THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, June *30, 1857. 
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198 
of circumstances it is not well to load Vines up to 
the maximum point; it is not only prejudicial to their 
future welfare, but derogatory of flavour and character 
in the fruit. Those who are novices in Grape growing 
should remember that it is not the vigour of the Vine 
alone, neither the number of bunches that a Vine may 
under high inducements show, which ought to deter¬ 
mine the weight of the crop. All this may be counted 
“ stock in hand; ” but the question remains—how to 
economise that stock. It is doubtless, after all, the 
amount of healthy foliage of the earlier formations 
that can be duly exposed to atmospheric influences 
which should, in the main, regulate the bulk of crop to 
be retained; therefore exposure to solar light is the 
thing to be chiefly considered. When leaves multiply, 
and come to overlay each other two or three deep, we 
may be assured that the lower series will take more 
from the system of the plant than they are able to 
repay. 
The aggregate amount of Grapes that any Vine may 
be allowed to carry, admitting that the plant is in full 
health aud disposed to a crop, may, in general, be de¬ 
termined as well by the length of the rafters of the 
house as by any other mode, however unscientific the 
procedure may seem. And why? Simply because most 
vineries have lights or sashes on the roof of about four 
feet in width. The matter thus becomes very simple. 
Not, however, that all houses are alike. I speak of the 
majority of our old lean-to structures; but our green¬ 
house vineries are required to admit light down every 
centre between rafters, for the sake of the multum in 
parvo subjects below. Such being the case, of course 
only about three quarters of the roof light may be 
occupied by the foliage of the Vines; and, therefore, 
whatever be their energies as to root action, their bear¬ 
ing must be limited accordingly. 
There is one odd phenomenon connected with Vines 
and their bearing properties which, thanks to the sound 
practical knowledge in gardening spread amongst the 
public by The Cottage Gardener, is of less frequent 
occurrence now-a-days than formerly : that point is the 
tendency of bunches after they “show” to run into 
tendrils, or, in other words, to assume what is termed a 
morphological character. Now, what can this mean? 
We all know that it is a departure from genuine fruitful¬ 
ness. Shall we look to the root action for an explana¬ 
tion, or shall we talk about “cold currents” or of 
“ coddling,” as a highly artificial course of treatment 
is called? This much may be affirmed, and most good 
gardeners will bear me out—that when the root is all 
right it would take a very clever fellow to comj>el it 
to assume this character. Doubtless, then, it is a fault 
at the root, and where there is one error in the house 
there are half a score at the root in most cases. Let us 
here pause to consider what is, nay, what must be, the 
effect of an unusual amount of moisture in the border 
after a sloppy November and December. The Vine we 
know is a deciduous shrub, and so is a Lilac or Honey¬ 
suckle ; but these plants scarcely agree as to the 
moisture affair—they are of widely different habits. 
Our shrubs of northern Europe can scarcely get too 
much of the distilled dew of the skies; but who can 
say the same of the Vine and some other tropical fruits? 
I magine, then, a border, which, albeit proclaimed as “ all 
right ” by the constructor, is all wrong in principle; too 
retentive of moisture; aud that “the meeting of the 
waters ” has saturated the soil round the roots, which, by 
the way, have little need of such unseasonable visitants. 
Why,-in the name of common sense, should we not ex¬ 
pect something “rotten in the state?” How can we 
hope that those delicate organs which gardeners call 
fibres, and which are used to a different handling in 
their native clime, should undergo all this without 
evincing signs of impatience, if not of downright affront? 
I will add no more on this head, but leave it rather to 
the minds of those engaged in such matters to think, 
and to think with care. 
These things disposed of, let us now turn our attention 
to the condition of the foliage as to insects, fungi, &c. 
“ Legion,” indeed, is the most expressive word by 
which to designate the enemies of the poor gardener, 
whether he be clad in fur or in a “ foul-weather jacket.” 
First, then, comes the fear-inspiring Vine fungus, 
the Oidium TucJeeri, too well known to need descrip- ! 
tion. Surely every one is by this time aware of its ■ 
insidious movements. As far as we know at present , 
sulphur is the best antidote; indeed, applied in a timely 
way, it appears to answer most fully the purpose in 
hand. This pest must be watched for on its first j 
arrival, for it is a most insidious enemy. The sulphur 
should be dusted over every portion of the foliage and 
fruit, but in an impalpable manner, for patches of j 
sulphur not properly divided are apt to injure the 1 
foliage. 
Aphides, of course, do much mischief to Vines, and 
should not be permitted to establish themselves. 
As for the red spider the utmost jealousy must be 
exercised if it appears: here, again, sulphur is the best 
remedy. These pests, any one or all of them, if allowed 
to gain a footing, are sure to cause a consequent dete¬ 
rioration of the produce in the ensuing year. Many 
gardeners are partial to the syringe in vineries, but 
it is a questionable instrument, especially after the | 
blossoming period. Of course it is antagonistic to the 
red spider, but the use of sulphur on pipes or flues is 
always a match for this enemy. 
As to the atmospheric conditions requisite for the 
Vine, I feel assured that in very many instances they I 
are kept too close. 1 consider that one of the chief 
aims of the forcing gardener should be to inure his 
Vines to an atmosphere of a motive character, even to 
a puff of wind occasionally when not too sharp. Such 
advice, however, must be received with some little 
caution when applied to Vine forcing in the early part i 
of the spring. There can be little doubt that the i 
rustiness so often complained of in berries arises, not ! 
unfrequently, from a coddling system pursued so long 
that the skin of the berries becomes so tender as not to 
endure even a zephyr. The colouring of Grapes, too, 
how much it depends on a free circulation of air! I 
do not affirm that colouring cannot be carried out 
without a constant circulation of air by means of 
ventilation; under a fortunate concurrence of circum¬ 
stances we know it may; but the Vine dresser must ! 
not rely on this: all our best gardeners are fond of j 
as free a ventilation as the times will permit. 
There is much in the colouring of Grapes that j 
puzzles the best of gardeners. On paying a visit to my 
good friend Mr. Hill, of Keele Hall/last autumn, an 
account of whose excellent gardens I gave in The 
Cottage Gardener, I saw a case which I could not 
account for, and which perplexed Mr. Hill himself. It 
was that of a noble tree or two of the new Barbarossa 
Grape. The tree was in most exuberant health, with some 
enormous bunches; but these bunches did not seem 
disposed to colour thoroughly at the time, although 
I believe they afterwards much improved. The edges 
of the foliage had already turned of a golden colour, 
which unpractised eyes would off-hand have termed 
“burnt;” but Mr. Hill is not the man to burn Vines, 
and as all his other Grapes were so truly magnificent, 
of which the exhibitions were witnesses, I felt sorely 
puzzled at this result, and secretly indulged in an 
affront against the Barbarossa. Now, I am of opinion 
that, if a given Vine is required and expected to carry 
thirty pounds’ weight of good Grapes, thirty bunches 
of a pound each on thirty shoots would colour better 
than fifteen bunches of two pounds each. It is pretty 
