132. Hitt long ago recommended the training of the principal stem of the vine in a serpentine form ; leading from it par.Vel horizontal shoots, at the distance of eighteen from each other : from these, bearing branches are produced, which are nailed in, in an upright position, by which means, in his opinion, they are less apt to put forth collateral shoots, which rob the fruit. Forsyth has since shewn the advantage to be derived from training the bearing shoots also in the serpentine manner. This, it. must be confessed, renders the laying in of the summer wood more troublesome ; hut, with a little prac tice, and due attention, all confusion or difficulty of that kind might be surmounted. It is evident that a good deal more bearing wood can thus be laid. close to a wall, pal ing, or trellis, than by the ordinary method. Nicol ap proves either of the horizontal or the zigzag manner be ing adopted on low walls or trellises ; but for the grape house he prefers training, directly up the roof. It is well known that in vinevards in the wine countries, the stan dard vines are seldom allowed to rise higher than three or four feet. It is found, that against our walls vines grow much stronger and afford larger grapes when not allowed to exceed four feet in height. They thus enjoy the re flected heat from the earth as well as from the wall. Vines are therefore frequently placed in the low intermediate spaces between peach and nectarine trees.
133. The watering of vines in the open border, in very dry weather, is sometimes necessary ; but not oftener, perhaps, than once a week. After the fruit is set, the garden-engine is occasionally used, and water sprinkled over the whole plant, this being found to promote the swelling of the berries.
134. During summer the vine may be said to be con stantly in a state of pruning. This consists in the regula tion of all the new shoots, selecting the-bearers for next Year, and displacing all lateral, straggling, and super fluous shoots. In July, when the fruit is formed, the bearing shoot itself is shortened, in order to give vigour to the bunches. The vine is seldom, by judicious gar dencrs, divested of any of its leaves, which seem in this plant almost indispensable to the health and swelling of the fruit.
133. The removal of a small ring of the outer and in ner bark from the stem or principal branches, has been found to hasten the production and maturity, and increase the size and flavour of grapes; and this practice is now followed to some extent in the south-west of England. The width of the ring of bark taken out may be from an eighth to a quarter of an inch ; the former being sufficient if the plant be weak, the latter proper if it be luxuriant. Care must be taken not to injure the alburnum. The pro per time for performing the operation is when flowering is nearly over, and when the berries begin to he formed. In the course of little more than a fortnight, granulations of new bark make their appearance on the upper side of the incision; these gradually increase, till nature has re stored the covering of bark. The ring of newly deposited bark is rough, and becomes protuberant ; so that a gib bosity remains at the place. The vine-shoot swells, and becomes much larger above than below the incision. On vines thus treated, the berries are said to be earlier, to swell much faster, and to become larger and better fla voured, than on neighbouring vines left uncut. In Eng
land, the vine usually flowers in the open air towards the end of June or beginning of July. If the circle of bark be removed at either of these periods, the part will be covered with new bark before the ensuing winter, and no injury will be sustained by the vine. I n forcing houses, the circle should not be removed till after the vine has flowered, the precise time depending on its state of for wardness. In very old vines it is not recommended that the incision be made on the main trunk, but on the middle sized branches ; and it may either be made on all the prin cipal branches, or only on every other branch.
136. In connection with this practice may be mention ed another, not altogether new, but which has of late been brought into particular notice, in a pamphlet publish ed in 1815 by the Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart. This consists in entirely removing the parenchymatous outer balk from the stem and principal branches, but care fully preserving the inner concentric bark. The opera tion is performed in November, or the beginning. of De cember. At that season it is easily' done with the com mon garden knife, and there is then little danger of injur ing the fiber. The removing of old and rugged bark from vines has long been practised, with the view of preventing the lodging of insects, particularly the red spider; but besides being insured of exemption from these, the decor ticated vines are said to make stronger shoots, and the quantity, quality, and flavour of the grapes to be thereby improved. This plan has been followed for several years by .Nlr King, a fruit-gardener at Teddinglon, in Aliddle sex ; and as his profit must depend on the of grapes he raises, and the price upon their quality, it is evident that if the practice did not prove useful, it would not be continued by Minn.
137. Vines seldom produce bearing shoots from wood that is more than one year old, unless tl.e old wood be healthy arid well cut back. The great object therefore is, to have abundance of wood of this age in every' part of the wall or trellis. The bearing shoots for the following year are commonly left with four eyes each ; the undermost does not bear, and consequently only three are expected to be productive; but each of these yields two or three bunches of grapes, which grow from the new shoots of the current year, the fruit-buds being always opposite to the wood buds. Sometimes more eyes are left, and more fruit is naturally produced ; but it is not only inferior in size but in flavour. The shoots are laid in about eighteen inches asunder on the wall, to give room to the side shoots. Miller, Forsyth, and Speechly, unite in recom mending, for the time of winter pinning, the end of Oc tober, when the ft uit is all gathered. Hitt proposes to delay it till the end of January, or beginning of Febi affirming that vines cut in October make weaker shoots than those pruned after mid-winter. The shoots which were lately bearers are cut back to some good lateral shoot, and a few extended naked old branches are entirely removed, or cut back to sonic promising young shoots. In either case, the cut is made about an inch above the bud ; and sloped backwards from it, so as to convey away the juice which may exude.