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ten good bunches in May 1859. These instances are mentioned to show how well vines bear being carefully transplanted or lifted.

THE POT-CULTURE OF GRAPES.

Now that we have such good keeping varieties of both black and white grapes, that hang even till May, there is perhaps less necessity for forcing pot-vines for the supply of grapes in March and April than existed some years ago; still the production of grapes from pot-vines is perhaps more extensively practised now than ever it was. When certain varieties of grapes, such as Black Hamburg and other early sorts, are required in the end of March and April, I consider it better to produce the first month's supply from potvines than to start permanent vines in October and November to supply them. The vines in most instances ultimately succumb to the process; whereas, if started a month or six weeks later to succeed potvines, they are much more easily kept in fair condition, and, moreover, produce better crops. I have for many years regularly ripened a crop of grapes from pots in April, and kept up the supply by ripening a succession for May and June from permanent vines, and consider this the best method to adopt where early grapes are required.

There are other cases where pot-vines supply grapes in a most acceptable way, such as when vines and vine-borders have to be renewed; in which case a vine in pot can be fruited at intervals among the young vines, without the one injuring the other. cases where I have had vines and borders to renew, I have ripened a crop from pots in April and May, and

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then planted the young vines in time to make good canes the same season, the supernumeraries of which were fruited heavily the following season-thus not losing much by the renewal of borders.

Vines in pots are also successfully dwarfed and fruited in small pots on the Chinese system for the purpose of dinner-table decoration, for which purpose they are very interesting. Mr W. Thomson, who illustrates this practice by an engraving in his 'Practical Treatise,' describes this process: "When the vines are placed in heat, a small pot is slipped over the rod, and in this pot a neatly-made stake painted green is placed, and the soil filled in round it. Through this stake a strong set of wires are run at right angles with each other, to which the branches of the vine are tied. The small pot gets filled with roots by the time the grapes are ripe, when it may be detached from the large pot and set in a small vase on the table, when the tree-like plant, with its fine pendulous bunches, looks all that can be desired."

The cultivation of grapes in pots differs in no essential way from that of permanent vines, except that they require constant watering, and feeding at the root with mulchings and manure-water. They should always, if possible, be plunged in a gentle bottom-heat-at least, till they are fairly started into growth.

INARCHING VINES.

It is now a well-established fact, that some of the more tender and much-esteemed varieties of grapes succeed better when inarched or grafted on to others of a more vigorous constitution, and the practice is

now quite common. Inarching on to established vines enables the cultivator to introduce new or desirable sorts, at a time when it may not be possible to plant them out in new borders; and by the same process those who have only a very limited accommodation for vines can have any variety introduced into their collection with the greatest ease.

There are many well-known ways of inarching and grafting the vine, but there is none which I have ever seen practised that is so simple, or that makes so complete and speedy a union, as that of uniting two young green growths in the ordinary way of inarching. have often taken a young vine struck from an eye when not more than 18 inches high, and inarched it on to the growing side shoot of a vine. The rapidity with which the two unite is wonderful. All that is necessary is to place the young vine in a position suitable for joining it to the stock,. then with a sharp knife to cut a slice from its side about 2 inches long and about half through the young growth at its deepest part. Then a similar slice is cut from the stock, and the two wounds nicely adjusted to each other. First, in tying them, let the two be rather easily fixed to each other above and below the union, and then bind them sufficiently close with soft matting to cause them to fit nicely together. In fourteen days. they will have so far united that the ligature may be slackened a little to give the wood room to swell. In another fortnight the union will be complete. During the process supply the young vine with water till the union is formed, and then, if the plant is not required, it may be allowed to dry off altogether; or where this is undesirable, it should be cut through below the union by degrees, and the top cut off the stock in

fourteen days after, that the sap may be entirely directed to the young vine.

Were a graft of a young vine in a ripened state put into my hands that I desired to work on to another vine, I would much rather strike an eye from it, and inarch it green wood to green. The process is more simple and certain, and the union becomes more perfect in a shorter time.

After experimenting with various stocks, I have come to the conclusion that the Muscat of Alexandria and Black Hamburg are the best stocks, especially the Muscat; and such varieties as the grizzly and white Frontignacs and Muscat Hamburg, which are not so much and generally grown as their merits deserve, do best on Muscat of Alexandria. I have also found Black Hamburg the best stock for Golden Champion and Duke of Buccleuch; and the finest bunches and berries, both as regards colour, size, and flavour, of Gros Guillaume that I have ever seen, I have had from grafts grown on the Muscat of Alexandria.

SETTING UP GRAPES FOR EXHIBITION.

Grapes are very often inefficiently set up for exhibition, and are consequently not seen to the best advantage. This is especially the case at some of what may be termed country shows. I have therefore thought that fig. 10, taken from a photograph, would serve to show exactly what is generally considered by exhibitors of grapes the best way of carrying and setting up grapes for competition. The bunch, it will be observed from the figure, is resting on a slanting board. The board is first covered with a thin sheet of cotton wadding, and then with a sheet of soft white

paper. The bunch is cut with rather more than an inch of the vine adhering to each side of its stem. A piece of narrow tape is fastened to the piece of vine, and passed through a hole near the top of the back perpendicular board, and securely fastened there. To keep the bunch firmly in its place, a piece of narrow

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soft tape is worked with great care between the berries near the middle of the bunch with a long needle, and each end of the tape is passed through holes previously prepared on each side of the main stem of the bunch and tied underneath. The bunch is thus fixed so that

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