434 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 5. 
rooting; and I shall report progress whether they root 
or not D. Beaton. 
VINES IN POTS. 
A variety of enquiries having reached me, I slip a 
little out of my usual path, and endeavour to meet them, 
by a short reply to the following questions :— 
1. “The inside of my greenhouse is paved ; I cannot 
form a border there, nor yet conveniently make one out¬ 
side the house, but I am anxious to obtain a few Grapes; 
could I not procure them from Vines in large pots, as 
sometimes recommended, training the Vines either up 
the rafters as creepers, or round several stakes, in balloon 
fashion, so that I could move Vines, pots, and all, when 
done fruiting?” Undoubtedly you may. Allow me, 
before going farther, to venture a hint to our kind cor- j 
respondents to give a reference to page, or at least 
number, when they advert to what has been previously | 
said on a subject, as this would greatly ease the labours j 
of editors and departmental writers. Often the terms, ^ 
“ late number,” “ recent number,” have caused me to | 
strain my eyesight over ever so many numbers, and then 
not find the passage referred to after all. In these days, j 
when railway speed is carried into all the affairs of life, 
a little attention in this direction would be a great . 
favour. But I have still another, and, perhaps, a greater 
favour to ask, namely, that inquirers will excuse all 
such indefinite terms as “ recent number,” with us, and 
for two reasons: first, a solution to a problem will be 
none the less valuable and forcibly impressed if the i 
indices of several numbers have to be turned up to find 
it; and secondly, because such explicitness as giving ; 
chapter and verse in all these matters would often, from j 
the time taken up, necessitate many inquiries to remain ; 
long unanswered. 
Now, there are two ideas that strike our attention as ' 
important in this simple question. The first is the 
perfect possibility of obtaining good Grapes on the 
rafters of a greenhouse from Vines planted in large 
pots, or, rather, boxes. The reason we would prefer 
boxes is, that there is not the same chance for getting 
the roots cooled inordinately at one time, and extra 
heated at another, as when grown in hard, and yet | 
porous, earthenware pots. In such boxes, some two, or 
two-and-a-half feet every way, Vines will produce fair 
crops for years. A very heavy crop one year would next 
to paralize them for bearing in the succeeding one. 
This may be considered a rule of universal acceptation 
in the fruiting of Vines in pots, whether plants of one, 
or several years’ of age, be used. Future and continued 
prosperity must be obtained by so much of a present 
seeming sacrifice. Hence, many growers in pots grow 
one year, and fruit the next. 
Although, when planted out, Vines delight in a wide 
border, it is a mistake to suppose that they cannot be 
grown without that amplified space. I have seen fine 
crops when the roots could only range over a very f 
limited space; but then fresh manuring agents were 
presented to them every year. Just so with the Vines 
in these huge pots, or boxes, in the greenhouse. After 
duly feeding them with manure-water, re-potting, or re- - 
boxing them is not to be thought of in spring; but as ; 
much of the surface-soil should be removed in March, 
or earlier, as can be got hold of with a pointed stick 
without injuring the roots, and the place be supplied 
with fresh, rich compost. This being watered often 
with manure-waterings will so shrink and consolidate, 
that several rich top-dressings may be required during 
the season; and, provided there are abundance of fine, 1 
healthy roots, and these have access to the enriching 
food they require, it matters little to them whether they 
obtain that nourishment in a cubic yard, or by sprawl¬ 
ing over some large portion of a square acre. In the 
latter case, however, the Vines may almost be left to 
shift for themselves, taking wind and weather as they 
choose to come; but in the former more artificial state, 
much will depend upon thorough drainage, a rich and 
yet open compost, and an unflagging zeal in wielding 
the water-pot whenever it is necessary. 
Such large pots or boxes would be difficult to move 
out and into the house, and there need be little occasion. 
Supposing that every encouragement was given, by'as 
high and dry a temperature as possible, in the autumn, 
to ripen the wood, the leaves would soon fall, and then, 
the N ine being pruned and dressed, what was left of it 
would not be large enough to attract much attention 
during winter. At that period, it would be desirable that 
the soil about the roots should be just moistisb, in 
opposition to very dry or very vet. The latter con¬ 
tingency is chiefly to be guarded against, and it easily 
may, even though the box or the huye pot be made, as 
in such circumstances we would advise them to be 
made, into stands for plants, as the Orange tubs at 
Wilderness Park, or a shallow tin or zinc pan might be 
made just to slip down inside, with a hole at one corner, 
fitted with a cork, to let out extra water, and then that 
tin might be filled with small plants, such as Primulas, 
Hyacinths, &c., and the large box, or pots, thus suitably 
placed, might easily be converted, during winter, at least, 
into a stand or a vase of flowers with but little trouble, 
and no detriment to the roots of the Vines. 
In growing Vines in this manner, besides avoiding 
over-cropping with permanent plants, care must be 
exercised to drain the receptacle well, and for this pur¬ 
pose nothing is better than from two to three inches of 
clean charcoal; over that place a thin layer of clean, fresh 
moss, and then the roughest of the compost, consisting 
of brownish fresh loam, with a little brick-rubbish, leaf- 
mould, and bones broken small. The compost added in 
after years may be richer in organic materials; and when 
the Vine is growing in summer,' one of the safest of the 
artificial manures, either as top-dressing, or dissolved in 
water, will be the turnip-manure of Lawes, or the super¬ 
phosphate of lime, made by dissolving bones to powder 
by sulphuric acid and water; when I speak of this, I by 
no means undervalue other more common manures, 
such as soot, sheep and deer droppings, cow-dung, horse- 
dung, &c. When any of these are used as top-dressings, 
it is safest to apply them several months old, as other¬ 
wise they are apt to be too rich in ammoniacal matter. 
When used in water, let it be weak rather than strong, 
and often applied; and if mixed in a barrel, say a 
busbel to the hogshead, accompany it with half a 
spadeful of quick-lime, and though by this you will lose a 
portion of the ammonia; it will not be so much as some 
imagine, ns it will partly be retained by the film of 
chalk that forms on the surface of the liquid, and you 
will have the pleasure of applying, not a thick dirty 
liquid, but one as clear and sparkling as bottled Alloa 
ale. 
The second idea suggested is, that unless you grow 
plants one year, or two years, to fruit them in the second 
and third, you will not easily succeed with Vines in pots, 
when you move them out of the house directly you have 
cut the fruit from them. As much of the success in 
fruiting Vines in pots and boxes, one year after another, 
depends on the thorough ripening of the wood, and swell¬ 
ing of the buds the season previously, a result which could 
rarely happen with Vines in a greenhouse, if the plants 
were moved outside while there was a particle of green 
in the foliage. It might and would be different, were 
these Vines brought forward in pits, or other houses, 
with or without the assistance of bottom-heat, and were 
then merely brought into the greenhouse to perfect their 
fruit. In this latter case, the season of growth would be 
lengthened, and when the fruit was cut, the front of a 
south wall before the leaves fell, and the back of it, or a 
