74 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



meates it in all its parts. In sucli cases, all tliat is necessary is to 

 drain the subsoil of the border as directed, if it is naturally wet, and 

 to lay a few inches of lime-rubbish over its surface, then turf and the 

 soil on it. 



The concreting of the bottoms of Vine-borders should only be re- 

 sorted to where the subsoil is of a very bad character, such as irony 

 gravel. If it is honest clay or pure gravel or sand, we would not con- 

 crete, but would rather endeavour by kindness to keep the roots near 

 the surface of the border, as we hope to show when we come to write 

 of Vines after they are planted. 



We now come to consider the question of covering outside Vine- 

 borders. This is generally done to effect one or other of three pur- 

 poses : to prevent the radiation of the heat the border has derived 

 from the autumn sun ; to warm the border by the application of hot 

 fermenting material to its surface, such as leaves ajid stable-manure ; 

 or to throw off heavy falls of rain during the winter. 



Of the first of these we thoroughly approve, and to effect it nothing 

 is more suitable than a few inches in depth of dry fern or leaves, 

 covered with wooden shutters, laid so as to run the water to the front 

 of the border and into the drain, which in all circumstances should be 

 there. 



To attempt to heat the border by the application of hot manure 

 applied to its surface, we consider a mistake, though it is still persisted 

 in by good Grape -growers. The only excuse we can accept for it is 

 the absence of the more rational method of applying heat from 

 beneath. , 



The importance to be attached to covering Vine-borders for the mere 

 sake of throwing off superfluous rain, very much depends on the rain- 

 fall in the neighbourhood. In that from which we write, where 

 it seldom exceeds 30 inches in the year, and where the subsoil is a dry 

 porous gravel, there is no necessity for covering them for the mere 

 sake of throwing off rain, nor have we ever covered any of the borders 

 of houses where the Grapes hang in fine condition till the end of 

 March, and even April; but the case is different in localities like Green- 

 ock, for instance, as well as other places that could be named, where 

 three times the quantity falls in a year. In such situations, even 

 with good drainage, it is desirable to cover the borders of houses where 

 late Grapes are hanging, as soon as the autumn rains set in, for which 

 purpose glass, boards, or tarpaulin may be used. We do not like the 

 system of concreting the surface of Vine-borders in order to accomplish 

 this end, which was brought into notice by writers in the ' Gardeners' 

 Chronicle ' some twenty years ago, for the reason that it in great meas- 

 ure excludes the beneficial influence of the air from the soil, which 



