THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 303 



THE BEGINNEll IN GRAPE GROWING.— No. VI. 



BY WILLIAM COLE, 

 Head Gardener, Ealing Park, Middlesex. 



OUTDOOR VINES. 



LTHOUGH the cultivation of the grape vine in the open 

 air is of too precarious a character, in this country, to 

 justify the expenditure of a considerable sum of money 

 in the preparation of the border or the purchase of the 

 vines, it must be said that outdoor vines will amply 

 repay the cultivator for any little attention bestowed upon 

 theni. To insure good crops of grapes in the open air the vines 

 must be cultivated — that is to say, they must be planted in suitable 

 soils and situations, and they must have careful management during 

 the growing season. More frequently than otherwise the cul- 

 tivator, rather than the climate, is at fault ; the vines are planted 

 without reference to the suitability of the situation, and left pretty 

 much to themselves, and the climate is blamed for the inferiority of 

 the crop. 



A south aspect is best suited to outdoor vines, although with 

 careful management they will do well trained to walls facing south- 

 east or south-west, and that aspect should, if possible, be set apart 

 for them. They also do better trained to high walls than they do 

 to low ones ; and walls not exceeding eight feet in height may be 

 more profitably employed in the cultivation of the peach, pear, or 

 cherry, than they would in the growth of the grape vine. Eences 

 also are objectionable, because of the cold current of air which 

 continually passes through the crevices that exist, even in the best 

 constructed fences ; and which materially reduces the temperature of 

 the air in contact with the foliage and fruit. Dwelling-houses 

 having suitable aspects present unusually favourable conditions for 

 the production of outdoor grapes, because of the great height of the 

 walls and the large surface they present for the development of the 

 growth, They should therefore be turned to account for that pur- 

 pose, especially as it can be done without any sacrifice of appearance 

 for the grape vine is unsurpassed in picturesque beauty by any other 

 hardy deciduous climber. 



The construction of the border is second only in importance to the 

 selection of the aspect, as so much of the meed of success depends 

 upon the roots being properly provided for. As shown in the 

 accompanying diagram, the manner of preparing the border does not 

 differ materially from the way in which the borders for indoor vines 

 were advised to be formed in a previous number. The border should 

 be about eight feet wide, and three feet deep ; if the situation is 

 cold and wet, it should be elevated above the surrounding level 

 and the soil kept in its place by a neat nine-inch wall. The 

 soil should be excavated to a depth of four feet, if the border is to 



