ON THE COILING OF VINES. 
283 
and completely matured by a coiled shoot of a vine—a regular -bearing 
shoot—cut from a wall, destitute of roots, and passed round a No. 12 
pot;” and he repeats it, that “ he knows from liis own individual 
experience, that perfectly-ripened fruit may be produced by such a 
branch within five or six months after it has been introduced into a 
stove.” 
Now I beg to state, that in all my enthusiastic practice of forty 
years, and extensive correspondence and friendly connexion with 
many of the most eminent horticulturists of my time, I never once 
heard the coiling of a shoot hinted at by any one, or in any shape ; 
and I think, had it ever occurred to Mr. Knight, (near to whose resi¬ 
dence, at Downton Castle, I had the happiness of residing for nearly 
twenty-seven years of the prime of my life,) I must have heard him 
remark it. I believe the circumstance had never struck him, or, with 
his free and familiar manner amongst gardeners, I am sure that he 
would have noticed it; and I should not have failed of introducing it 
many years earlier into practice, under that most amiable and excellent 
gentleman’s name, instead of my own. I should have felt a great pride 
in doing so, as it might then have been thought better of amongst some 
—I would trust, by every one who knew him personally. 
“ Take him for all and all, we ne’er shall know his like again.” 
Had the practice of coiling shoots into a pot been once but success¬ 
fully practised, as it certainly has been done here, it would have dis¬ 
closed so important an event in the culture of grapes, and created such 
a degree of interest amongst horticulturalists generally, that, I believe, 
had the discoverer been narrow-minded enough (as many used to be) 
to desire to conceal it, as an art and mystery, it would very soon have 
been publicly known amongst gardeners, if not generally practised till 
better known. 
My practice alone has been sufficient to prove its importance, and 
to be a most interesting feature in the culture of that important 
fruit. 
I beg to remind my friend ftikocrofyog, that buds retained upon any 
part of the under-ground coil of a vine intended to have a portion 
retained above, either to produce fruit or vigorous wood, are suckers to 
all intents and purposes, and of course are most noxious to the intended 
prosperity of the vine:—every bud or excrescence left upon those parts 
to be laid beneath the soil, turns out to be nothing but a thief and a 
robber, and should never be suffered to exist, if success is intended. 
Those who would argue against it, will, like Mr. Fish, be sure of a 
failure if they attempt it. QiXoaotyog may rest assured that a bud left 
