IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TRAINING HOP AND GRAPE VINES, AND OTHER CLIMBING PLANTS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1867.-A communication from abroad by Levi Hubbard
Whitney, of Vallejo, Solano County, State of California, United States of
America.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent
Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TRAINING HOP AND GRAPE VINES, AND OTHER
CLIMBING PLANTS," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists, first, in an arrangement or contrivance
for supporting the cords or strings around which the vines twine and climb to
the top of the trellis, and keeping each string or cord in its appropriate place,
and in training the vines in a horizontal or other direction after they have
reached the top.
Secondly, in the manner of constructing and arranging the yoke or wicket
to which the cords are secured immediately over the root of the vine, so as to
prevent the least obstacle to the necessary culture of the vine during growth.
In carrying out the Invention posts are firmly fixed in the ground at
suitable distances apart, having transverse bars, rods, or wires fixed thereon
connected by shackles, through which pass loosely the strings, cords, or wires
upon which the vines twine and climb. The shackles are made of pieces of
strong wire supported if necessary at intervals, and formed into one or more

page_text: loops, or the same result may be obtained by using a rod of either wood or
iron notched at proper intervals for the reception and passage of the cord or
wire, and swinging by arms of stout wire from the supporting rods. The arms
of the shackles on one side are longer to allow the loops to drop lower than
those of the opposite shackles to which the ends of the cords are secured for
the purpose of leading the vines up to and over the supporting rod on to the
other or adjoining section of trellis; or one connecting shackle only may be
employed between each row if preferred. The yokes or wickets to which the
lower ends of the cords or wires are secured are placed across each hill of vines
in a direction diagonal to the supporting wires or rods so as to prevent as
little obstacle to the tillage of the crop as possible; they are constructed by
driving short posts firmly into the ground, and then passing transversely
through holes near the top a rod of wood or iron to which the lower ends of
the cords are attached. The wickets may be used, or simply one stake driven
into the ground having a hole or ring through the top end, through which the
strings are passed and secured. The shackles may be made of any convenient
length and to support any desirable number of cords, and are allowed to swing
freely upon the supporting wire and to assume any angle required by the
tension of the cords which pass through the loops or are secured thereto.
If twine or cord is used it should be first prepared by saturating it in whale
oil, after which it is treated in the same manner with benzine to protect the
twine against the action of the weather, and the hop vines from the depredation
of insects. The twine should be marline twine, or common twine should be
"kyanized," or otherwise suitably prepared to resist damp and decay. When
wire is employed two or more may be laid or twisted together. By this
means grapes, hops, or other climbing plants may be trained so as to retain
them separate to any desirable width or distance from each other, and to
carry them horizontally across the space to the next row opposite by means
of the shackles or. device herein described for securing the strings or cords,
one set of shackles being made (by preference) with longer arms than the
others (when two are used between each row) to allow them to drop lower
than the latter to which the upper ends of the cords are attached.
The arrangement of the supporting and training wires may be varied
without departing from the novelty of the Invention.