402 
ON THE SHANKING OF GRAPES. 
in vain to hope to prevent it by giving early ventilation, without other 
precautions. The reason why the most tender sorts are brought to 
such perfection in pots is this:—Suppose a plant to be introduced into 
a house in January, the whole is at once subjected to the same degree 
of heat; the root, in a few days, is furnished with innumerable new 
feeders, which at once afford an abundant supply to the plant; and 
this process continues so long as the pot is kept within doors; and, per¬ 
haps, it is not going too far to conjecture, that a vine so situated has 
more mouths taking in food than an old vine covering a large rafter, 
whose roots have to range in a cold wet border, unassisted by artificial 
heat. But from this no one must infer that grapes cannot be grown 
without artificial heat. Have we any well-authenticated records that 
the vine has been really benefited by the application of heat to the 
root, except in early forcing ? Was not the grape as good thirty or 
forty years ago as now 7 ? 
This calls from me a rationale of the process of forming the borders, 
after taking every precaution as to drainage. I have proved that upon 
the top of these drains (where most people place the compost to form 
the border) it is advisable to put from two feet six inches to three feet 
thick of fagots. The compost will be affected by this simple process 
for a number of years. In the first place, their elastic property has a 
most beneficial effect; and in the course of years, as they decay, they 
give way to the pressure of the border, which follows not in a mass, 
but in parts, and at different periods, leaving the whole open and dry 
—a state which the vine appears to enjoy. When these and a few 
other precautions are taken , there is little to fear from shanking. I 
quite agree with <c A. L. A. T.’ in his observations respecting the open 
quality of the compost, and have repeatedly applied rough materials 
when not previously in the compost; for whenever the root of a vine, 
or that of any other plant, comes in contact with impenetrable matter, 
it avoids this, and takes other and different directions—the reason 
w 7 hy so many roots are found among these loose materials. Whenever 
the border of a vinery can be protected, in the months of February and 
March, from the spring snows or rains with some kind of covering, it 
is highly advisable, and may be accomplished by old paper lights or 
painted canvas; but I query whether there would not be much 
damage done in keeping them on longer than that period, as they 
might impede the production of roots. 
At no period of the season is the constitution of a vine, or any other 
tree, put to such a trial as when the fruit is changed from an acid to a 
saccharine state; and probably at this time originates the whole cause 
of shanking; for if we observe a plant at this period, its whole system 
