130 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ September, 
prevents sap being drawn to one side more than 
to another. 
1. The permanency of form in trained trees is 
dependent on the equal diffusion of sap. 
2. Prune the strong branches short, but allow the 
weaker ones to grow long. 
3. Depress the strong parts of the tree, and ele¬ 
vate the weak branches. 
4. Suppress the useless buds—on the strong parts 
as soon as possible, and as late as possible on the 
weak parts. 
5. Nail up the strong parts very early and very 
close to the wall. 
6. Delay nailing the weak parts as long as 
possible. 
7. Suppress a number of the leaves on the strong 
side, and leave them on the weak side. 
8. Allow as large a quantity of fruit as possible 
on the strong side, and suppress all upon the weak 
side. 
9. Bring forward the weak side from the wall, and 
keep the strong side close to it. 
10. The sap develops the branches much more 
vigorously upon a branch cut short than upon one 
left long. 
11. The more the sap is retarded in its circulation, 
the loss wood and the more fruit-buds will it develop. 
12. To retard excessive growth, either during 
autumn root-prune or remove the trees, or at the 
sprmg expose the roots to the sun and keep manure 
and water from them; retarding the excessive 
vigour of the tree, leads to its fruit-bearing. 
13. Keep the fruits as far as you can vertical, 
and their stems lowermost. 
14. Let the leaves lap over the fruit till nearly 
ripe, when the light as well as heat must be allowed 
to bear on the fruit. 
There is much more in this noble work 
beyond my limited experience. That which I 
have selected above I have practised, and know 
to be sound advice, having paid special atten¬ 
tion to Peaches and Nectarines for twenty- 
seven years. Once more let me thank Mr. 
Du Breuil, and also the editor of the Florist, 
for the noble figures of the Peaches and 
Nectarines sent by me for illustration,—“Longe 
floreat Florista!” “Longe floreat Fitch!”— 
W. F. Radclyffe, Okeford Fitzpaine. 
ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SHY-SETTING GRAPES. 
fON the cultivation of plants or fruits, the 
p plodding enthusiast devotes his attention 
^ to what are termed “difficult subjects,” 
and prides himself on his success in moulding 
them to his will. For some years I have been 
engaged in the cultivation of the different kinds 
of fruit usually found in an English garden. 
In this department it is quite unnecessary for 
me to say that Grapes of various kinds always 
occupy the first place in the front rank, and 
judging from the magnificent examples of culti¬ 
vation we frequently see at exhibitions, as well 
as in private gardens, the horticulturist’s sheet- 
anchor is well worthy of that place. 
As a cultivator and observer, I have always 
been curious to ascertain the causes and con¬ 
ditions which have led to extraordinary suc¬ 
cess, and I have also paid some attention to 
the causes of failure in the management of 
difficult subjects. Many of our finest sorts of 
Grapes, both black and white, being shy-setters, 
we do not, as a rule, see them so well grown 
as they ought to be. Either the bunches are 
thin and straggling, with here and there a pro¬ 
perly-fertilised berry, or, as is often the case 
with that grand old grape, Black Morocco , 
better known as Kempsey Alicante , we see fine, 
vigorous vines a complete failure through im¬ 
perfect fertilisation. A short time ago I walked 
through an extensive range of span-roofed vine¬ 
ries. The vines, on the extension principle, were 
growing with a luxurious, fruitful-looking kind 
of vigour, by no means objectionable to the 
man who knows how to handle the reins ; but 
what was the state of affairs ? Hamburghs , 
Lady Downes , and Muscats had set badly, and 
a splendid Kempsey Alicante , capable of carry¬ 
ing a quarter of a ton of grapes, was running 
rampant for the want of something to do. I' 
was told it carried a heavy crop last year, and 
required rest. We often hear of the slip be¬ 
tween the cup and the lip. To me, the most 
annoying slip would be the loss of the crop, 
after having succeeded in bringing finely- 
formed bunches up to the flowering period. 
If we turn to a good weekly calendar, we 
find instructions to keep the house dry, warm, 
and well ventilated, while the vines are in 
flower. Many people follow this advice, and 
fail ; so to make sure of our point, we will go 
back to the beginning, i.e.,tlie border. On all 
soils for vines on the single rod, the bottom 
should be concreted, and well drained with 
clean broken bricks or stones. The border 
should be made piecemeal, and underdone rather 
than overdone with soil, an abundance of live 
active roots within a limited space being more 
easily excited when the grapes are coming into 
flower, and being capable of taking a great deal 
more tepid liquid when swelling-off the fruit, 
than if spread over a larger area. In all cases 
where practicable, I give my vines the benefit 
of inside borders, if only three feet wide, as I 
can then lift and relay the external or internal 
