November 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 97 i 
sill. The whole would subside a foot, or nearly so, 
finally; and top dressings, if necessary, might be used. 
We would, however, in such an experiment, use quite a 
third portion of coarse old turfy loam of a sandy nature. 
And now, one of our correspondents requests advice 
about pruning, and the kinds for ordinary and useful 
purposes, and this we will endeavour to give. There are 
commonly three distinct methods practised for pruning, 
namely— 
1st. Spur pruning. 
2nd. Long-rod pruning. 
3rd. Ordinary, or common-sense pruning. 
Our readers must pardon our coining a phrase for the 
latter; but we thought it appropriate, and it is by no 
means intended to apply by way of sarcasm to the 
former two. For the benefit of the inexperienced we 
may as well state, first, the reasons for pruning; they 
are as follows :— 
1 st. The limitation of the old wood. 
2nd. To impart an impulse to the growth. 
3rd. For system’s sake ; to avoid confusion. 
As to the limitation of the old wood; although a 
certain portion is absolutely necessary, yet the less the 
better, as there can be no doubt that, as Mr. Hoare 
observed, “ naked branches are consumers, not pro¬ 
ducers,” a portion of the sustentation being taken up by 
them in the character of alburnous matter. By the 
spur system, only one main branch is requisite, and this 
is suffered to extend the whole length of the rafter. By 
the long cane system, still less main stem is necessary, 
little more than the collar and a stump or two ; but by 
the ordinary pruning, or what might be not unaptly 
termed un-systematic pruning, there is more old wood 
retained of necessity than by either mode. We do not 
wish it to be here understood that the choice of a system 
of training is determinable on these grounds alone; we 
merely feel it a duty to point candidly to defects as well 
as merits. 
As an impulse to growth, pruning has a similar effect 
on the vine as on other deciduous trees in a rest state, 
and that effect is to give a renewed impulse to growth. 
By removing a portion of wood and buds, a greater 
amount of sap is forced into those remaining, and, of 
course, for awhile, greater activity ensues. 
Pruning for system’s sake, and to avoid confusion, is 
a matter so obvious as scarcely to need explanation. 
Nothing looks more satisfactory than a fruit-tree of any 
kind with its branches so disposed as that a meaning 
and a necessity appears for every branch. 
Pruning on the spur system consists in carrying up 
one leading shoot to the back of the house, establishing 
thereon what are termed spurs, or what might, perhaps, 
be more properly termed, snags, from the front to the 
bark, as nearly as possible, at measured distances, and 
as far as may be placed alternately up the stem. About 
one to every foot is sufficient; perhaps better than more. 
These spurs are first developed as side-shoots, and in 
order to ensure their due and full development, they 
are produced during about three seasons. There are 
those who will run a cane up to the back of the house, 
and fruit it the whole length the next year, but this is 
not substantial practice; albeit, astonishing those who 
are not aware of the tendency of this ruse. A good cane 
nearly the length of the roof, and about three quarters- 
of-an-inch diameter, may be pruned to one-third the 
rafter length the first year, another third the second, 
and the remainder the third year. By this plan, sup¬ 
posing the rafter fifteen feet long, there will be about 
five large bunches the first year, ten the second, and 
fifteen or more the third; and this will be found to tax 
the powers of the vine heavily, perhaps too much. By 
this mode every side-shoot will be strongly developed, 
and, consequently, a selection may be readily made. 
The subsequent pruning simply consists in pruning 
each of these back annually to what has been termed 
the “ spawn eye,” that is to say, the last eye at the 
base of the young side-shoot, although some leave 1 
another eye. 
Long-rod pruning has for its object the production of 
larger bunches; and this it can accomplish, although, 
perhaps, the berries are smaller. The object here is to 
establish a stump with three strong branches, or, at least, 
collars; from each of which, in its turn, a shoot may be 
made to spring. These, by a regular system of pruning, 
are worked in successive lengths; the one bearing the 
whole length of the rafter; the second, half the length; 
and the third collar (recently pruned back), producing 
the renewal shoot; indeed, it has been aptly termed the 
“renewal system.” There are other “ long-rod” prac¬ 
tices, but this is the most systematic one. 
Ordinary pruning is such as we very commonly see 
practised on out-door vines trained against a house, ! 
where the leading shoots are carried almost at random, i 
and at first chiefly with a view to get the bouse covered. 
Here the pruner selects according to the character of 
the wood, little heeding its situation; reserving the i 
short-jointed and strong, and cutting away the weak. > 
The shoots reserved are shortened back with reference 
to the space they have to occupy, say from three eyes to 
six or eight, as the case may be. 
In all pruning, it is a maxim to cut an inch or so 
above the eye, not close, and to throw the slant of the 
cut the contrary way to the eye or bud. All vine prun¬ 
ing should be performed the moment the leaves are 
fallen ; and we hold it good practice to patch each knife- 
wound with a little white lead immediately; this does 
away with the possibility of bleeding in the ensuing 
spring. 
LIST OE 
GOOD GRAPES. 
No. 
Kinds. 
Colour. Size. 
Form. 
1. 
Muscat of Alexandria 
. White or amber 1 . 
. oval 
2. 
Black Hamboro’ . . . 
. Black . . 
. . . . 1 . 
. roundish 
3. 
White Frontignac . . 
. White . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. round 
4. 
Black Frontignac . . . 
. Black . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. round 
3. 
Royal Muscadine . . . 
. White . . 
2 
round 
6. 
Dutch Sweet-water . 
. White . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. round 
7. 
Black Prince. 
. Black . . 
.... 1 . 
. round 
8. 
Cannon-ball Muscat . 
. White or 
amber 1 . 
. oval 
9. 
West’s St. Peter's . . 
. Black - . 
. . . . 2 . 
. roundish 
10. 
Lashmar’s seedling . 
. White . . 
.... 2 . 
. round 
11. Esperione. 
. Black . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. round 
12. 
Black Muscadine . . . 
. Black . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. round 
13. 
Miller’s Burgundy . . 
. Black . . 
. . . . 2 . 
. oval 
14. 
Claret. 
. Red . . . 
. . . . 3 . 
. round 
15. 
Early Black July. . . 
. round 
16. 
Black Cluster. 
. Black , . 
. . . . 3 . 
. oval 
Of these. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 0, 9, are the most useful house 
grapes in the kingdom. 
Nos. 1, 3, 4, 8, 0, enjoy a very high temperature. 
Nos. 2, 5, 7, 12, are best for greenhouse vineries. 
Nos. 2, 5,10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, best for open walls. 
An apology is scarcely needed for not introducing the 
newer grapes; such would have made the list unwieldy. 
They can form the subject of a separate notice hereafter. 
R. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
bourbon roses — [Continued from page 82). 
The finest Rose among all the Bourbons is, unquestion¬ 
ably, the Souvenir de la Malmaison, a pale liesli-coloured 
centre, and white on the outside. I have already said 
that a ring of this planted round a large mass of the 
Geant des Batailles would form one of the most splendid 
rose-beds that can be made. The whitest Bourbon Rose 
is Acidalie, a compact, free grower, with good shaped 
flowers; but for flower-beds there is no white Rose that 
can be compared to the Old White China. Arrnosa and 
Queen of Bourbons are two fine lightish flowers to con. 
