222 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  12,  1896. 
looked  with  some  envy  upon  foreign  produce,  provocative 
thereby  of  invidious  comparison  between  our  own  and  other 
climates.  We  knew  not  then  the  capabilities  of  our  much 
maligned  British  climate,  or  we  were  ignorant  of  our  own 
powers.  Such  is  not  the  case  now  in  viewing  the  superb 
examples  of  home  production,  not  only  so  good  to  the  eye,  but 
incomparably  superior  in  flavour.  If  there  is  anything  found 
or  felt  to  be  deficient  in  either  respect  be  sure  we  shall  obtain  it,  or 
know  the  reason  why.  That  is  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  makes 
the  outlook  clearer,  more  hopeful,  and  more  encouraging.  Let  us 
keep  the  spirit  active,  and  then  a  way  will  be  found  to  a  better 
future. 
How  patiently,  yet  how  persistently  our  teachers  are  telling  us 
the  reason  why  this  man  has  succeeded  ;  why  that  crop  has 
failed ;  why  the  tip-top  price  in  the  market  is  rewarding  some 
whilst  others  cannot  live,  and  why  there  is  such  difficulty  in  placing 
their  products  before  the  consumer.  The  latter  are  disagreeable 
facts  to  face,  but  it  is  better  to  meet  them — to  know  that  we  can 
produce  the  best,  and  that  for  this  remunerative  prices  are  obtain¬ 
able.  It  is  both  pleasant  and  satisfactory  to  observe  that  one  rail¬ 
way  company  at  least  is  endeavouring  to  become  a  more  facile 
medium  between  producer  and  consumer.  Respecting  imports,  is 
it  not  a  fact  that  we  are  becoming,  as  a  nation,  such  confirmed  fruit 
eaters  that,  when  our  supply  fails,  the  imported  article  is  required 
as  a  necessity  of  life  ? 
With  the  more  prosaic  yet  scarcely  less  important  vegetables  we 
have  a  vision  of  possibilities  in  store  in  the  supply  of  dried  or 
preserved  produce  for  which  a  demand  already  exists.  The 
requirements  of  the  Navy  should  form  no  inconsiderable  item  under 
this  head,  and  a  demard  may  also  grow  from  cottage  to  mansion 
when  the  various  uses  to  which  this  cleanly,  handy  and  portable 
form  commends  itself  become  known.  This  claims  our  serious 
attention,  and  no  doubt  will  receive  it,  its  importance  as  yet  having 
not  been  seriously  forced  upon  us. 
From  a  private  gardener’s  point  of  view  the  demand  for  and 
supply  of  cut  flowers  in  the  open  market  would  be  surprising  if  we 
were  not  kept  au  courant  with  the  manner  in  which  these  are 
produced  and  supplied.  Cheaper  to  buy  than  to  grow  is  an 
unwelcome  truth  forced  upon  many  gardeners,  at  least  on  those  who 
are  expected  to  grow  and  not  to  buy.  Various  enlightening  articles 
have  lately  been  published  pertinent  to  this  question,  one  at  least 
having  forced  a  new  want  upon  the  gardener.  This  is  refrigerated 
Lily  of  the  Valley  crowns.  Is  there  any  just  cause  or  impediment 
debarring  us — private  growers — from  sharing  the  benefits  of  the 
new  and  novel  procedure  ?  I  think  not,  and  no  doubt  the  demand 
has  but  to  be  made  and  refrigerated  roots  will  be  supplied  from  or 
by  the  medium  of  our  enterprising  nurserymen. 
Chrysanthemums,  Roses,  hardy  plants,  Orchids,  no  lack  of 
interest  in  these  or  a  thousand  treasures  of  the  floral  world.  All 
improved  and  the  improvement  ever  going  on  on  a  sound  healthy 
basis.  Is  not  that  true  ?  Then  let  us  press  on  with  knowledge  and 
persevering  industry,  and  whatever  the  horticultural  outlook  may 
be  now,  it  will  grow  brighter  by  our  efforts,  and— let  it  be 
remembered,  by  them  alone. — A  Worker. 
EPISODES  IN  VINE  GROWING. 
J udging  by  the  weekly  contents  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  it 
is  not  difficult  to  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  there  is  an  unabated,  if 
not  a  growing  interest  in  all  that  relates  to  Vines  and  Grape  culture. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  for  the  last  half  century  this  has 
been  one  of  the  most  fertile  subjects  for  horticultural  penmen,  it 
is  neither  to  be  wondered  at  nor  regretted  that  it  should  continue 
to  be  fertile  of  discussion  now  and  for  the  future. 
Few  if  any  crop  bulks  so  extensively  in  the  hothouses  of  this 
country  as  that  of  the  Grape,  and  few  subjects  have  been  treated 
of  by  so  many  able  horticulturists.  No  doubt  the  result  of  the 
much  that  has  been  written  and  the  various  systems  advocated  has 
been  a  distinct  improvement  in  the  aggregate  of  the  Grapes  now 
produced  ;  yet  it  may  be  asserted,  on  the  very  strongest  grounds, 
that  there  were  as  accomplished  Grape  growers,  and  as  express 
ones  too,  more  than  fifty  years  since  as  there  are  to-day.  Especially 
does  this  apply  to  the  production  of  Grapes  to  ripen  in  the  spring 
months,  and  this  too  at  a  time  when  appliances  were  not  by  any 
means  so  efficient  as  they  are  now  ;  but  then  the  expense  at  which 
Grapes  were  ripened  so  early,  looked  at  from  a  commercial  stand¬ 
point,  would  never  answer  now,  nor  with  the  long-keeping  varieties 
of  Grapes  that  have  come  to  the  front  is  such  early  forcing  needed. 
Prices  in  those  days  were  such  as  need  never  be  hoped  for 
again.  I  had  something  to  do  with  the  production  of  a  crop  of 
Grapes  that  ripened  in  February  nearly  forty  years  since  that  were 
all  purchased  by  a  London  fruiterer  at  25s.  per  pound,  and  retailed 
at  nearly  double  that  price.  Some  of  the  early  forcers  of  Grapes 
in  my  recollection  round  London  in  the  early  forties  sent  their 
Grapes  in  spring  into  Covent  Garden  on  men’s  heads,  and  realised 
18s.  and  20s.  per  pound  for  Black  Hamburgh. 
Some  of  the  feats  of  Grape  growers  in  the  rather  far  back  times 
were  quite  as  “  express  ”  and  daring,  if  not  more  so,  than  those 
recently  related  in  these  columns.  To  justify  that  remark  and  it 
may  be  interest  and  instruct  some  of  the  rising  generation,  I  will 
instance  one  or  two  cases.  Dr.  Lindley,  in  the  “  Gardeners’ 
Chronicle,”  relates  a  conversation  that  took  place  between  a  Norfolk 
gentleman  and  his  newly  appointed  gardener  at  Christmas  : 
“Gardener,  we  have  no  Grapes  nor  vinery  to  grow  them  in  ;  how 
soon  can  we  have  some  if  I  have  a  vinery  built  as  soon  as  possible  ?” 
“  You  may  have  plenty  by  next  Christmas.”  “  What !  can  I  have  a 
vinery  built  and  a  crop  of  Grapes  in  less  than  twelve  months  ? 
“  Certainly,  sir.”  The  gardener’s  promise  was  fulfilled.  To  the 
greater  number  of  Grape  growers  this  may  appear  an  easy  task. 
80  it  would  have  been  had  the  gardener  purchased  fruiting  Vines 
in  pots.  He  did  not  do  that,  however,  but  planted  Vines  in  the 
ordinary  way  in  April,  ran  up  good  rods  and  ripened  fruit  on  them 
within  the  time  specified.  So  much  for  the  express  of  “  long-ago.” 
As  an  example  of  what  I  have  termed  “  daring  methods,”  this 
instance  was  related  by  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Fish  in  this  Journal 
many  years  since.  The  practitioner  was — 1  fear  I  must  say — the 
late  Mr.  McDonald,  then  of  Woodstock  Gardens,  Ireland.  A  house 
of  rather  old  Vines  under  his  care  was  in  a  very  unsatisfactory 
condition  and  which  the  proprietor  would  not  have  destroyed. 
They  were  all  severed  from  the  roots  at  the  surface  of  the  soil  with 
a  saw,  all  roots  being  found  in  very  bad  condition.  A  small  portion 
of  a  new  border  was  renewed,  and  the  ends  of  the  Vines  were 
placed  in  what  was  considered  the  best  rooting  material,  which  was 
rammed  firmly  about  them  ;  the  portion  of  border  was  surrounded 
with  warm  fermenting  material,  and  the  Vines  otherwise  carefully 
managed.  The  ends  of  the  stems  were  never  examined  till  the 
Vines  were  in  leaf,  when  strong  roots  were  being  sent  into  the  soil 
all  round  them.  The  crop  that  season  was  considered  better  than 
that  of  the  previous  year  and  the  Grapes  kept  well. 
One  more  rather  daring  case  was  that  of  a  house  of  Vines  lifted 
entirely  out  of  the  border  in  June  by  one  who  then  stood  in  the 
front  rank  of  horticulturists.  A  new  border  was  made  for  them, 
and  the  following  year  they  bore  a  very  fine  crop. 
This  paper,  Mr.  Editor,  has  not  turned  out  exactly  what  I 
intended  when  I  took  up  my  pen.  What  I  wanted  chiefly  to  touch 
on  was  the  various  methods  of  planting  young  Vines  that  have 
recently  been  discussed  in  the  Journal.  A  very  considerable 
experience,  spread  over  a  rather  long  period  now,  leads  me  strongly 
to  disapprove  of  planting  young  ripened  Vines  without  disen¬ 
tangling  their  roots  thoroughly  and  spreading  them  carefully  out 
near  the  surface  of  the  border.  I  have  seen  balls  of  healthy  roots 
put  almost  entire  into  the  borders,  with  the  invariable  result  that 
the  roots  struck  down  deeply  into  the  border  at  once.  I  have  also 
seen  Vines  stand  entirely  still  when  so  planted  for  a  long  time,  and 
never  make  a  start  till  a  whorl  of  fresh  roots  pushed  from  the 
collar  of  the  Vines  just  above  the  old  ball.  The  shaking  out  of  the 
roots  and  spreading  them  carefully  out  obviates  this  Iosb  of  time. 
I  have  seen  a  portion  of  the  stem  laid  in  the  border  as  well  as 
the  roots,  with  the  result  that  roots  issued  from  the  stems  near  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  while  the  old  roots  never  moved,  and  I  think  the 
laying  of  the  stems  an  evil.  I  have  seen  the  original  roots  and 
portions  of  the  stems  laid  in  the  soil  raised  years  after  being  planted, 
and  not  a  root  was  found  till  on  the  stem  near  the  surface  of  the 
soil.  Many  of  the  best  Vines  ever  produced  are  planted  the  season 
they  are  rooted  from  eyes,  and  the  best  results  that  have  come 
under  my  notice  by  this  method  have  been  from  plants  that  were 
either  grown  in  shallow,  wide  pans,  or  in  turfy  soil  and  root-pruned. 
The  tendency  of  Vine  roots  is  downward,  especially  in  borders 
that  are  not  made  firmly,  and  any  method  that  obviates  this  is  to 
be  commended.  One  of  the  surest,  if  not  the  surest,  way  of 
keeping  roots  at  the  surface  is  to  keep  the  surface  of  the  borders 
from  becoming  dry  and  remaining  so  for  any  length  of  time. 
Having  referred  to  borders  not  firmly  made,  I  may  say  that 
some  of  the  most  successful  Vines  with  which  I  am  acquainted 
have  been  grown  in  very  solid  borders.  I  had  intimate  knowledge 
