be practised 
on young previously-rooted plants, it is good management, in so far as 
