THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
U7 
June 5.] 
for the free extension of the already existing fibres soon 
! induce a vigorous shoot or two, and thence, by recipro- 
i cation, a renewed demand on the root action; and 
Nature, with her plastic power, soon frames out, and 
brings forth, another series of roots of a much greater 
calibre than the first set. When newly planted vines 
thrive as they ought, they soon acquire a considerable 
amount of strength; and the rising stem, in conse¬ 
quence, becomes much thicker in the young shoot than 
in the older wood from whence it sprang. In this con¬ 
dition, lateral shoots soon begin to be developed ; and it 
is the practice with many cultivators to pinch or stop 
these to one eye as soon as they lengthen. This practice 
we do think is, in such cases, carried to an imprudent 
extreme, unless it be that the cultivator unwisely de- 
I termines to suffer the young vines to carry a crop in the 
j second year; a proceeding which cannot be too severely 
! reprobated. The third year, we suggest, is soon enough for 
bearing, and such being the case, we would advise, that 
the laterals alluded to, be suffered to extend some three of 
four eyes at least; and when stopped, to he done so in a 
steady, progressive way, not in a hurry, allowing the lead¬ 
ing shoots to extend considerably first. There can be little 
doubt, we think, that in the case of very young vines, 
every stopping is a slight check for a few days on a free 
extension of the existing fibres, and slightly impedes the 
formation of new ones. When, indeed, the shoot has 
extended some twelve or fourteen feet, which will not be 
before the end of July, then a progressive removal of 
the laterals may be made, beginning, of course, at the 
lower end of the vine, and clearing them partially, 
or wholly away, as far as the first stopping of the 
main shoot. This latter process we may now advert 
to, for the inexperienced sometimes seem much puz¬ 
zled to know whether to stop, and where. Supposing 
the young plants have to be trained on the spurring 
system, which, although it may not produce buuches 
quite so large as the cane method, is by far the most 
systematic and satisfactory mode in the end; we 
think it an advisable course to stop about two or 
three eyes beyond the point to which the young cane 
will be cut back at the winter’s pruning. If the vines 
thrive, we should expect them thus to bear the whole 
length of the rafters in the fourth or fifth year. Thus, 
vines planted in March, 1851, should, when winter- 
pruned, occupy one-third of the length of the rafter. At 
the next winter’s pruning, another third; and in the 
succeeding one, the remaining third; and in March, 
1855, the last third, reaching the back of the house, will 
have developed its spurs ready for fruiting; and then 
the whole stem will be studded with spurs, at regular 
distances, with nearly as much precision as a joiner 
could by art place them. 
The principle, then, on which we would manage such 
affairs is, that of securing strong and confirmed spurs 
one year previous to their bearing; and this done, and 
the vine in a sound, elevated, and healthful soil, we 
would guarantee the vines to produce equal crops every 
year, for nearly a century, if necessary. 
To revert to the stopping them on the principles here 
advised ; after stopping the leading shoots the first sum¬ 
mer, at somewhere near half way up the rafter, we would 
! suffer the vine to ramble almost uumolested, merely 
| stopping laterals which threaten to cross and confuse, 
or which have reached the back of the house. The 
stopping here recommended will have the effect of ren¬ 
dering the buds below it more firm and plump, they will 
consequently develope fine spurs. 
In each succeeding year, whilst completing their spurs, 
the same practice may be followed until the whole tree 
is in full bearing, when the ordinary routine of vine 
culture may be pursued. Thus, in the third year, the 
lowest portion of the stem, about a third, will carry a 
crop of about six or seven bunches to a vine, each one- 
and-a-half to two pounds weight. In the next year, both 
that and the second portion will be cropped to double 
that amount; and in the following year the whole length 
will be in bearing, and will average about one-and-a-half 
pounds per lineal foot up the rafter; so that from a 
fifteen foot rafter, quite twenty pounds of good grapes 
may be obtained, and that, too, all else being right, for 
very many years successively. 
We know full well that all this requires patience ; and 
there are those who will prophesy still more abundant 
things. It will be urged that you can easily run a cane 
up to the back in one summer, and bear it the whole 
length in the next. Now the unwary are apt to be 
caught in this way, inasmuch as such may be done ; but 
those who offer this famous recipe, do not care about the 
permanency of the vines, they leave that to their suc¬ 
cessors. 
Indeed, owing to the public pruriency for quick re¬ 
turns, a custom prevailed amongst some gentlemen of 
sharp practice, a few years since, of advertising for a 
gardener’s situation, on the basis of this very eminent 
qualification, viz., that of being able to plant a vinery 
one year, and cause the roof, albeit metallic, to bend 
with its vinous treasures in the next. 
Depend upon it, a vine should be allowed to acquire 
some stamina, some “ stock in hand” to trade upon, 
before embarking in large speculations; or, like some 
Jack-in-the-box tradesman, poor Yitis may be the ad¬ 
miration of every body one year, and in the Gazette the 
very next. R. Errington. 
THE ELOWER-GARDEN. 
Companion to the Calendar for June. —Anemones, 
Ranunculuses, Hyacinths, Tulips, Spanish and English 
bulbous Irises, also Crocuses, and spring-flowering 
Daffodils, or Narcissuses of sorts, and many other 
border roots, bulbs, corms, or by whatever other name 
we choose to call such things, may, or may not, be taken 
up and dried as soon as the leaves decay. Why do we 
take up bulbs? Merely for the sake of convenience, 
either to get the ground ready for another crop, or to 
better it for the bulbs another year; and, perhaps, in 
one or two instances, we gain something by keeping 
one or two families from growing too soon in the autumn 
for our climate, as a long winter hurts them if they 
break ground before Christmas. There are bulbs which 
certainly should not be removed oftener than once in 
five years at the least; others there are which require 
to be taken up every third year, because they make such 
quantities of offsets, or little side bulbs, as choke the old 
ones, or press so hard upon them as to prevent their 
flowering satisfactorily. Anemones and Ranunculuses 
are very apt to commence growing early in the autumn, 
if the rains come down much in August. All this, i 
however, is only the surface of a current which has 
flowed down to us from nobody knows how long a time 
back. The Scarlet Martagon Lilies (“the Lilies of the 
field”) on the plains of Sharon, have not been taken up 
or transplanted since they were referred to in the Sermon 
on the Mount, and yet, according to recent accounts, 
are as gay and as large as the same sort is with us with 
all our removings. Then the old notion that offsets 
hinder parent plants from flowering, is totally refuted 
by Dr. Herbert’s Gladioli. Where is the bulb which 
“offsets” more than they? Yet Dr. Herbert ascribed 
his success in flowering them on the same spot, without 
once being removed for upwards of thirty years, to these 
very offsets causing a better drainage; but then we 
must recollect that the old bulbs of Gladioli die ns soon 
as they flower, and so do old tulip bulbs; and why not 
flower the tulip for thirty years on the same spot like 
the Sword lily? The why and the wherefore of the whole 
question is just a matter of convenience, as I have said. ; 
