Gardening Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2580, 23 April 1887, Page 2

Gardening Notes.

, THEGBAPEVINE. ] (VitisVinifera.) ' ! The Vine, requiring a fine climate, , will not perfect its fruit in this district . without some .little protection, either : .naturalo; artificial, on'the. south "and; east si.des -On the south to keep off the terrific blasts oi cold winds. we are subject to, and on the east to.ward off the. first rays of th'e morning sun'until fully ten o'clock; for I have, from careful observation, found this latter to be very destructive tothe' young shoots which Ejbould become the benring branches. A regular system of pruning is absolutely necessary for the culture of vines, which will soon cease to b'jar fruit if this-is neglected. The one generally adopted by the most successful growers at homo, and most suitable • for vines on walls or .under glass is the following :—Suppose a vine cutting has made in the second or third year two or three.strong .shoots; out off all- : others ■ ahU. .bend..' those';.remaining ■sUaightv so that the branch, is fixed with its-end below tho'horizoiital lino,to wire o'r'trellisi', By.doing.s6, : alltlie. eyes "on'the branch break vfith equalstrength.. The summer Ehoots are allowed to grow up vertically.-.to two or.' three- eyes .above the last bunch of • fruit, where they Bhould be taken off. All laterals are removed as they appear. The leaves attain by this treatment Bucha'sizo that they sufficiently shade the fruit. During the summer,' all

shoots springing from the main stem of the vine.diiect, are rubbed, off except two, which are allowed to grow, without beinc; stopped. When pruning season . comes, the whole of the branches, both ', summer shoots and two year old, which supported the crop, are cut off close to the stem, and those left during the Slimmer are bent down to tako their i place. The yield of grapes is greatly , increased by this treatment, while , vignei'ons at home have observed that instead of weakening the plants, it greatly tends to strengthen them, Whatever method is adopted" in pruning, care should- always bo taken. that } too. much wood is not allowed to remain on the vines to prevent oxhaustion.and , overcrowding. Amateurs 'generally make-a serious mistake in training vines, Instead of bending the rods as nearly as possible horizontally', to , induce all eyes to break equally, they tie them np, more or less, in a perpen--3 dicular direction,, which causes the , upper eyes.'to break, and form shoots, all the lower ones remaining dormant, or producing only weak and unproj ductive branchiate. My advice to those - about to start a vinery is; -Trench the ground this month, and mix somo sood ' manure with it, After the -vines are . planted, feed with rich mulchings. To. i cover the wall quickly, plant at first e six feet apart, As soon as planted cut g the vines downto twelve or eighteen j., inches from the ground, ■ Train up. j ,two rods .the first season,'.or -more if the vines are strong, and show an

inclination to.grow. Cutbaok to ripe wood, and train the two main branches horizontally, till the limit of..space has; been reached, then fill in-tlio .centre of of the plant' with vertically" trained' shoots springing from-. the horizontal branches.. The bearing rods should not he nearer than two feet, ut nothing is gained by overcrowding. The whole of,the above system of training-applies. cqualy to the open nir, the' greouhouse or tho forcing hviree. For'the ';:

FORCING HOUSE; it is necoßsary, if tlie vines are planted outside, that they should go-though the wall of the house at least 6 inches underground, to prevent the sap being checked by frost in the main stem, as would be the case if exposed, by entering the house above ground, and so cause a mysterious falling off of the young branches. Start your vines with a night temperature of 45 degs. on tho shortest day in the year, or, at least, within a week of that time, Do not raise the temperature much for two weeks, when it should be gradually raised to 50 degs, and wbeu the buds have started, to 55 degs. Gently-dew the dormant wood with very fins spray from a syringe daily until all the buds have started. Afterwards a moist atmosphere should be kept up by evaporation from water sprinkled on the paths, walls, and borders of the house, The night temperature should be from 60 degs. to 65 degs, when the viues have well started. There is no more difficulty in growing grapes in the

Greenhouse, without fire heat than with'' itnay, there is even. less difficulty, because, there is no bother about'tho five, which is apt to prove a stumbling Mock to tho inexperienced, ' But, of course, there cannot be any forcing without artificial heat, and the choice ef plunls should be limited to some of the hardier and good cropping kinds, SucUv as Blaok .Hamburghs,. Blaok Prince, Koyal Muscadine, early White Mahnsia, etc. I should hesitate about Muscats of any kind, - Successful grape growing in the OPEN GARDEN • ■ is just as certain as growing them under glass, if not more so, providing the necessary conditions are cotbplied with, The vines, if grown on walls, the aspect chosen must be from North to North-west, and under no circumstances whatever must they be deprived of the north aud western sun up to the time of sunset. If it is in.tended to plant, say an aero, the beat. plan, in my opinion, is the gooseberry fashion, that is, allow a, single stem, about a foot in height, and train laterals from this at about that height; from the ground, At pruning time, all summer shoots • of the- previous season are shortened back to two; or three eyes each, removing them altogether when they stand too crowded or when too many for tho size" and strength of the vine necessitate the removal of some, For certain snecesa the following kinds.only should be planted outside: —Black Burgundy, Black Esperione, White Muscadine, White Sweetwater, early-White Saumar and Black Cluster, . From the 1 first-four I have grown quantities'of most lutoious fruit in the open, air in England, when only ahogt #ten

years old. Why lam bo imperative in respect to protection on the south and east side of vineyards is—having had considerable experience' both in England and South Australia, X have . always found the best grapes and the largest crops in;'the situations ;■'. named, and;it is an undisputed'fact that the best wine is grown .in vine, ' yards having that aspect.' .'Spring- • weather in - this. ■- locality' i i3,. ! most;,'; treacherous. .Atnight we aw visited by a stinging frost, while the -day'is almost unbearable with heat. 'There-: fore : plant . yqur, a - North-western slope,. ■ where • 'the ground will get a good roasting ' right up to sunset. Then you need not have much fear as it will have taken the greater part of the night for,, the ground to cool sufficiently, to be much affected by frost,, and in the • morning the atmosphere , will be warmed,so as to melt off any.frosty your vines may have cuught before \ the sun shines upon them, and so pre-.-, yenttho scalding of leaves and young:, ; . Bh'Qotß, which is so fatal to vine culture. ;' Tbe.followiug are sorts whioh^iay'; be rocoDimended; (or-growing under"' ■glass : Black Hamburgh,.. Black ■.Prince', Grand Turk, Black' St; Peter, Blue Cibobo, Muscat of .Alexandria, Lady's Finger, Crystal,. Gbl&'ji ■.burgh, White"Mulvasia, efe.'"'';3r-';-*' : The following are answers'toques/-: lioii asked by' A would-be grape grower'.'.: in Thursday's issue V-rIV Your .will do, but.get' as near as possible.' to that advocated id above article on:'. vines, Wero y'oU planting in the open • ■-. I should say the aspect would iot'be' ; . suitable. 2. Yes, for while your vines '■ are well ventilated below, the atmos»<i phere around the'leaves and- fruit $ would bo like that of an Egyptian ' desert, You will require at least fattr • ■ opening lights in your' proposed' . vinery. 3, Read above article." ■&. The cost of a house suitable for vines, 20 feet long, Bft wide and 9ft at highest •. , point, with four sliding sashes for topventilation, would he about £22 10s.