1869.] FRUIT-CULTURE. 155 



A great deal lias been written about the evils resulting to Vines 

 from the descent of their roots to the subsoil, when that is of a hurtful 

 character. This may in great measure be avoided by kindness to 

 them on the surface of the border, where there is reason to suspect 

 that their tendency is downwards. The surface-soil should be re- 

 moved till they are reached. A number of the small ones should be 

 carefully extricated from the soil in which they are going down, and a 

 little nice compost laid under and over them ; and it will be found that 

 they will grow and branch in this new soil, and become the staple sup- 

 port of the Vine. A little attention of this sort once in two years will 

 keep them near the surface, where they can easily be fed with liquid 

 manure during the season of growth ; for be it ever remembered, that 

 when the Vine has plenty of healthy foliage on it, there is little danger 

 of overfeeding it if the drainage is good. Some Vines may be fed 

 till their berries become double their ordinary size ; but, on the other 

 hand, we have known the flavour injured by overfeeding. This, how- 

 ever, rarely takes place if the liquid is not stronger than 2 ounces of 

 Peruvian guano to the gallon of soft water. We once grew a dozen 

 plants of the Duchess of Buccleuch Grape in large earthenware pans 

 about 18 inches deep and 3 feet wide, and gave them an excess of 

 liquid manure, the result being that the berries were double the size 

 we have ever seen them when grown any other way. They were, in 

 fact, like average Hamburgs, and the flavour no way deteriorated. 

 We took two successive crops from them in the same soil, and we 

 believe we might have gone on cropping them for other two years had 

 we been able to give them house-room. We believe that many people 

 water what they call the Vine-border when the feeding-roots are far 

 beyond its boundary, and they might save themselves the trouble for 

 any good it will do. 



We have planted a house 60 feet long with Vines, all except two of 

 which will be constantly subject to bottom-heat from hot-water pipes 

 under pavement, as shown in fig. 1 in the January number. 



This house was designed for a Cucumber-house, and has a pit in it 

 2 feet deep by 5 feet wdde. The roots cannot escape from the pit, 

 nor is there any means of shutting off the bottom-heat. The two 

 Vines that have no bottom-heat are planted over a rain-water tank. 

 It may justly be remarked that this is not a fair test of the value of 

 moderate bottom-heat for Vines, as it is to be applied in full force 

 during the whole forcing season, especially as the house is to be the 

 earliest one. Grant it ; but it will be one that those who condemn 

 bottom-heat for Vines cannot object to ; and the two Vines that will 

 have no bottom-heat will be there to testify against it if it is an evil. 



W. T. 



