OCTOBER. 303 



of the Florist to a worthy gentleman, Mr. Jonas Nash, of Bishop's 

 Stortford, in Essex, who, besides having an extensive business as a 

 maltster and brewer, possesses also the very best vineries in the kingdom. 

 Now, when Mr. Nash commenced Grape growing, he determined, very 

 wisely, as a man of business, to do the thing well. He did not plant 

 his Vines in the natural soil of his garden — not a very unsuitable one 

 either — and he has found it to be sound economy to keep his glass and 

 wood-work in good repair; and though his border must have cost a good 

 round sum, in addition to about as substantial well-built Vineries as I 

 ever saw, I venture to say the produce has long since squared off the 

 capital account, and returned a large annual profit into the bargain ; — I 

 speak of the market value of the crops without knowing how Mr. Nash 

 — who is a private gentleman — disposes of his fruit. 



The site for building the Vineries was a sloping bank in Mr. Nash's 

 garden, the subsoil of which is gravel ; the principal range is 120 feet 

 in length, in two divisions, one half being planted with Muscats, and the 

 other with the Hamburgh : there is, besides, a separate house, planted 

 with the Cannon Hall IMuscat. The Vineries are of the common lean- 

 to description, loftier than we usually see them, and provided with front 

 sashes for ventilation. The roof sashes are glazed with good sheet 

 glass. As the ground slopes away from the front of the houses, the 

 border has the advantage of being almost wholly above the garden 

 level ; and notwithstanding the bed of gravel below, Mr. Nash 

 concreted the surface, to prevent any chance of the roots passing 

 downwards, and the sharp pitch of the ground quickly carries away any 

 water which may percolate through the border. Judging by the 

 retaining walls built at each end of the border to keep up the soil, I 

 should say they are nearly four feet deep at the front of the house, and 

 perhaps thirty feet wide ; the depth at the front is, if I recollect rightly, 

 two feet, but as the general level slopes rapidly the border has a good 

 pitch. Mr. Nash informed me the houses were built thirteen or four- 

 teen years since (I forget which) ; the border was made of turfy loam, 

 old plaster, refuse skin, hair, and dressings from a tan-yard, and lastly 

 one hundred tons (! ! !) of rotten London manure were added, the whole 

 well mixed together. Hear this, you who advocate maiden loam and 

 shallow borders, and who are afraid lest a little carrion or an over-dose 

 of manure should spoil the flavour of your Grapes and make your Vines 

 grow too gross. Why in this respect INIr. Nash's Vines, when pruned, 

 are more like the limb of a good-sized tree than the walking-stick pro- 

 portions of the ill-fed and of course weakly-constitutioned Vines so often 

 seen. The real case before us, proved to demonstration, is, that to grow 

 the Vine to its highest perfection a large amount of enriching food must 

 be placed in a favourable condition for the Vine roots to pasture in ; and 

 that provided the border is well exposed, drained, and elevated, and its 

 component parts made sufficiently porous for the rain falling on it to pass 

 quickly through, it can scarcely be made too rich. As for such borders 

 becoming sour, pasty, and choked up in the course of time, I do not believe 

 in it if properly put together ; at least, here twelve years have passed away, 

 with the Vines as vigorous as ever, and I heard that when watered the 

 water passes as quickly away as when the border was first made. Mr. 



