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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 11, 1858. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
STOPPING AND SYRINGING VINES. 
We are asked by A. M. “ If the leading shoot of the Vine 
should be stopped when you intend growing it on spurs the 
following year ? Also, whether they should be syringed every 
night and morning after they burst the bud, and on until 
they blossom, and commence again when the blossoms are 
off? ” 
[If the leading shoot is coming away strong, we would 
merely remove all tendrils, and allow it to reach the top of the 
house before the point or terminal bud is pinched out. 
Long before it reached the half of that length, laterals would 
be coming freely from each joint, and these should be stopped 
at the first or second joint, just as you have room to spare. 
Other things being in proportion, the larger the space you 
can give to the main leaf at each of these joints, and the more 
room to the leaf or leaves from these secondary shoots, or 
laterals, the stronger and bulkier will be the main shoot or 
stem. So long as size of stem is the object, these laterals 
must be encouraged, but a time will come, when the thorough 
ripening of the wood, and the swelling of the main buds, 
will be more important than mere size, and then towards 
autumn, as shown in previous articles, these laterals will 
have to be removed gradually, so that more direct sun and 
air may play on the wood and the principal foliage. It will 
thus be seen, that we advise encouraging these laterals at 
first, for promoting size or bulk in the stem, and gradually 
removing them afterwards, to secure ripeness and maturity of 
wood. 
On the same principle, if, notwithstanding the supposed 
strength existing in a Vine, the leading shoot should come 
away spindling and weak, and show little disposition to throw 
out laterals, w r e would advise stopping that weak shoot, when 
three or four feet in length, and, also, preventing any great ex¬ 
tension as to growing in the Vine in any other part, and the 
consequences, probably, would be, that laterals would be freely 
thrown out, the growth of which would add strength to the 
stem, whilst some of the buds near the stopped part wuuld 
be likely to start into growth ; from one of which, or from a 
very strong lateral near the point, a fresh leader could be 
selected. We prefer a shoot from a main bud, if obtainable, 
in a good position, and equally strong. The advantage de¬ 
rived from this treatment, is the securing of the greatest 
strength to the base of your leading shoot. Without such 
treatment, when a leading shoot starts weakly, and yet you 
have reason to believe there is enough of strength in the 
Vine, you will be apt to have your best wood and plumpest 
eyes at the top of the house, which, according to your system, 
you will feel compelled to remove at the winter pruning. 
When I used to grow Vines in pots, I frequently stopped the 
shoots in the above manner, in order that the part next the 
pot should be the strongest, and also the best matured. 
The syringing affair is chiefly a matter of taste and con¬ 
venience. Most people use the syringe pretty freely whilst 
the buds are swelling, and until the bunches come into bloom, 
and many begin to syringe night and morning, after the fruit 
is fairly set, until it commences to change colour, and have 
no reason to find fault with their system. One great plea in 
favour of such treatment is, that it helps to keep those annoy¬ 
ing pests, tkrips and red spider, at bay, and more especially 
when many other things besides Grapes are congregated in a 
vinery. One thing the adopters of such a system ought to 
be thoroughly sure of—the clearness and purity of the water, 
or they may get their best Grapes covered with a sediment. 
Being unable to satisfy myself in the matter of water, I give 
the Grapes a good syringing after they are fairly set, and 
seldom, or never, repeat it again that season. For black 
Grapes especially, no water is worse for syringing than that 
which comes through chalk or lime. However clear, ap¬ 
parently, such water, if the smallest portion of lime is held in 
solution, it is apt to be deposited as a film of chalk on the 
berries, from the combination effected with the carbonic acid 
in the atmosphere, just as a pellicle of chalk is formed on the 
tub of water, into which a day or two previously you had 
thrown a spadeful of lime. When, from such causes, syring¬ 
ing is discontinued after the fruit is fairly set, and swelling, 
the walls, floor, and pathway should be frequently sprinkled, 
especially in bright sunny w'eather. That will help to keep 
the spider, &c., at a distance; and this will bo still more 
effectually secured by adopting Mr. Errington’s most excellent 
and simple method, of painting the parts of the wall on 
which the sun’s rays are likely to rest, with a paint of w r ater 
and flowers of sulphur. Painting the heating medium with 
a thin mixture of the same, will also be useful; but you must 
get to a safe distance from the furnace ; in other words, the 
surface so painted should rarely exceed 140° to 150°. By 
keeping the house thus moist, the points of the leaves will 
often be loaded with dew drops in a morning. I lately heard 
a discussion as to the electrical, galvanic, physiological, vital 
forces, that produced such a phenomenon, as these drops, 
suspended at these points. Is there a reader of this work 
who could not give a simpler solution ?—R. Eisii.] 
BARBAROSSA GRAPE NOT FRUITING IN A 
GREENHOUSE. 
“ In a small greenhouse, heated occasionally by an Arnott’s 
stove, I have a Barbarossa Vine, which has now been planted 
three years ; and, last autumn, having ripened w r ood of the 
size and colour of an ordinary walking-ibtick, I made sure of 
fruit this spring; but, although the rods have broken well 
from every eye, 1 cannot perceive a single bunch. Four other 
varieties, planted at the same time, have each a fair quantum. 
cc I beg to inquire if Black Barbarossa requires any parti¬ 
cular treatment, and how short the laterals should be stopped 
under the circumstances ? 
“ Are you acquainted with a variety of Grape, which I sec 
advertised with a high character, under the name of the Black 
Champion ?”—An Old Subsceibeb. * 
[We much fear that you arc not the only one that has been 
disappointed. Our own observation leads us to conclude that, 
in general, the Barbarossa is not suited for late cool houses, 
such as a greenhouse. The best crops we have seen were in 
houses forced moderately early, so that more heat and con¬ 
tinued sunlight were afforded to the ripening alike of fruit and 
w r ood. So far as we have found, it requires more time for such 
purposes than even a Muscat. When first we fruited it, it was 
in a late house, along with Hamburghs , Muscats , &c.; but it 
was the last to ripen. When young, and not extra vigourous, 
it showed pretty well; chiefly, we imagine, that, in such circum¬ 
stances, the wood was better ripened. Last season a strong 
Vine showed so little, that we cut it down nearly to the bottom, 
allowing one of the lower shoots to become the leader, which 
it did to the tune of something like our correspondent’s walk¬ 
ing-stick, and it seemed as hard and firm as a piece of Oak. 
We left that rod for more than half its length ; every bud broke 
strongly, not one missed; but not a bunch was there on the. 
whole, though other contiguous Vines had two, three, and 
more bunches to each shoot. Influenced by high authority, 
and our own success wdiilst the Vine was young, we have re¬ 
commended the Barbarossa for late houses. We could not do 
so now until the matter has been better ventilated, which this 
notice may help to do. Our present impression is, that it will 
succeed best when staited early, because it will have more 
heat and sun to mature its wood. Without these adjuncts 
its vigour must be moderated by less root room, so that the 
sun in a late house may be able to mature the wood. In such 
a house as our correspondent’s, we should be tempted to say, 
“ Inarch the Champion , or the Trentham , or the West St. 
Baler's, upon it.” if retained, and the spur system is adopted, 
allow the young shoots to grow right and left about two feet 
before stopping them, and then encourage a few laterals at 
! least at the base of the shoots, to plump the buds and wood 
| there. There is no question that the Trentham Grape is a 
good variety, but totally distinct from the Champion .] 
CALCEOLARIAS TURNING YELLOW — CULTURE 
OF PURPLE LANTANA —SOIL FOR CLE¬ 
MATISES. 
“ Some fine large plants of Calceolaria, which were very 
healthy, have suddenly turned quite yellow. On turning Ihern 
out of the pots to examine them, the soil was found full of 
little white worms, or maggots, like threads. What is the 
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