ON COILING SHOOTS OF VINES. 
331 
it increases the feeding powers of the plant. On the same principle, 
long shoots or cuttings laid down in the same manner would, like Mr. 
Mearns’ coils, shoot with more strength than cuttings of one or two 
buds only would do, they being rather like layers than cuttings. It 
must be observed, however, that this occupation of the surface of the 
border, as practised in France, precludes raising any but light and 
shallow-rooting crops, such as small salad herbs and the like. 
But wherein consists the utility of Mr. Mearns’ invention ? It has 
already been stated that it is a good method to obtain, in the shortest 
time, a larger body of roots than by the ordinary methods of propagating 
the vine. The ordinary methods of propagation contemplate raising 
plants to give fruit in the second and following years, whereas, 
according to Mr. Mearns, fruit may be had in the first. Where there 
are regular vineries, the plan of coiling shoots cannot turn to much 
account, unless, indeed, the demands for the table greatly exceed the 
supplies from the vineries : and if such demand be constant and press¬ 
ing, an additional house would be much more convenient than depend¬ 
ing on crops from coiled shoots. But supposing a case where there 
are no vineries nor forcing house of any kind, the owner having only a 
melon frame, and lights to spare, and be desirous of having a few bunches 
of grapes in the latter end of summer; and, moreover, can get from his 
open wall, or can beg of a neighbour, a dozen or two of long, well- 
ripened, rejected shoots; it might, perhaps, be worth the person’s while 
to make hot-beds of dung to strike his coils, and ripen the fruit; and, 
granting that the return in the first year might be but small, yet, if 
gratified with only a few bunches, he would have the satisfaction of 
possessing a parcel of potted vines from which, by judicious hot-bed 
management, he might expect a plentiful return in the following year ; 
and if consecutively forced in sets, would give a moderate supply of 
grapes for several months. Pine-apples are produced in the greatest 
perfection in hot-beds, and why may not grapes also? Knowing 
how much is done by the Dutch gardeners in this way, there need be 
no doubt but that potted vines, whether raised by coiling or otherwise, 
might be successfully fruited in hot-beds. 
Considering coiling as only a new mode of propagating the vine, it 
deserves commendation entirely on the principle of it causing the pro¬ 
duction of a greater birth of radicles than either common layers or cut¬ 
tings make in the first year, though it is notorious that layers of this 
year may be so treated as to bear plentifully in the next. Still the 
plan by which the greatest number of roots can be prompted into action 
from a young plant intended to be afterwards confined to a limited 
