HOARE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 6, 19 August 1842, Page 4

HOARE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE.

(Concluded from our last.)

(From the Quarterly Revieiv.)

“ Bones, ‘says our author,’ however, on account of their prolonged effect, arc by far the most valuable manure that can be deposited in a vine border. They should be buried in the soil, whole, and as fresh as possible. Every variety of size may be procured, from the smallest bone of a fowl to the largest bone of an ox. The small bones will decompose in a few months, but the largest will remain for twenty, thirty, and even fifty years, before they are entirely decayed, while the inter-mediate-sized ones, according to their respective kinds, will be continually decomposing in succession for a great number of years, yielding thereby a constant supply of nutriment of the most valuable description. It is worthy of remark also, that every bone, whether small or large, after it has been deposited in the soil a few weeks, will begin to yield, by the decomposition of the gluten on its surface, a steady supply of nutritious matter, and continue so to do, until it be resolved into its constituent parts, and form part of the soil itself. “ Many results, might be adduced, of experiments tried at various times, to ascertain the value of entire bones as manure to the roots of vines, all of which would prove that they yield, beyond all comparison, a more permanent supply of nourishment than can be obtained from any other substance used as manure. “ The proper height of a wall intended for the training of vines upon must depend, in a great measure, on local circumstances. In an unsheltered situation, and an aspect exposed to the injurious influence of westerly or south-westerly winds, I have never seen fine grapes produced much higher than eight feet from the ground. But, in situations and aspects of an opposite description, no limit to the height of a wall need be assigned, for as fine grapes may be matured at the distance of twenty feet from the ground, as at any less height. Grapes, when growing at a less distance than about four feet from the ground, certainly enjoy a considerable increase of reflected heat, particularly if the surface adjoining the wail be paved, or covered with stones or gravel; but on the other hand, to counterbalance this advantage, if the aspect be east or ivest, the sun will shine longer on the upper part of the wall, than on the lower part, in consequence of wliich, the surface of the wall will be found, in general, pretty equal’y healed in all its parts. But if the aspect be south, the solar rays during the summer will strike the entire surface of the wall at the same instant of time, unless there be some local impediment ; and in this aspect, therefore, the lower part of the wall will always enjoy an increased degree of warmth from the reflection of the ground. Hence, grapes growing within two or three feet of the bottom of a wall facing the south, will, in general, ripen from ten days to a fortnight earlier than those growing on the upper part of it. There is a disadvantage, however, in training grapes near the ground, as it respects their remaining on the vine after being ripe. If grapes can be kept perfectly dry, they will hang on the vine, and improve in flavour, for a long time after they are ripe; but if dampness or moisture of any description reach them, the consequences are quickly seen in the decay of the berries. After the middle of October, therefore, it will be found a difficult matter to preserve grapes that hang within two feet of the ground, on account of the damp exhalations that continually arise from the soil at that period of the year. If walls be built for the express purpose of producing grapes, the most judicious expenditure of the materials will be in the erection of several low walls, not more than six feet high, in preference to a small number of very high walls. For the purposes of pruning and training, and the general management of the vines, walls of this height are far more convenient than those of a greater height; and if built to run directly north and south, the entire surface of both sides of each wall will be available for the training of the vines ; and as such walls need not be built at a great distance apart, an astonishing quantity of grapes may be thus annually grown on a small extent of ground, by the erection of a few walls of this description, built parallel to, and not far distant from each other. The best materials for the construction of vine-walls are, without doubt, bricks, as they present a more even surface than can be obtained from walls built of any other description of materials ; and evenness of surface is a quality that cannot be dispensed with. It is not only necessary for the training of vines with precision, but if the surface of the wall be not smooth and even, the grapes will, at times, be con-

sidcrahljwnjuved, by being blown to and fro by the wind against the rough and uneven parts of it. Dark-coloured flint walls are hotter than those built of brick, but this advantage is more than counterbalanced by their uneven surface. But if the faces of the flints be well hammerdressed, and the joints of the wall made to run in proper courses, they make a handsome wall, and one that will absorb and retain heat in a greater degree than any other. If, from local causes, neither bricks nor flints can be procured, stone of any description may be substituted, but the darker the colour, and the closer the texture, the more will it absorb and retain heat, and repel moisture, and, consequently, the better will it be adapted for the end in view. As a substitute for walls, stout ranges of paling , made of well-seasoned wood, or of the planks of old ships, well coated over with paint, are at times erected, but grapes produced in this way are seldom equal to those grown on walls.”

Of the three generally received methods of pruning— long pruning, sjmr pruning, and fan or fruit-tree pruning —Mr. lioare, on good grounds we think, considers the first as most eligible, being that which leaves a sufficient supply of bearing shoots, on the least proportionate quantity of old wood. He thus describes the process of long pruning : —

“ This method consists in obtaining all the fruit of a vine from a few shoots, trained at full length, instead of from a great number of spurs or short shoots. To provide these shoots, the former bearers are cut down to very short spurs at the autumnal pruning; and, at the same time, a sufficient number of shoots are left at whole length to produce fruit in the following year. At the succeeding autumn, these latter are cut down to very short spurs, and the long shoots that have pushed from the spurs ai'e trained at whole length as before, and so on annually in alternate succession. This method recommends itself by its simplicity; by the old wood of the vine being annually got rid of; by the small number of wounds inflicted in the pruning; by the clean and handsome appearance of the vine; and by the great ease with which it is managed, in consequence of its occupying but a small portion of the surface of the wall.”

Mr. Hoare then gives the following general rules for the pruner:—

“ Ist. In pruning, always cut upwards, and in a sloping direction.

“ 2nd. Always leave an inch of blank wood beyond a terminal bud, and let the cut be on the opposite side of the bud.

“ 3rd. Prune so as to leave as few wounds as possible, and let the surface of every cut be perfectly smooth. “ 4th. In cutting out an old branch, prune it even with the parent limb, that the wound may heal quickly. “ sth. Prune so as to obtain the quantity of fruit desired, on the smallest number of shoots possible. “ 6th. Never prune in fx-osty weather, nor when frost is expected.

“ 7th. Never prune in the months of March, April, or May. Pruning in either of these months causes bleeding, and occasions thereby a wasteful and an injurious expenditure of sap.

“ Bth. Let the general autumnal pruning take place as soon after the Ist of October as the gathering of the fruit will permit.

“ Lastly, use a pruning-knife of the best description, and let it be, if possible, as sharp as a razor.”