NOVEMBER. 329 



the previous autumn. One thing carefully attend to, which is, not to 

 attempt anything with the border except in the driest weather, and only 

 when the compost itself is in a dry state ; very much of the future 

 condition of the border, and consequently the welfare of the Vines, will 

 depend on this. In my last paper I directed that a few inches of 

 broken stones should be laid over the bottom of the border ; over these 

 lay a fresh turf two or three inches thick, with the Grass downwards. 

 If it is difficult to procure turf, dry straw, three or four inches thick, 

 and laid close together, may be substituted ; the object is to prevent the 

 finer portions of the border fi-om being washed among the rubble stones, 

 and helping to choke up the drainage. The border should then be 

 filled up with the compost recommended in a former chapter ; do not 

 break it down any finer, but merely level it as carried on, and have 

 a sufficient number of boards for the men to walk on during the work ; 

 but, as noticed above, on no account tread it, but allow lor it to settle 

 down to two feet, — the depth we recommend. The border must, when 

 first filled, be a foot or eighteen inches higher ; this will not be too much, 

 and the mould vn.\\ retain its porosity much longer when left to settle 

 down of itself than when artificially made firm by treading ; nor yet will 

 the Vines start away so freely in the latter case. As the Vines are 

 intended to be planted inside the house, a 4-^ inch brick wall must be 

 run up two feet six inches from the front of the house, and as high as 

 the level of the floor. If the border has been flagged at the bottom, as 

 advised, the air drains, which will be carried to this point, must be left 

 wath a clear opening, to insure a free circulation. The portion of border 

 inside the house will be filled with compost at the same time as the 

 outside ; the Vines will be planted in this inside border, and as the 

 front sill is merely supported by posts, they offer no obstruction to the 

 free growth of the roots, which can pass uninterrupte<lly underneath, 

 and, in fact, the inside is merely a continua'"ion of the outside border 

 carried within the house to receive the Vines — a plan far preferable to 

 having a brick wall with arches for the roots to find their way through 

 as best they can, and, what is still better, it is much less expensive. 



{To be continued.) 



LIQUID MANURE. 



Permit me to offer a few remarks on the valuable effects that night- 

 soil, when reduced to a Hquid state, has upon the various productions 

 of the garden ; and, as not a few of your readers will be aware, 

 manures are of no use to vegetation until they are dissolved in water. 

 When, therefore, liquid manure is used, the cultivator has less trouble, 

 and at the same time he is applying a substance in the state in which 

 plants can best receive it and derive most good from it. 



For some years past I have been in the habit of using this descrip- 

 tion of manure to a considerable extent, and have found the results to 

 be very beneficial ; besides it prevents the necessity of applying for such 

 quantities of manure in a solid state. At the end of the season I make 



