OCTOBER. 295 



season the Vine will be forced by such an extraordinary stimulant, and 

 produce something prodigious in the way of Grapes ; and I have been 

 oftentimes asked how it was, after so and so had been carefully put to 

 the roots, no better results had been obtained ? Now it is very difficult 

 to persuade people on points referable only to laws based on the 

 physiology of plants ; and therefore the short answer I give for prudent 

 motives, " Wait and see another year," is perhaps the best. I may 

 now state that all the ingredients enumerated are useful enough in the 

 hands of the skilful gardener (though not indispensable), but in nine 

 out of every ten cases which have come under my observation, they are, 

 in the hands of the amateur, productive of more mischief than aught 

 besides. What the Vine really requires was stated in my first paper, 

 but it may not perhaps be amiss to look at the matter again. 



It is a mistaken notion that the Vine gi-ows best in the richest soils ; 

 on the contrary, the sloping sides of mountain ranges, and dry gravelly 

 or rocky soils, are proverbial for producing the richest Grapes and the 

 most durable trees. In the east, where the Vine is indigenous, the 

 soil is usually shallow, resting on a rocky substratum. To improve the 

 size of the fruit, manures have from time immemorial been employed ; 

 but then, we must remember, the nature of the subsoil — a^ording 

 complete drainage — and a climate producing a much more rapid 

 evaporation than our own ; hence, in warm latitudes, a soil much 

 richer than any we ought to employ may be used. This was I\Ir. Hoare's 

 theory, but he carried it too far. As the future welfare of the Vine 

 will, then, in a great measure depend on the drainage of the soil in 

 which it grows, the formation of the border must be such that water 

 should pass freely through it, without any detention whatever ; and to 

 ensure free evaporation from the surface, the border should be some- 

 what elevated above the surrounding soil. Gravelly, and rocky or 

 chalky bottoms, if free from springs, form the best natural subsoil for 

 the Vine, on which the border may rest, wdth merely a drain along the 

 front, and below the bottom, to carry off any water which may perco- 

 late to the lower level. But, when an artificial subsoil has to be made, 

 I strongly recommend having it paved with rough flagging, if such can 

 be obtained at a reasonable cost. To carry this out properly a space 

 should be cleared, the width of the border, which considering the 

 houses are narrow, and that two feet of the border will be inside, 

 need not be more than nine or at farthest ten feet from the front. I 

 purpose the border to be two feet deep; and to allow for the supporting 

 walls and flagging, two feet more will be necessary. This bottom should 

 be made to slope upwards towards the house, and should be made firm, 

 to carry the dwarf walls without danger of their sinking; if wet, concrete 

 the surface with hot lime, gravel, and coal ashes ; this will cut off all 

 connection of the roots with damp. One foot below the level of this 

 prepared bottom, a main drain must be carried along the front of the 

 border two feet square ; next, run rough walls as wide apart as will 

 carry the flag-stones ; these should run from the main drain, direct to 

 the extent of the border inside the house, where, if possible, the end 

 should be left open. Carry them up one foot in height, and on them 

 place the flagging, beginning at the bottom, and proceeding upwards ; 



