December 17, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
1025 
Pot Vines for Table Decoration. 
Possibly there are many readers of The Gardening World 
who have Vines under their charge the original rods of which, 
when closely pruned, have become unfruitful, owing, perhaps, 
to age or mismanagement in the earlier stages of their exist¬ 
ence. Such Vines may frequently be kept in a fruitful condi¬ 
tion if the system of constantly running up new rods and fruit¬ 
ing them for a few years be adopted. Here in a mid-season 
Hamburgh house this system has given much satisfaction. Old 
Vines which did not produce bunches more than -1 lb. in weight 
have on young rods produced bunches which have weighed 5 lb. 
to 6 lb. In a house of considerable dimensions, as is the case 
with us, at least one rod can be removed each year with 
advantage. 
Having selected the rod of some years’ standing which is to 
be taken from the roof to make room for its younger brother, 
it is brought down parallel with and about 2 ft. from the front 
lights and about 3 ft. 6 in. from the roof glass, the rod then 
being firmly tied to a narrow staging, takiiig care to have the 
spurs on one side pointing in an upward direction. At prun¬ 
ing time all shoots are pruned close in excepting six or eight 
on the upper side of the rod; these are shortened back to 
about 18 in. in length, taking care that the top bud is a good 
one. 
Prior to the Vine breaking in the spring a sufficient number 
of 5-in. pots are selected; the holes at the bottom are slightly 
enlarged so that the pieces of young wood retained pass readily 
through them, the pots eventually resting on the old spur. 
They are then filled with good loam, rather heavy in character, 
which is made firm. As active growth commences the soil in 
the pots is kept constantly moistened, when it soon becomes 
filled with .roots. A neat stake must be placed in the centre 
of the pot, to which the miniature rod must be firmly tied. 
As the fruiting shoots develop they are also loosely looped to 
it. These must be pinched at two leaves beyond the bunch 
and the berries thinned in the usual way. I usually allow 
three bunches to each small Vine, which collectively weigh 
about 5 lb. ; of course, more than three shoots are allowed to 
develop, to furnish the tree with plenty of foliage. 
These small Vines remain attached to the parent plant until 
the fruit is thoroughly ripened and they are required for use, 
when they may be cut off with a sharp knife outside the bottom 
of the pot. 
The shoots may now be tied or pinched to make the Vines 
look as elegant as possible. The soil should have a thorough 
watering, afterwards covering with moss, when it will be ready 
to place on the dinner-table. We usually place these miniature 
Vines in a large silver bowl, a saucer with a little water in it 
being placed underneath the pot, which prevents the foliage 
drooping from the heat of the room. The advantages of grow¬ 
ing pot Vines for decoration in the manner described are at 
least of a two-fold character, the one being that of turning to 
good account a rod that otherwise would be thrown away ; and 
the other is that the fruit is much better finished and of finer 
quality than when furnished by young Vines which have been 
grown exclusively in a pot. The enclosed photo, which is one 
of several grown this season, will give the editor some idea as 
to their appearance and utility for the purpose named. 
W. H. W. 
Tree Planting at Gotjrock.— On the 29th ult. Provost Adam 
planted the first of the row of trees that is to adorn Broomberry 
Drive, Gourock. The ceremony was performed in presence of 
the magistrates and a few of the town councillors. The tree is 
a sapling Plane, supplied by Messrs. Smith and Simons, Glas¬ 
gow. Although a Plane tree, one of the magistrates present 
denominated it an “ Adamite. ” The labourers who filled in the 
earth suggested that a little whisky would help the growth, but 
the hint did not “ draw.” On Wednesday Miss Brown, daughter 
of Bailie Brown, planted a second tree opposite Avondale Villa, 
the residence of Bailie Brown, which is at the extreme west of 
the drive; it was named the “ Flossie Tree ” ; and on Thursday 
Miss Tarbet, daughter of Bailie Tarbet, planted the third tree 
on the drive opposite the Bailie’s new residence, Kirkfieldbank, 
and was named the “Nancy Tree.” 
Freesias. 
These lovely little Cape bulbs are now general favourites, 
their sweet scent and easy culture commending them alike to 
the amateur who can grow his dozens, and to the professional 
who can order his hundreds or thousands. 
We are now cutting nice spikes from an early batch potted 
in August, and find them very useful and acceptable where 
sweet-scented flowers are always more or less in demand. 
I like to grow from a dozen to fourteen in a 6-in. pot, and 
advocate placing the bulbs quite 2 in. below the soil. This 
deep planting does away with the plunging in leaf-soil or cocoa- 
nut fibre, as usually recommended, which is frequently left on 
a few days too long, and the young growth much weakened in 
consequence. If the pots are placed in frames facing the 
Tot ^ is e for Table Decoration in 5 in. Pot. 
north, and heavily shaded until growth appears, sturdy plants 
will be the result. 
Give light and plenty of air on all favourable occasions, and 
as the plants strengthen and improve, a batch of the strongest 
may be moved into a cool greenhouse, as near the glass as 
possible. Staking the plants should be early attended to, 
and for this purpose, when obtainable, nothing better can be 
used than the small twiggy suckers that spring from the roots 
of old Elm trees. 
In October, if early flowers are required, again move the 
strongest plants into an intermediate temperature, where at 
this season they should be yielding a nice supply of bloom. 
Fieesias are benefited by occasional waterings of weak manure 
water, and the thorough ripening and harvesting of the bulbs 
are also veiy important details in the successful cultivation of 
home-grown bulbs. T. H. Bolton. 
Baron Hill. 
Headers’ Competition.— Particulars of weekly prize see 
centre page. 
