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HOBTICULTUEB 



December 6, 1913 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDDCTED BY 



i>«rrv^ 



Questions by »ur readers In line with any ot the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly •aswesad 

 ky Mr. Fenson. Such commnnlcatlons should Invariably be addressed to the office ol HORTICULTURE. 



Making a Vine Borckr 



Making a new vine border is a thing which does not 

 occur every year so when there is one or more to be made 

 up see that the best material is put into it. These bor- 

 ders when made properly and the vine given proper 

 treatment, will last a number of years, in some instan- 

 ces the life of the vine. They can be renovated — top- 

 dressed or some of the soil taken from the front and 

 replaced with new, but only on rare occasions is the 

 whole border renewed and the old vines replanted. Wlien 

 the condition of the border is such that it has to be 

 renewed entirely young canes are generally planted. In 

 the early days of growing grapes under glass when gar- 

 dening in general was not conducted on the scieutifie 

 lines it is today it was not considered necessary to have 

 the roots under absolute control, and no effort was made 

 to restrict them from extending outside of the house 

 and in some cases 1 believe one could say outside of the 

 garden if they chose to roam so far. Later years saw 

 borders (as we term them) being made with food m- 

 fertilizers placed within easy reach of the vine ^oot^:. 

 We read of the carcasses of animals being buried out- 

 side the vineries to act as fertilizers. This was only 

 coming into line to what is being done today only in n 

 more scientitic and practical way. The present era has 

 taught us the many advantages of having all roots iinder 

 absolute control and also of having them growing in the 

 smallest possible amount of soil. The advantages de- 

 rived from having them in the minimum of soil are — ■ 

 they will dry out much quicker in the dull weather. 

 which helps to keep the soil sweeter and the roots are 

 closely confined so that whatever food or stimulants are 

 given only a small area has to be covered. Some grow- 

 ers, particularly in England, still prefer a border that is 

 partly inside and partly outside, which suits some varie- 

 ties better than the border that is inside altogether. 

 These outside borders have to be protected over there 

 during the winter months consequently are not to be 

 recommended for our severer climate, especially for 

 early work as the soil has not got a chance to warm up. 

 Decided then that the border shall be inside entirely and 

 that the roots shall be confined to that space the first 

 thing in the construction of a new border is to see that 

 the roots cannot get outside. If a new vinery is to be 

 built provision can be made for this at the time the 

 foundations are being got out. The outside walls must 

 go down below what is to be bottom of the border; this 

 (bottom) should be made after the style of a cellar 

 floor, made of concrete nicely smoothed off, having a fall 

 to a drain which should be in the center of the house 



unless it is large enough to make two drains necessary. 

 The next consideration is the drainage of the soil 

 after it is put in. Broken and otherwise unfit for use 

 bricks can be obtained from any brickyard at a small 

 cost and they make the best drainage that can be put 

 under a vine border. Throw these in roughly, — I say 

 roughly because some have the idea they can be placed in 

 better, but no matter how much time is spent on placing 

 them they will never answer the purpose so well as 

 when they are thrown in roughly. Let this "drainage" 

 be at least ten inches at the highest points of the floor 

 and keep it level from this which will make it necessary 

 to add several more inches in the vicinity of the drain, 

 according to what fall has been given the floor. An 

 additional help to good drainage will be a few lines of 

 drain pipes run through the bricks leading to the drain. 

 One thing must bo noticed when putting the drainage in 

 — that is, if the wheelbarrows are allow'ed to dump in 

 the same place all the time a quantity of fine stuff will 

 accumulate there. The best way is to dump the broken 

 bricks in and throw them into position sweeping the 

 floor clean as new space is covered. It is best to drain 

 the whole border at the start as it can be made in one 

 job but it will not be necessary to make up the whole 

 border at the start. Four feet will be sufficient. Have 

 this partitioned off either with wood or a temporary 

 brick wall. Place a green sod, grass side down, over 

 the portion that is to receive the soil. This will keep 

 the soil from working down into the drainage for some 

 time. Xow to the soil. Supposing this has been 

 stacked in sod form, chop it down roughly. Soils dif- 

 fer so much that it is impossible to put any stated quan- 

 tities of either bones or charcoal into so much loam. 

 Heavy loam, again, will sometimes be benefited by the 

 addition of broken bricks, about the size of a hen's egg. 

 to keep it open. The charcoal can be left much larger 

 than this. It will he best to have bones in two sizes, 

 half-inch stuff and inch-and-a-half size. This makes 

 tlie composition lasting. Have the heap thoroughly 

 mixed find as the soil is being placed in the border have 

 it kept level, otherwise if a heap is allowed in one place 

 all the rough stuff will keep falling to the bottom and 

 where two heaps join there will be a streak of rough 

 stuff down through the border which will cause it to dry 

 out irregularly. Let the soil be made firm as it is added 

 and do not attempt to work it when wet. No border 

 should be more than three feet in depth of soil. 



Christmas Melons 



TiCt the Cliri>tiiiap crop have all the feeding it will 

 tnke and plenty of sunheat. Keep the night tempera- 

 ture up to the required figure. This will mean plenty of 

 fire heat at timos. Be ready to fight away spider on its 

 first appearance. Mildew, too, will be troublesome if 

 the ventilating is not done with judgment. Top growth 

 will be none too vigorous just now and what is made 

 can he left on to promote more root action. 



