THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 15, 1858. 
163 
lageniform. Asci broad, obovate, containing eight elliptic 
sporidia, which have four or five transverse and several Ion* 
gitudinal septa. 
Distinguished from the other species by its peculiar peridia, 
and from all except C. Schweinitzii , in its elliptic fenestrate 
sporidia, which are not constricted at the sutures. With 
C. expansum it agrees in habit, but differs 
in every essential character. 
(To be continued.) 
RINGING TIIE 
The season is now near at hand when those who wish to 
try this mode of culture may do it with good effect. 1 am 
not acquainted with any fruit-bearing tree, of which the fruit 
can be so much improved and accelerated to maturity by 
ringing as that of the Vine. By this process the ripeness is 
forwarded about a fortnight, and the berries are nearly double 
in their size. The result is just the same, whether the Vine 
is growing out of doors or under glass. I have practised upon 
both for the last twelve or fourteen years, at various seasons 
of the Vine’s growth, and to some considerable extent. 
Having a favoured situation round my home here, of course 
I have been enabled to do as I liked. 
One of my walls is fourteen yards long, facing the south; 
and another wall is ten yards, facing the east; and the whole 
about seven feet and a half in height. The whole of the walls 
are covered with Vines. The soil is good, and the situation 
is good ; but the wall is not, being old and in bad condition. 
It is not my own property, or I would remove this evil. 
The Vines are principally cultivated upon the Hoare system, 
or, as it is called, the long-rod system; but they are not so 
cultivated in every case, for sometimes an old bearer is spurred 
back to one or two buds, to carry its crop another year. My 
Vines are very strong, and the rods, or branches, stand at least 
three feet, or even three feet six inches, distant from each 
other, when winter pruned. This allows just sufficient room 
for the fruit-bearing laterals, and a young rod to come up 
between every two bearers. This young rod, of course, to be 
the bearer of laterals the following year. 
Thus, no Vines cultivated on any other system are so ca¬ 
pable of being rung, without the disadvantage of killing or 
losing the future useful part of the tree; because, on Hoare’s 
long-rod system, the whole of the previous year’s bearers 
will have to be cut entirely away. 
The very right time to perform this ringing is just after the 
berries are all set, or have attained the size of No. 2 shot, or 
small peas. In ringing, cut with a sharp knife, clean round 
the branch between two joints. Or, if you are going to ring 
the laterals carrying the fruit, leave either two or three buds 
and leaves beyond the main stem, and make the ring just in 
the middle, between the third and fourth leaves, or joints. As 
I said before, make two cuts clean through the bark, quite 
down into the wood, one inch apart, and remove the bark 
clean away, all round the branch or lateral. By this means, 
if you are in the habit of spur pruning, the hinder buds are 
left all right to spur back to the following year. If you prune 
upon the long-rod system, you may ring the rod just when¬ 
ever you please,—the whole branch if you like,—as this ringed 
part will have to be cut away entirely after the fruit is gathered. 
The ringing is performed just the same on an old whole 
branch as in that of the young lateral carrying one or two 
GRAPE VINE. 
bunches. I have repeatedly rung old branches, that have 
been carrying from twenty to thirty bunches of Grapes, with 
the same good effect; only it has been such branches that I 
have intended to cut entirely away the following autumn. 
Of course, thinning out the berries of the bunches, and the 
bunches too, if excellence is to be aimed at, is of the utmost 
importance. The process of thinning cannot be too early at¬ 
tended to. I always begin as soon as the fruit is fairly set, 
and continue to remove all inferior berries, and this with a 
good pair of scissars and clean fingers,'—using my eyes to see 
what I am about, so as not to injure the berries by handling 
and mauling them. 
By thus practising ringing, I have produced, for the last 
twelve or fourteen years, Grapes, out-of-doors, that have 
puzzled many a tyro, and others too. 
Our indefatigable editors have both watched my progress, in 
the Vine culture, for years.’ My Grapes have many a time 
puzzled the late Mr. Elphinston, when he was gardener to the 
late Speaker to the House of Commons, now Lord Eversley, 
although I used to compete against him, with both in-door 
and out-door Grapes, at our Hampshire Horticultural Show, 
in November. 
As a matter of course, I had read of ring¬ 
ing fruit trees, &c., but it never struck me to 
put the same into practice until about four¬ 
teen years ago, when my attention was called 
to it in an amateur friend’s garden,—Mr. 
Erampton, glass and paint merchant of this 
city. I happened to walk in and look at 
some Vines, to which he was paying great 
attention at that time. This was in the 
month of September, and here I first saw 
the ringing process of the Vine. Seeing a 
few bunches of the Black Hamburgh so largo 
in the berry, and all ripe, I began to inquire 
into the particulars, when Mr. Erampton 
kindly showed me where the branches Avere 
rung, and that the ringing was the cause of 
their being so very large and so early. I then 
Avanted to know whence Mr. Erampton ob¬ 
tained his information, when he showed it 
to me in the “Penny Cyclopeedia,” from the 
pen of Professor Henslow.— Thos. Weaa'ek, 
Gardener to the Warden of Winchester Col¬ 
lege. 
' [It is quite true that we have watched for 
some years, with great interest, the experi¬ 
ments on ringing Vines carried on by Mr. 
Weaver, and Ave can authenticate his state¬ 
ment of his mode of ringing, and its results. It must not be 
THE ENEMIES OE THE 
GOOSEBERRY 
In your number of the 18th of May> 
there is an article under this, title from 
Mr. Errington, giving an account of a 
rather complicated method of getting rid 
of the caterpillar nuisance. I can tell you 
of a much shorter plan, which I have 
practised for many years, and have never 
since been troubled with this pest. It is 
simply this :—In the spring, just sprinkle 
under your Gooseberry trees the old spent 
tan of the previous year, which is other¬ 
wise often in the way, and if you fail I 
shall be surprised. This is a secret worth 
knowing. I speak experimentally.—E. A. 
Gotland, Bellefield , Chelmsford. 
