Mft 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTOBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ December 5, 1867. 



to the influence of the weather, for flavour, so that last year's 

 mistake might not again be committed. This, however, proved 

 to be only another mistake to be added to the already long 

 category. The fruit, not having swelled, was in too delicate a 

 stage to withstand the trying weather to which they were ox- 

 posed, and consequently cracked before ripening. Although of 

 fair size and flavour, they were by no means calculated to please 

 critical eyes or palates ; nevertheless the " bairns " made short 

 work of them, and even the elders did not disdain to share. 



So convinced am I that the system will be a great success 

 here in the north, that all my hitherto-neglected trees will now 

 be regularly nailed down to small wooden bars, pegged down 

 with iron pegs from front to back, five limbs to each tree. 

 The lights will be kept on all the year through, excepting only 

 September and part of October, according to the season when 

 the fruit ought to be pulled. The lights will be again put 

 on immediately the Peara are pnlled. 



I may now state that the lights are 18 inches from the bricks, 

 and in spring the current of air is so strong that it will be 

 necessary to put up boards along the front in windy or frosty 

 weather. 



A fri^d of mine was warned some time ego by an eminent 

 northern fVuit grower, who had gained chief honours in Lon- 

 don in competition with all comers, against growing Pears 

 nnder glass, as there was no flavour ; but, however much of 

 truth might be in this assertion as regards glass houses, there 

 oan be little or no application of the phrase to a slope from 

 which the lights can be removed, so that the fruit may be 

 exposed to the direct influence of the weather when wanted — a 

 principle which, when properly carried out in practice, com- 

 bines the assured crop of a protrected tree, the size of wall 

 fruit, or even larger, and the flavour for which standard trees 

 are pre-eminent. 



In the genial south glass-lights will scarcely be thought of 

 for Peara, and Peaches will likely be substituted ; but here in 

 the far north, many will probably try to grow both Pears and 

 Apples by such means, if only well assured of a crop. 



I have mislaid the actual cost of the slope, and cannot now 

 state exactly what it was ; suflice it to say the original cost was 

 trifling, and the lights cost here 12s. each, although they will 

 be considerably cheaper towards the south. Each light covers 

 a tree. 



Although in this communication there has been little but 

 comparative failure to record, I yet consider that I am on the 

 threshold of success, and that better luck will come with an- 

 other nd a better year to renovate somewhat an enthusiasm 

 which had begun to cool under the depressing influence of 

 continued failure ; and at present I really do believe, that by 

 careful management, we can grow Pears quite as large as 

 French Pears (having already grown them), and with flavour 

 not to be surpassed. — K. E, 



VINES- 



-TOP AND BOTTOM- 

 HOPE. 



-PEKPLEXITY- 



As an acknowledgment for the services of a friend who weekly 

 brings "our Journal" from the stationer's of the town, a few 

 miles distant, I give him the privilege of opening the paper and 

 perusing its contents. The various articles on Vine culture 

 arrested his attention, and ultimately he became so fascinated 

 with the matter that the very sight and sound of Vine culture 

 acted as a charm, and propelled him to the irresistible con- 

 clusion to become a Vine grower himself, confident that the 

 same concentration of energy and persistent industry, which, 

 step by step, raised him from the plough to the workshop, and 

 eventually to a flourishing business and a freehold house, 

 would reward him with a fair share of success in his new un- 

 dertaking. 



His mind once made up, work became the order of the day. 

 Materials were forthwith procured, and shortly two structures 

 were erected, consisting of upwards of 2000 feet of glass. A 

 iboiler was fixed, and hot-water pipes were put together by his 

 own hands by candle light during the long winter evenings. 

 A smoke-shaft was formed of large sanitary-pipes, and run 

 round by the side of the hot-water pipes, thus economising all 

 the beat. Ventilation was provided by opening the entire 

 front and back of the house, and worked by leverage. The 

 whole of these structures were worked from plaias of his own. 

 A crop of Ash-leaf Kidney Potatoes was taken from the border 

 ineide, realising £5 within seven months fn.'m the commence- 

 ment of preparations. All this, done with the assistance of one 



man, and at odd times, and in over hotirs, was justly regarded 

 as a satisfactory beginning. 



And now to border making. Here his perplexities began, 

 for on reverting to the back numbers of the Journal, and atten- 

 tively reading up all which had any bearing on the case, he 

 became positively bewildered. What with opposing schemes, 

 conflicting practices, apparently irreconcileable statements and 

 processes, was it not enough to damp the ardour of an en- 

 thusiast thirsting for knowledge ? His days and nights of 

 study and labour, and his diminished balance at the bankers, 

 began to haunt him ; his bright anticipations were deepen- 

 ing into gloom, and for the first time in his life, perhaps, he 

 lost confidence. In his perplexity he came to me, and laid 

 bare his whole case. Much was made plain to him, much re- 

 mained still in doubt ; however, every point was discussed, and 

 it was ultimately decided that for an outside border 2J feet 

 deep would be ample. It foot below, and 1 foot above the general 

 level of the ground. Half the length of the border was forth- 

 with excavated ; the bottom was laid with flat tiles drawn with 

 mortar and cement, and with a slope towards the front, and a 

 few inches of broken stones were placed on the tiles. Turf 

 about 3 inches thick, rather light than heavy, was procured 

 and mixed in with about one-sixth of old mortar rubbish, and 

 a liberal blackening of soot, perhaps about one-twentieth of 

 the entire bulk ; no bones being used in this, but reserved for the 

 other half of the border, which will be finished at a future time. 

 This depth of border, all alike good, and to be enriched with 

 top-dressings when occasion may require, I beUeve capable of 

 growing good Black Hamburgh Grapes. 



For the house intended for Muscats, a different mode of pro- 

 cedure was determined on. The border is inside the house, and 

 nearly 6 feet deep. This depth was considered necessary on 

 account of the comparatively small size of the border, 23 feet 

 by 16 feet, and having to support sixteen Vines, for it must be 

 understood that three sides of the house are glass, and Vines 

 are to be trained up the north wall as well. Good drainage was 

 secured, and 18 inches of stones put in the bottom. Precisely 

 the same mixture of soil was used as for the outside border, only 

 containing more opening material in the shape of five quarters 

 of good lumpy charcoal ; this, mainly on the point of cheapness, 

 was preferred to bones. It can be purchased at less than half 

 the price, and I think will answer the purpose equally well. 

 Bones have two actions, mechanical and chemical, their chemi- 

 cal value depending, I believe, on the phosphate of lime which 

 they contain. This phosphate, however, being so nearly in- 

 soluble affords a stimulant to the Vines so homoeopathic in 

 character as to be scarcely perceptible, except under the in- 

 fluence of an acid, and the application of this would soon 

 reduce their mechanical action to nothing. Charcoal, on the 

 other hand, will, I think, be allowed to be as imperishable in 

 its nature as bones ; it will, therefore, serve the same purpose 

 mechanically, while, chemically, it is principally valuable oa 

 account of its property of fixing ammonia, and also by its com- 

 bining with oxygen and generating carbonic acid, a primary 

 essential of the food of plants ; but except in the presence of 

 nitrogen, ammonia is not formed in the soil. Nitrogen is 

 easily conveyed by saturating the charcoal in a solution rich in 

 that element previously to mixing it in the soil. This I have 

 done. It is thus, I think, that charcoal is as good as bones, in 

 being equally durable, stimulating, and porous. 



And now to the top part of the question, and here my pupil 

 was equally at fault, and the almost recriminatory articles on 

 temperature, and the antagonistic opinions of the authors, only 

 added to his discomposure. His perplexity was f urtherenhanced 

 by a short tour of Vine inspection, where ho witnessed Vines 

 growing in carefully made borders presenting anything but an 

 encouraging aspect, while others looked well, though growing in 

 haphazard borders, as he termed them. " How do you account 

 for it?" was bis reasonable exclamation. " There is something 

 wrong somewhere, and instead of the writers telling it, they 

 amuse themselves by pitching into each other." In was in this 

 frame of mind I left him. His next visit was one of hope, 

 which was visible on his countenance, when he brought me the 

 number of November 14th, with this observation, " There is a 

 bomb in the camp, Mr. Pearson has hit the target. I hope he 

 will shoot again, and when the smoke disperses I shall see my 

 way clearly." I, too, hope he and others will write again, fori am 

 decidedly of opinion that there is much to be learnt on the 

 summer management of Vines. Perhaps I may add my mite, 

 perhaps not. I am not a Grape grower, in the popular accep- 

 tation of the term, the extent of my obligations — indeed, my 

 orders are explicit — is to grow plenty of small bunches of good 



