iSyi.] PROPAGATING VINES FROM EYES. 171 



which had unfortunately found their way into the border in the fresh 

 turf, the chances were against the newly-struck Vines with their young 

 fiesh roots, about the destruction of which wire worm I will say a 

 word by-and-by. Still, the young Vines had the advantage, running 

 vigorously to the top of the house the first year, and making a great 

 amount of growth besides; and last year they lacked nothing that could 

 be wished. To-day, the 13th March, I measured one of the Black 

 Hamburg canes at its smallest point after being pruned, and find 

 that it measures 2 J inches in circumference ; and some of the stronger- 

 growing varieties are stronger in proportion. Very likely, had these 

 Vines been raised and planted on any other system, their vigour would 

 have been attributed to whatever that system might be. 



I do not wish it to be understood that I am averse to the system of 

 raising Vines on turf, although it so far did not succeed so well as the 

 old system with me. I have good reasons for knowing that the way in 

 which Mr Thomson has raised his Vines at Tweed vineyard is something 

 gained by horticulture. A young man has recently left here and gone 

 to a situation in Scotland, where he has just had five new vineries planted 

 with Vines from Mr Thomson ; and he informs me he never saw such 

 Vines for roots before : so dense and fibry were the roots that he com- 

 pares them to those of a Holly or a Box-tree. Mr Thomson's idea of 

 Vine -roots extending away beyond the borders without benefiting 

 much from them, strange to say, occurred to me in the early part of 

 last winter. In our two vineries already referred to, I had the inside 

 borders turned up to the bottom early last winter, beginning at the 

 back of the house and working the roots out carefully as we went for- 

 ward about 6 feet in the border. The roots were pruned back accord- 

 ing as I thought they required it, with the idea of making them branch 

 more, and take more advantage of the food supplied them, instead of 

 running to the back wall and working there. They were all laid care- 

 fully in the soil, slanting upwards instead of downwards. 



It occurs to me that, when Vines are raised on Mr Thomson's prin- 

 ciple, the sooner they are transferred to the border after they are 

 rooted the better ; but perhaps the facilities for root-pruning the first 

 year would thereby be lessened. 



A word about the destruction of the wireworm. I first coated the 

 surface of the borders thickly with rape-dust, smoothed it down, and 

 covered it with 2 or 3 inches of old ]\Iushroom-bed manure. The 

 latter material was carefully turned over every alternate morning, and 

 hand-picked by women, when from three to five hundred of the enemy 

 were destroyed at every picking, which extended over a good many 

 weeks. James Hunter. 



Lambton Castle Gardens. 



