JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTORB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 15, 1867. 



" That is certainly a great deal of trouble to be constantly 

 running in and out, always looking for wind or rain-cloudi;. I 

 am sure a gardener could not do that," I said ; " some of bis 

 work might be mowing a lawn half a mile away." 



" Well ! But if to grow as good Grapes as any in the land is 

 his hobby, be will take care bis work at such hours of the day 

 is not even half a (juarter of a mile away. That is where many 

 gardeners miss it — they will not give the thought and trouble 

 necessary ; they will give work, hard work too, but not thought. 

 Never you mind the trouble. Miss Kate, it is only for a time ; 

 give them plenty of fire on dull, cold, wet days, and plenty of 

 Iresb air on clear, warm, sunny ones, and }-ou will have lirst- 

 rate ({rapes yet, though your poor Vines have had nearly every 

 malady under the sun." 



So once more we sailed out into smooth water, our Tines 

 grew and flourished ; the bunches enlarged, they were tied-up 

 by the shoulders, opened out, and made the most of, and there 

 was a bright glow of health about them as though they had 

 passed through all their troubles and were the better for it. 

 Lady Downe's seemed to carry her fifteen bunches (for we had 

 cut away the ill-looking ones), with regal pride. It seemed to 

 be no effort to her to do it, she might have done more and not 

 suffered in the least. What great, round, fleshy, plum-like 

 berries they were, growing out of a thick stumpy-kind of stalk ! 



It was a sort of impulsive Vine, this Lady Downe's, making all 

 its growth by fits and starts ; and when the colouring-time came 

 the berries presented the oddest, strangest appearance, just as 

 if they had been dashed at here and there with a black-paint 

 brush, a regular daub with fine splutters all up and down over 

 the green. These black patches increased until all the berries 

 were dark. Aunt Margaret said " they looked as if the sweeps 

 had been in during the night shaking their soot-bags." 



Then the Black Hamburghs, they coloured as they had 

 grown, by a slow but sure process, never having to turu back, 

 for they never made a false step. Uncle Tetley said "they 

 did their work by the day, not by the piece, and it did not seem 

 to matter a great deal whether they did much or little." They 

 changed gradually from a deep green to a pale, delicate, Bohe- 

 mian-glass colour, becoming darker and darker as the weeks 

 passed until they were coal black. 



Then the small round berries of the Beeves' Muscadine 

 formed themselves into small round bunches, changing very 

 little in colour as they ripened, brightening up, but not much, 

 as they took the last faint tinge of yellow. Then the Muscat 

 Hamburghs, with their long, slender, oval berries, making long, 

 slender, oval, most graceful, most exquisite bunches. There 

 was sparkhng brightness about them, reminding one per- 

 petually of the poet's line — 



" A thing of lieauty ia a joy for ever." 



The heavy berries hanging on their slender stalks seemed like 

 transparent bags into which some invisible hand poured 

 coloured nectar, drop by drop, every added drop shoeing a 

 deeper colour, and a higher tide-mark, until the little bags were 

 brimfull. With pleasure not unmixed with wonder we watched 

 their onward growth. If we had spent idle time before, we 

 spent much more now. — Maud. 



(To be continued.) 



VINE BOEDER COMPOST. 



I THANK " Faik Play " for noticing my incomplete quotation 

 from Mr. Pearson's book. I feel that I ought to have said 

 some kinds of green turf, etc. I had been reading Mr. Thom- 

 son's book, and thinking that his method of preparing turf was 

 much better than using it green, as recommended by Mr. 

 Pearson. Mr. Pearson is always honest in all he says and 

 does, and I have no doubt that he has found his turf to be good 

 even when used green, as the fine loamy pastures in his neigh- 

 bourhood give a turf of first-rate quality. I happen to Uve in 

 a district in the south where green turf is a most dangerous 

 article to emplov, as that from hght calcareous pastures is so 

 full of grubs, from those of two or three species of cockchafers 

 to those of different species of Tipula, that the roots of all trees 

 and plants are soon destroyed if it is used in a fresh state. 



I once planted some young fruit trees on some light cal- 

 careous soil which had for many years been a pasture, think- 

 ing that by turning in the turf I should not have occasion to 

 nse any manure ; the trees suffered fearfully, grubs without 

 end, aided by wireworms, having barked and cropped the roots 

 to a great extent, hence my condemnation of green turf as a 



portion of any compost, for inexperienced persons might visa 

 it and suffer as I have done. Mr. Pearson is quite right in 

 recommending his fine green turf, but I think a caution should 

 have been given. — Fouwabds. 



PEAR CULTURE. 



{Continued from page 27.) 



Borders and Soil. — The borders for Pears should equal in 

 width one-half the distance apart at which the trees are planted, 

 and should in no case be less than 12 feet wide. For trees 

 upon the Quince the border may be '■'> feet less in width than 

 for those on the Pear stock. 



In depth the border should not be less than 2 feet, nor ex- 

 ceed 21 feet. In all cases it should be well drained ; and where 

 the subsoil is of a cold wet nature, in addition to draining 

 there should be a concreted and rubble bottom — that is, the 

 bottom should consist of a layer of rough gravel or lime rid- 

 dlings 3 inches thick, rammed quite hard, then of another 

 layer of lime liddlings half the thickness of the first, and made 

 as hard as a barn floor ; and lastly, of another thin layer of equal 

 parts lime riddlings and fine gravel, made to the consistency of 

 thin mortar and rammed h.ird after it has stiffened. In this 

 way a barrier will be formed through which the roots will not 

 pass; and 9 inches of rubble upon it will afford free drainage 

 for the water passing through the soil, add to the warmth of 

 the border, and check long sappy growths, which are never 

 productive of fruit. 



When it can be obtained the top spit of a rather strong loam 

 is the soil to be preferred, and if the turf be taken with it no 

 manure need be applied. Where the soil is of a light nature 

 one-fourth cool manure may be added — cowJung is best. The 

 border should be drained to a depth of not less than 3 feet, and 

 where the soil is of a loose nature one drain along the front, or 

 4{ feet from the walk, will answer; but where the subsoil is 

 adhesive there should be a drain 1 toot from the wall, and 

 another 9 feet from it outwards towards the walk, both running 

 parallel with the wall. These drains should have proper falls 

 and outlets, and be formed of three-inch drain-tiles. 



Fig. 1. 



The ground in all cases should be trenched to a depth of 

 2 feet, and, where the soil will allow, 3 feet is not too deep. If 

 a proper border, which is always the best and cheapest in the 

 end, is to be mnde, a layer of sods may be placed on the rubble ; 

 and the earth, as it is brought, should be placed with the gi-ass 

 side downwards, till 9 inches or a foot higher than the depth 

 desired, so as to allow for s'ettling, the amount of which will be 

 equal to about one-third of the depth of soil. The soil should 

 not be trodden upon, more especially if the ground be at all 

 wet, and the worst time of all to make fruit borders is when it 

 is so ; dry weather ought to be chosen. 



In wet soils and cold situations much may be done towards 

 rendering the soil drier and warmer by raising the border. 

 Unfruitful trees are chiefly those in borders not properly 

 drained, and where no attention has been paid to preventing 

 the roots going down too deep ; but if these borders had been 

 raised, well drained, and shallow, and if means had been taken 

 to prevent the roots going down, the trees would have been 

 fruitful and healthy. Where the subsoil is of an adverse 



