A treatise on the grape vine, and on the construction and management of vineries

Front matter

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Contents

Introduction, .

Construction of Vineries,

Heating by Hot Water, Drainage and Formation of Vine Borders,

Introduction

mHE cultivation of the Vine is probably coeval with J- the history of the world. When the primeval home of man was formed, and enriched with every tree which was good for food and pleasant to look upon, the vine, clinging with tenacity to some sturdy tree,' doubtless adorned the scene with its rich clusters of purple and white, and contributed its share to the banquet of which our first parents partook in the garden of Eden. We find the vine mentioned very early in sacred as well as secular history ■ and in later ages, its small, luscious fruit and soul-invigorating juice have formed the subject of many a stirring song, and inspired to many a gallant and noble deed.

There can be no doubt as to the special adaptability of some parts of the earth for the production of the vine, arising partly from the peculiarity of the soil and partly from the nature of the climate, combined with the comparative absence of the various causes of failure and vexation which exist in these more northern, and therefore less congenial parts. Every reader of Holy Writ associates

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superlative quality and enormous size with the duster of .rapes gathered by the ancient Jewish spies at the brook of Eshcoi; and those conversant with the vine-growing districts of the Continent and Palestine, know that some of the finest and most delectable fruit grown in the world is produced in countries where the science and chemistry 0 f vine culture are but little known, and where dependence for a heavy crop rests almost entirely on a favourable combination of atmospheric influences. In such circumstances, disappointment and loss are sure to be experienced sooner or later. And hence, in most grape-growing districts, when disease seizes the vine the fruit , is destroyed, and thousands of persons are thereby thrown into a state of semi-starvation, because the scientific remedial measures are not understood.

How to overcome the difficulties arising from the fickleness of our English climate, and to enable the lover 0 f the vine to cultivate it successfully, are problems which have puzzled some of the wisest fruit-growers of the United Kingdom. AH manner of theories and speculations have been propounded, and notwithstanding the result has been that, in most cases, the professional gardener, or the amateur anxiously seeking for knowledge, has been thrown back upon his own resources, to await the time when scientific research should reveal the great truth which he was longing to understand, and which it is the object of this book to explain.

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If it be true that one fact is worth a thousand arguments, it is hoped it will not be thought presumptuous to conclude that this work will be found of some advantage to those who are seeking for information on the culture of the vine ; inasmuch as it deals almost exclusively with facts, and is the result of long years of anxious thought and toil, which have, however, been re'warded by the attainment of a perfection of grape-growing recognised by Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and other crowned heads of Europe, the Pope of Rome, and the President of the United States of America, as well as by the leading horticultural societies of the .United Wdom and the Continent.

CONSTRUCTION OF VINERIES.

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GREAT deal, no doubt, depends on the proper construction of a vinery. I should, however, be very much puzzled to give an opinion as to which is the best aspect, or what the best form, in which to build a vinery, inasmuch as I have been very' successful in growing vines in. all aspects and in all kinds of houses. It appears to me, therefore, that I cannot do better than give a description of some of the houses I built at the vineyard at Garston, near Liverpool.

The diagram or section, fig. 1, is a spau-roofed vinery, 65 ft. by 23 ft., which I planted on the 8th of June 1857 with black Hambro' vines, and two or three Trentham black and Buckland Sweetwater, all of which have succeeded admirably. Many of my friends can testify to my having gained a great number of first prizes for grapes gathered from the vines grown in this house. I showed a bunch of black Hambro's at the Royal Botanic Garden, Regent's Park, London, in 1865, perfectly coloured, large in berry, and very compact, weighing 9£ lbs., for which I was awarded the highest prize the

Society had it in its power to give. The letters a aa show the places where ventilation is arranged, by sashes being framed on the roof on each side of the ridge, and fastened to iron rods running horizontally, each of the rods reaching half the length of the house and meeting in the middle; there are also loose joints, fixed on the rods, and fastened to every other sash which it is intended to open. There are also small sashes, marked b, framed and built in the brickwork ; these are opened by means of iron rods and levers. The outside borders, c, may be covered with glazed sashes or wooden shutters whilst the vines are being forced, which will keep out frost, snow, and rain, the effects of which I allude to in another part of this treatise. The house is heated with six rows of 4-inch hot-water pipes, as well as by a broad and well-constructed flue, running underneath a trellis path in the centre of the house, marked d. The flue was placed in this vinery from necessity, not from choice. I would have much preferred hot-water pipes, as I found when I had to fire sharp in hard weather,' the flue got too hot, and destroyed the healthy state of the atmosphere. I, however, found that, owing to the position of the flue, a considerable amount of heat diffused itself through a portion of the borders on each side of it, which, with the assistance of the surface pipes, was very beneficial. The roof and wall plates were principally composed of the best crown Dantzic timber

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glazed with 16-oz. glass, as free as could be got from burning lenses. 21-oz. is preferable; but whatever glassis used, it should be free from specks and lenses, or they will burn holes in the foliage. The rafters were well tied together with iron rods, and wired with the best wire, about 17 or 18 inches from the glass. Some fix the wires for training seven or eight inches from the roof. This I consider bad practice, since I have found it paralyzes the vines, and assists in throwing them into a bad state of health. I may mention that the structure here referred to was an early vinery, in which I commenced forcing sometimes about the middle of November or beginning of December, but I generally depended on my pot vines for the first crops. The grapes in this house were invariably ripe from the middle to the end of May, sometimes earlier at the warmest end of the house. '

Section fig. 2 is a lean-to vinery, adjoining the cottage, which was constructed with sashes in the usual way. It is" 55 feet by 17 feet, and ventilated after the oldfashioned plan, with ropes and pulleys, — a system I certainly do not recommend, for this reason, that it takes so long to reduce the air. and put it on. Oftentimes a great deal of mischief is done before the gardener, or amateur, can regulate the temperature. Horizontal rods, with levers and screws, are far before

the old system of ropes and pulleys. This house was

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heated with four rows of 4-inch hot-water pipes, with trough pipes to two of the rows; the rest of the pipes were plain. The border was about 17 feet inside, and the same width outside. It faced the east, and the sun left shining on it almost about one o'clock in the day. It was furnished with the finest sorts of black Hambro', which were allowed to break naturally in the spring. I used to grow the finest grapes in this house; the bunches were large, and the berries very fine, with a beautiful colour and thick bloom.

Section fig. 3 is also of the same dimensions as section fig. 2, and heated and ventilated in the same way. In this house I planted black Hambro', black Alicant, Meredith's Var., and Lady Down's, also "West St. Peter's. Although its aspect was nearly due west, I have won many first prizes in London and elsewhere for grapes grown in it; but I must say the berries were not so fine, on the whole, as those grown in the house with the eastern aspect.

Section fig. 4 is a house I planted with a collection of white grapes, principally Muscats, which had a noble appearance when the fruit was ripe. The dimensions are 150 feet long by 26 feet wide. It is heated from a wrought -iron saddle boiler, with six rows of 4-inch hot -water pipes, and ventilated by means of iron rods and levers. I would recommend for this size of house a lantern top, in which ventilating lights can be placed ;

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as by these means, in wet weather, very little rain can get in to injure the fruit.

Section fig. 5 I can recommend to gardeners and amateurs with confidence, having proved it myself. It is a most useful pit for pot vines, melons, cucumbers, early tomatoes, etc., and is a very inexpensive structure. The front part of the roof consists of wooden bars, and the back part of sashes, which can be made to slide either up or down for ventilation ; while, in addition, there are boxes let into the sides of the front and back walls, through which ventilation may also be given. It is heated from a wrought-iron saddle boiler, and, as will be seen in the section (fig. 5), there are seven rows of 4-inch hot-water pipes, with some evaporating troughs cast on the pipes, and fitted in the rows for top heat. Both amateurs and gardeners will find a forcing pit of this description most useful. The length is 65 feet by 12 feet, and, as far as my memory serves me, the whole cost was about £150.

HEATING BY HOT WATER.

There are many opinions entertained as to which is

the best form of boiler for heating hothouses. Having

been extensively employed in the construction of vineries

and all kinds of erections for horticultural purposes, I

la

Scale

G. E CfiR R O lu Dei fr consider the saddle boiler the most simple, and verypowerful when properly set in brickwork. I recommend it should be made of the best wrought - iron plates, say three-eighths of an inch in thickness.

It is important, where there are several houses together to one or two boilers, to have them in all cases made, to heat, independently of each other, direct from ffie/mahis, always taking care that superior stop-taps jir.e: jftsett •in: : the flow and return pipes of the different houses'. ' The" same remark applies where bottom -heat pipes are required. Makers of iron boiler-plates will, I think, agree with me in constructing the boilers of the most superior metal. This would save many from being disappointed, and serious loss in fruit and choice plants would seldom or never occur. I have known cases where, after the failure of the boilers, the houses had to be covered up with mats, bags, or anything likely to keep the cold out j and before the faulty materials could be renewed, the loss was very serious, and the fruit and plants very seldom recovered.

I have permission from the intelligent head gardener who has the management of the extensive gardens belonging to His Grace the Duke of Portland at Welbeck, Notts, to refer to his opinion of the heating apparatus which was placed in the hothouses at Welbeck under my superintendence, and I think I cannot do better than

quote the words of his letter to me : —

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'Your remarks on the heating by hot water for your work are, according to my experience, quite to the purpose. I remember of once listening to a lecture on heating by hot water given at Chiswick by the late Dr. Arnot, wherein he stated that the boilers on the saddle principle were perhaps the safest and most efficient .pf.*aia.i,_:-aaid the easiest understood. The great thing in .hot i : w.aj;er. beating, he said, was always to lay down •*j3ehfiy*-<Jf" piping, so that the boilers were never worked too hard to keep up the desired temperature. All the saddle boilers that you laid down (17 or 18 years ago) are as sound as ever, and working every day in high and low temperature, according to the houses, stove, or temperature, the only alterations or faults in them being the mending of a few rivets in the plates; all the pipes have been remarkably well placed and soundly stopped. You state the truth in relation to using the best iron for the plates of saddle boilers, such as the Low Moor, and thereby I believe their lasting qualities are proportionably increased. The late Mr. Ingram, when gardener to Her Majesty at Frogmore, used saddle boilers of the best iron for heating the fine new range of houses there, and I believe they are still in use, or were lately. — I am, dear sir, very truly yours,

' Wm. Tillery.'

I considered a few remarks on heating might benefit

some of the readers of this book.

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DRAINAGE AND FORMATION OF VINE BORDERS.

In the Garston vineyard there are vine borders 2 feet 6 inches, 2 feet 9 inches, 3 feet, 4 feet, to as much as 5 feet in depth.

The deeper the borders are made, the more care is necessary in forming them. Where there is plenty of good composition to be had, and other necessary materials for drainage, a border may be made to the depth of 5 or 6 feet with advantage. As a rule, I recommend borders to be made about 3 feet deep. Shallow borders I do not advise, as they are apt to get too diy. Where hot -water pipes, or fermenting materials, are used in chambers or vaults underneath the vine borders, they require careful watching, as they sometimes get very dry, especially when hot-water pipes are applied. They do not require watering so often where the fermenting materials are made use of for bottom heat.

Where it is convenient, I recommend the construction of vine borders nearly altogether above the level of the garden walks. They may adjoin the range of vineries, and be made to assume a terrace-like appearance, more especially in cold and damp situations. I have done this many times, and with great success. The majority of vine borders are on a level with the walks,

while many are even below it j in the latter case

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they form a sort of cesspool for draining the land around them. Where the substratum is a cold, wet swamp, the houses and borders should not be on a lowlevel. Where the formation is chalk or gravel, the borders may be made about three parts below the level of the walks, which will prevent evaporation going on too rapidly.

I hold it as being very beneficial so to put a vine border together, that the electricity of the atmosphere can act the important part of decomposing the constituents of the vine. This will strike all interested in vine-growing as being a most important matter, and more particularly those who have studied the important discovery made by Sir Humphry Davy in the year 1807, when, by means of a galvanic battery (of his own construction), he made known to the world the metallic base of potash, which opened the field to horticultural and agricultural chemistry.

I have too often seen the amateur and inexperienced gardener select the vine borders, both inside and outside, as seed-beds for lettuce, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, and annuals. Is it possible under such management for nature to assist the cultivator as she would if these were absent? How many have gone to the expense and trouble of building vineries, selecting the choicest soils and materials for the vines, and, when completed, begin to impoverish the borders with vegetables and flowers !

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forgetting at the time, or at all events little thinking, that a vine border cannot be trenched and sweetened so easily as a border in the kitchen garden. The vine is a great feeder, and does not require any other plant to assist it in devouring the good food that every well-made vine border contains.

Some gardeners will say, ' I can easily replace all the constituents which these plants have taken away from the border ; ' and others, ' My employer insists upon it.' In the latter case, the employer ought to take the blame on his own shoulders, should the productions of the vinery not turn out to his satisfaction, which they cannot possibly do. The vine border ought to be kept sacred for the purpose for which it is made.

Precautions necessary in dry seasons. — Some years ago, I made arrangements for the proper development of the vine, which I carried out with, as I thought, the greatest care. It occurred to me, that if brick and mortar rubble were placed in the borders, and if other materials calculated to keep the border open were used, in layers, it would be very successful; but, although great care was taken, the vine suffered very much in consequence of the dry summer.

Grape-growers must be prepared for any emergency.

If a border is made very porous, and is only 2 or 3

feet deep, the roots of the vines will suffer, should the

summer happen to be very dry. Some may say, ' Water

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well outside ; ' but perhaps after watering is finished, rain comes down in torrents, which may continue for some days, or even weeks, while root action begins with renewed vigour; and what is the consequence? The bunches begin to grow very rapidly, and the berries swell to a great size. The cultivator is led to believe he is going to have marvellous fruit; but by and by he discovers he is mistaken. The fruit is fine in berry, but red when it should be black, full of water, and not sufficient sugar and flavour in it to make it fit for table. It is difficult for some to guard against the two extremes. The question then comes to be, What is the next best thing to do 1 Those who have the means may have glass lights for their borders. I have seen Mr. Speed of Chatsworth use roofing-tiles with good results; Mr. Hill of Keele and many others use wooden shutters, which are much cheaper; but these deprive the borders of the light and warm sunshine, unless they are lifted off (which can easily be done) when it is warm in the middle of the day. Sashes are, no doubt, the cheapest and most useful, as they can be used for frames when not required for the borders.

I have occasionally found that fermenting leaves and manure, when applied to the surface of the vine borders, have generated fungus, especially if left too long without being turned over. The pest may thus get down to the roots, and throw the plants into a bad

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state of health. In such a case, it is best to take them out and make a new border, and replace them with wellgrown plants, as a great deal of time is lost in trying to get the old vines into healthy condition. I am here assuming that the plants are badly infested with fungus. I have come to the conclusion that it is the wisest plan to have the coverings for the borders always at If hand, ready for use when required. If care is taken with the roots of the vine or any other plants, great good must be the result, and perfection of growth will be the issue. Those who have not much to do, and plenty of assistance at command, may watch and assist nature in such a way as would surprise the greatest philosopher.

It has been my fortune to find out by long experience, that good results cannot be expected unless the cultivator studies with great care, and applies his different manures in such a way that the various constituents of the vine, or, in other words, the different materials forming the food of the plant, are not too much in excess of each other. Of course we know turfy sods form the bulk of the vine border; but I particularly refer to the food of the plant in a condensed form — the inorganic matter. A friend of mine had once immense faith in the influence which the electricity of the atmosphere exercised on the soil in which the vine

grows. He assured me he was the cause of Mr. Philip

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Frost, gardener to Earl Fortescue, Dropmore, near Windsor Castle, winning the first prize at Chiswick, about 26 or 27 years ago, by operating upon the vine border (an old one) in tbe following manner. He constructed a very powerful galvanic battery after Sir Humphry Davy's plan ; and in order to make the experiment less expensive, he collected the electricity from the atmosphere adjacent to the vinery. After the zinc plates had been put in the vine border at various depths, the wires were arranged and the circuit of electricity completed. This was followed by a slow sustaining action of decomposition, which went on until the grapes were ripe; and the result was, that through their skilful management they succeeded in winning the first prize.

The words, sustaining action of decomposition, I value much ; their meaning gives me perpetual interest and pleasure. In agriculture, as in horticulture, every farmer and gardener who ploughs and digs deeply, and manures his land judiciously, without giving it too much or too little, will not regret the careful study of this subject, as he may rest assured the results whicli will follow will amply repay him for the care and trouble he has taken. Most people interested in agriculture know that successful gardeners make good farmers : this arises through their knowing how to check the powerful action of decomposition at the right period of the plant's growth.

SCALE

&. E.Carroll, Del

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PROPER TIME FOR PLANTING VINES.

Various opinions are entertained as to the best time for planting vines. I have planted in every month of the year ; in fact, I may say I have planted all the year round. I prefer planting good strong vines in a growing state, after they have been properly prepared for the purpose. If the gardener or amateur has not the convenience to prepare the vines he wishes to plant, it is better and cheaper to procure them from a respectable nurseryman.

It does not always happen to be convenient to plant the vines in a growing state ; but if not, they can be planted whilst in a dormant condition with great success. I do not advise any one to plant stunted or tardily-grown vines. Where it is convenient, I would always recommend that plants should be selected from a well-growing and clean stock — I mean, they should be in a freegrowing condition. Of course they should be marked, and the nurseryman extra paid for allowing this to be done. It is money wisely spent.

When I am building a vinery, I endeavour to arrange

to have the rafters about 4 feet G inches to 5 feet from

centre to centre. This gives plenty of room for two

vines, one under the rafter, and one under the middle of

the sash. I think it much better to take a moderate

crop off two vines than to crop one too heavily-; by

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these means a fine crop of grapes can be produced without each vine being overloaded. Some cultivators will contend that it is mot necessary to jplant so thickly, acting on the principle that, if you have two canes from one plant, the roots will be in proportion to the quantity of wood and leaves produced, and that the quantity of fruit may be taken off in the same proportion. This may be partially true. Still, I have not succeeded by such means so well as when I planted two vines where many only plant one.

In the case of the Muscat of Alexandria, only one vine should be planted to each rafter, as these grapes require all the light they can get to colour them. ; Some amateurs and inexperienced gardeners plant vines three, four, and even five years old. It is very bad practice and a great waste of time, the roots, as a rule, being cramped through having been kept too long in pots. I prefer vines one or two years old, depending, however, in a great measure on how they have been grown and prepared for planting. These cost more money, but I have always found that it is money well laid out.

GROWTH AND MANAGEMENT AFTER PLANTING.

After the vines are planted, they must be grown in

a very careful manner. They should be allowed to start

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in the spring of their own accord, simply protecting the young buds and shoots from frosts for three or four years. I am assuming that the house is required for early (but not very early) forcing, in order that the grapes may be ripened about the first, second, or third week in May, depending on the sun and weather. The fourth year, they may be started about the last week in December or the first week in January ; the fifth year, about the last week in November or the first week in December, and they may be expected to be ripe some time in May. For the earliest and latest crops, I recommend all who have the convenience to force them in pots, and from vines planted out in pits. By so doing, the gardener or amateur is enabled to keep the permanent vineries in splendid condition as to health, etc. The vine at five years old may be allowed to carry a full crop, that is, if proper attention has been paid to its growth. It may have on from 10 to 15 bunches, according to their size and the length of the rod. It is best to estimate, as nearly as possible, by the weight of the bunches.

A succession vinery may be prepared in the same way to come in a month or six weeks later, depending on the demands made on the cultivator ; and so on with any other vinery the gardener may have under his charge. This he can arrange according to the requirements

of his employer, the extent oi the establishment, etc.

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MANAGEMENT OF THE VINE WITH REGARD TO TEMTERA- TURE, PRUNING, DRESSING, ETC.

The vines should be pruned as soon as the wood is thoroughly ripened and the leaves fall off. Before falling, the latter should have a beautiful yellow tint After this is attained, those which do not fall off naturally may be removed by the hand, and the vine pruned back to one or two eyes. I prefer leaving one eye instead of two, as it keeps the fruit near the main stem, and consequently close to the nourishment or food of the plant, which ascends up the main channel. After pruning, I prepare the following dressing:-! lb. of the best powdered sulphur, 1 lump of lime weighing about 2 lbs., 2 quarts of good tobacco-water, to which clay and water are added until it is of the consistency of paint I then make a paint-brush by tying bits of mat- together, as I find this softer than an ordinary painter's brush, and not liable to injure the buds, and I coat the plant all over with the mixture. The bark ought not to be peeled off the vine, as is too often done by gardeners and amateurs, because it weakens the constitution of the plant, besides looking, as well as being, an unnatural practice. My opinion is, that when the bark is removed the sun overheats the sap as it rises in the stem, and Has a tendency to bring on shanking, red berries, etc.

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If the removal of the bark be really necessary, for the purpose of getting rid of bugs, thrips, red spider, etc., I recommend the cultivator to tie moss on the stems of the vine, which, in a great measure, is a good substitute for bark. As already indicated, plants should not be introduced amongst vines where it can possibly be avoided, as I know well from experience that no one can keep vines in a healthy condition where this is practised.

Where there are the means of giving the vines bottom-heat, it may be used a fortnight before the heat is turned on the top, assuming that the surface of the border is forked up, and all ready for watering (which I ought to have mentioned should be done before the heating is commenced). The water should be of the temperature of 6,5° to 70° for two or three weeks ; then, beginning with the temperature of the top heat at 50° at nine o'clock at night, it must not be lower, if it can be avoided, than 48° at five o'clock the next morning. From this time it should rise gradually until it reaches about 60° to 65°, and a little air admitted as the temperature increases. If it is a dull day, it may remain at this until night is drawing near. Air must be taken off' as gradually as it has been put on; and if it is not stormy, a little may be left on all night. If the day is sunny, the temperature may rise to 75°, with air on, of course.