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4 ON THE SHANKING OF GRAPES. 
As a proof that the fault was in the root, some of the plants were 
shaken out of the pots,, when nearly half the mould at the bottom was 
found destitute of roots, and so adhesive, that it required to be scraped 
out. 
This circumstance, which came immediately under my observation, 
is, I think, conclusive as far as pots are concerned, and it is reasonable 
to suppose will apply equally to an unprepared border. 
The imprudent application of fire-heat, which Mr. Knight many 
years ago wrote upon, and “ Scientice et Justitice Amator” so ably fol¬ 
lowed up in a paper (in the tenth volume of the Gardeners’ Magazine) 
practically elucidating the propriety and advantage of following a more 
natural plan, should by all means be read by every person who has 
early forcing to attend to; more especially when I assure the readers of 
your Register, that the author of the paper referred to, who now lives as 
gardener to a gentleman but a little distance from London, practises 
closely what he there wrote, and with the best results. I called to see 
him early in June, and in a vinery then ripening its fruit saw the 
most perfect bunches of the White Frontignac, such as I had never 
before seen—indeed they were perfect; not to mention Hamburghs, 
which were large both in bunch and in berry, particularly the latter. 
It is but too seldom that we find a man acting as he writes or talks ; 
when we do, it is a very great pleasure. One great reason that 
crops so often fail, is the constant heat kept up night and day; in 
consequence of which the vigour of the vine becomes-exhausted. 
I wish very much that Mr. Stafford would once more come forward, 
and give the gardening world his opinion on the cause, or causes, of 
the “ shanking of grapes.” I never remember to have seen his fruit 
suffering under the disease—at the same time, his crops were great. 
Now if this, as has been advanced by some writers, were a principal 
cause, why are not the bunches affected that are growing on his vines 
in pots? In the month of May, 1834, I counted as many as thirty-six 
upon one vine of White Muscadine, growing in such a pot as he has 
given the dimensions of in the first volume of the Register : the grapes 
were perfectly ripe at the time, and excellent in flavour. 
A. L, A. T. 
