July  13, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
57 
MODERN  GRAPE  GROWING. 
,  Eablt  Training. 
{Continued  from  page  546,) 
At  the  end  of  the  lecond  season,  whether  the  Vines  have  been 
allowed  to  bear  fruit  or  not,  there  are  spurs  to  be  pruned,  and  it  is 
important  that  this  work  be  performed  not  later  than  the  first  week  in 
January.  If  there  is  no  fruit  on  the  Vines  it  will  be  still  better  to  do 
it  by  the  middle  of  December,  for  although  it  is  scarcely  discernible, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  work  of  some  kind  is  going  on  in  the  buds  even 
after  this  time,  for  it  is  an  ascertained  fact  that  the  roots  of  the  Vine,  as 
distinct  from  other  plants,  continue  active  some  time  after  the  leaves 
have  fallen,  and  as  these  are  very  late  compared  with  other  plants  in 
•starting  root  extension  in  spring,  this  late  root  growth  must  be  taken  as 
necessary  to  prepare  them  for  the  early  stages  of  head  growth.  If  then 
there  is  some  addition  being  made  to  the  buds  at  this  time,  it  is  best  to 
concentrate  this  as  much  as  possible  on  those  which  are  to  be  left  rather 
than  distribute  it  amongst  scores  of  others  which  are  already  the  fattest, 
and  are  intended  to  be  cut  off.  Besides,  we  know  that  young  vigorous 
Vines  bleed  profusely  in  the  spring  if  the  pruning  is  not  performed 
early,  and  although  this  bleeding  may  be  nothing  more  than  an  escape 
of  water,  it  has  the  effect  of  keeping  the  wounds  open  and  thus  delaying 
the  progress  of  growth. 
“  Prune  to  the  first  good  eye  ”  is  the  advice  often  given,  and  many 
people  hesitate  to  cut  off  good  plump  buds  and  leave  those  which  are 
inferior-looking ;  but  if  we  do  not  prune  closely  at  first  we  get  long 
unsightly  spurs  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  years,  and  no  amount  of 
pruning  and  training  will  afterwards  make  amends  for  this  first  mistake. 
According  to  my  experience  we  do  not  get  the  best  bunches  from  the 
fat  buds  some  distance  from  the  main  stem  of  young  Vines  ;  they  may 
come  large,  but  as  a  rule  they  do  not  come  compact  and  handsome  as 
from  the  first  or  second  eyes,  and  the  Vines  seem  to  have  some  sort  of 
instinct  that  they  will  be  treated  in  the  same  way  always,  and  make  no 
attempt  in  the  following  year  to  properly  develop  their  lower  buds.  I 
practise,  and  advise  pruning  closely,  leaving  not  more  than  two  visible 
eyes,  the  terminal  one  to  be,  if  possible,  on  the  upper  side  of  the  spur, 
for  the  shoot  starting  from  that  position  looks  better,  and  is  easier  to  tie 
down  than  an  undergrowth. 
Even  when  no  more  than  two  visible  eyes  are  left,  others  which  are 
invisible  at  the  time  will  generally  start  into  growth,  and  there  may  be 
a  chance  when  thinning  the  shoots  to  select  them  even  further  back 
still.  If  a  small  portion  of  spur  is  left  inactive  beyond  the  shoot  it  can 
be  cut  off  without  injury  at  a  later  stage.  This  thinning  of  shoots  takes 
place  when  they  are  about  an  inch  in  length,  and  it  is  advisable  to  do  it 
early,  for  although  there  will  be  a  little  bleeding,  the  loss  to  the  Vine  is 
not  so  much  as  would  happen  if  all  the  shoots,  which  are  certain  to  be 
three  times  too  many,  were  left  till  such  a  time  when  bleeding  would 
not  follow ;  and  I  must  repeat,  because  it  is  important  to  remember  that 
everything  to  supply  this  young  growth,  with  the  exception  of  gases 
derived  from  the  atmosphere,  and  perhaps  pure  water  from  the  soil,  is 
supplied  by  the  stored  up  material  in  the  Vine  stem  itself. 
There  is  as  yet  no  root  growth,  the  root  hairs  of  the  previous  year 
have  decayed,  and  until  new  ones  are  formed  there  can  be  no  digestion, 
and,  in  fact,  no  feeding  ;  hence  the  necessity  of  economising  to  the 
utmost.  It  is  also  important  that  there  should  be  no  hurrying  of  this 
young  growth  by  a  high  temperature,  early  closing,  or  a  saturated  atmo¬ 
sphere.  We  should  try  to  make  a  solid  foundation,  with  close-jointed, 
firm  growths,  and  there  will  be  plenty  of  time  when  the  feeders  have 
commenced  to  form  to  do  any  necessary  forcing  that  may  be  required. 
A  rather  high  temperature  by  sun  heat  will  do  no  harm,  and  in  sunless 
weather  after  growth  has  commenced  it  may  be  necessary  to  give  a  little 
extra  warmth  some  time  during  the  day  to  dispel  drops  of  moisture 
which  may  accumulate  on  the  ends  of  the  young  shoots,  as  some  of  the 
unfolded  leaves  are  liable  to  damp  if  this  moisture  continues  on  them  for 
several  days  following. 
The  next  thing  to  do  after  disbudding  is  to  thin  out  some  of  the 
bunches.  Most  of  the  shoots  of  well-ripened  Vines  will  show  two,  three, 
and  some  of  them  as  many  as  five  bunches.  These  on  Muscats  and 
some  other  varieties  appear  as  mere  pink  specks,  and  a  practised  hand 
can,  by  gripping  the  shoot  with  the  finger  and  thumb  of  his  left  hand 
and  pressing  the  thumb  nail  against  these  tiny  embryo  bunches,  pick 
them  out  with  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  almost  as  fast  as  a  hen 
can  pick  up  peas.  One  bunch  to  every  spur  is  sufficient  in  any  case, 
but  if  only  the  number  of  bunches  is  reduced  to  one-half  at  this  stage,  it 
will  be  a  great  gain.  If  you  leave  them  to  see  which  are  the  best  looking 
a  great  deal  of  material  will  be  wasted,  but  if  thinned  in  time  probably 
all  will  be  good.  The  final  selection  and  thinning  can  ttvke  place  when 
the  bunches  have  somewhat  developed,  leaving  a  bunch  or  two  to  spare 
till  the  time  of  thinning  the  berries. 
Stopping  of  the  strongest  shoots  takes  place  before  any  of  the  leaves 
are  fully  developed,  for  although  they  may  be  barely  6  inches  in  length 
they  will  afterwards  stretch  out  to  2  and  even  3  feet.  This  stopping 
is  performed  in  the  same  way  as  the  first  thinning  of  the  bunches — 
viz,,  by  placing  the  left  thumb  nail  against  the  shoot,  and  picking  out 
the  tiny  speck  with  the  nail  of  the  right  forefinger.  There  may  be  a 
leaflet  damaged  in  the  operation,  but  there  are  certain  to  be  one  or  two 
to  spare  a  few  days  later  when  they  can  be  seen  and  counted.  I  allow 
three  or  four  leaves  to  grow  beyond  the  bunch ;  others  who  have  less 
space  to  fill  should  stop  them  according,  as  experience  has  taught  how 
many  fully  developed  leaves  will  have  a  chance  of  exposure  to  the  light. 
If  the  space  between  the  rods  is  only  3  feet,  then  two  leaves  beyond  the 
bunch  will  be  as  many  as  there  will  be  room  for. 
By  the  time  all  the  shoots  have  been  stopped,  which  is  done  day  by 
day  according  to  their  relative  strength,  a  second  lot  of  shoots  will  have 
started  from  the  main  ones.  These  are  called  sub-laterals,  all  of  which 
below  the  bunch  should  be  stopped  to  one  leaf,  and  kept  to  that 
throughout  the  season ;  those  opposite  the  bunches  and  beyond  them 
should  be  removed  or  they  will  cause  crowded  growth,  which  is  as 
bad  as  an  insufficiency.  The  lower  sub-laterals  are  kept  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  the  eyes  bursting,  which  we  want  to  remain  intact  for 
another  year. — Wm.  Taylor. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Events  op  the  Week. — In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Rose  season 
is  on  the  wane,  several  events  will  take  place  during  the  coming  week. 
On  Saturday,  July  20eh,  the  National  Pink  Society  will  hold  its  annual 
exhibition  at  the  Royal  Botanical  Gardens,  Manchester,  in  conjunction 
with  the  Rose  show.  On  Tuesday,  the  23rd,  the  Committee  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  meet  at  the  Drill  Hall,  Westminster. 
Wednesday,  the  24  th,  is  the  opening  day  of  the  Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Summer  show,  and  on  the  same  date  will  be  held  the  National 
Carnation  and  Picotee  Society’s  show  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  Tha 
Trentham  and  Handford  HorttcultnraP  Society  will  hold  its  annual 
exhibition  on  Thursday,  the  25  th. 
- Weather  in  London, — With  the  exception  of  a  few  showers 
in  some  districts  we  have  again  to  record  a  dry  week  in  metropolitan 
districts.  The  rain  which  has  fallen,  however,  appears  to  have  been  the 
means  of  clearing  the  atmosphere,  which  is  cooler  and  not  so  oppressive. 
Gardens  and  parks  everywhere  are  in  a  parched  coniition. 
- The  next  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  July  23rd,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street, 
Victoria  Street,  London.  At  three  o’clock  a  paper  by  Mr.  P.  Brother- 
ston  on  “  The  Carnation  in  Scotland  ”  will  be  read. 
- John  Watkins,  Esq  ,  J.P. — After  conferring  with  the  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  the  County,  Lord  Chancellor  Herschell,  before  giving  up 
his  seals  of  office,  appointed  Mr.  John  Watkins  on  the  Commission  of 
the  Peace  for  the  County  of  Hereford.  Mr.  John  Watkins  is  proprietor 
of  the  Pomona  Farm  Nurseries,  Withington,  near  Hereford. 
- After  your  advice  to  use  powder  for  disease  on  Tomatoes, 
some  of  your  readers  may  be  glad  to  know  that  “  Postite,”  a  French 
preparation  of  talc  and  salts  of  copper,  has  proved  very  effectual  here 
as  a  remedy  for  all  fungoid  diseases.  It  is  extremely  light  and  fine,  and 
used  with  the  Maalbec  bellows,  penetrates  every  part  of  the  house  in 
which  it  is  used.  Messrs.  Clark  &  Co.,  20,  Great  St.  Helens,  E.C.,  have 
advertised  it  in  your  columns.  We  find  a  man  can  do  a  house  of 
Tomatoes,  110  by  20  feet,  plants  about  6  to  7  feet  high,  in  one  hour 
and  a  half,  using  the  bellows.  I  took  the  hint  to  use  powder  as  a 
fungicide  from  the  Journal,  and  thought  that  as  some  of  your  subscribers 
may  not  know  where  to  get  a  good  preparation)  my  experience  would 
prove  useful. — T.  Williams. 
-  National  Carnation  and  Picotee  Society  (Southern 
Section). — I  beg  leave  to  remind  your  readers  that  the  eighteenth 
annual  exhibition  of  the  above  Society  will  be  held  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  on  Wednesday,  the  24th  inst.  Upwards  of  £150  are  offered  in 
prizes.  Amongst  special  awards  may  be  mentioned  the  Martin  Smith 
prizes  for  border  Carnations,  the  flowers  “  to  be  cut  from  plants  which 
have  been  wintered  without  protection  in  the  open  border,  and  staged 
without  dressing,  exactly  as  they  are  cut  from  the  plants.”  The  Turner 
Memorial  Trustees  give  a  very  handsome  silver  cup,  value  £5,  for  the 
best  stand  of  Carnations,  bizarres  and  flakes,  distinct ;  and  twelve 
Picotees,  distinct ;  amateurs  only.  Another  special  award  (not  in  the 
schedule  of  prizes)  will  be  given  by  Mr.  Ernest  Benary,  of  Erfurt, 
Germany.  “  The  Ernest  Benary  Memorial  prize  (a  large  silver-gilt 
medal)  ”  is  given  by  the  firm,  in  memory  of  the  late  much-regretted 
founder  of  the  firm  (Mr.  Ernest  Benary),  for  the  most  meritorious 
exhibit,  either  of  plants  or  cut  flowers  by  an  amateur,  —  James 
Douglas,  Hon.  Sec. 
