April  21,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
349 
difficulties,  I  thought,  therefore,  that  a  few  remarks  on  the  subject 
might  be  of  service  to  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture. 
An  important  point  to  remember  is  that  the  tying  down  is  best 
performed  in  the  early  morning  and  evening,  as  the  shoots  are  then 
stiff  and  upright,  whereas  during  a  bright  day  they  are  limp.  If 
tied  down  in  that  state  there  is  great  danger  of  losing  many  shoots, 
Fig.  G7.— ALLAMAKDA  WlLLIAiMSI. 
noted  closely  will  f-lmw  practical  cultivators  what  great  advantages 
they  may  gain  by  performing  the  operation  of  tying  down  Vine  shoots 
at  the  most  suitable  period  of  the  day,  or  rather  during  the  most 
suitable  weather. 
j  Even  when  these  precautions  are  taken  it  is  not  safe  to  tie  down 
j  the  shoots  of  some  varieties  very  early.  Black  Hamburghs  when 
because  when  the  leaves  freshen  and  stiffen  during  the  evening  the 
tying  material  is  drawn  tightly,  with  the  inevitable  result  that  many 
shoots  break  away  at  the  heel. 
Now  let  us  examine  the  opposite  state  of  affairs' — viz.,  the  results 
of  tying  dowm  while  the  weather  is  dull.  The  shoots  are  then  fresh 
and  rigid,  and  no  tightening  of  the  tying  material  takes  place  ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  it  gets  looser  as  the  leaves  become  limj)  under  the 
influence  of  bright  sunshine.  These  apparently  trivial  matters  if 
forced  early  are  very  brittle  in  growth.  Gros  Maroc  and  Black 
Alicante  may  also  be  included  among  varieties  which  require  great 
care.  A  pdau  1  often  adojA  in  dealing  with  them  is,  when  the  shoots 
touch  the  glass,  to  merely  tie  the  point  down  slightly,  without 
attempting  to  put  any  pressure  upon  the  lowmr  part  of  the  shoot ;  by 
doing  this  the  terminal  leaf  may  be  keprt  safe  from  being  scorched 
until  the  shoots  become  sufficiently  hardened  to  be  tied  down  in  the 
usual  way. 
