50 AlE. EREINGTON ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE. 



VI. — llie Main Points of Vine Cultivation. By Mr. Robert 

 Errington, Gardener to Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, 

 Bart., M.P., F.II.S. 



(Communicated with specimens ofWest's St. Peter's Grape, Nov. 4, 1845.) 



In compliance with the desire of the Council of the Horti- 

 cultural Society, I beg to accompany the late grapes now ex- 

 hibited with a few general remarks on the most important 

 points connected with the cultivation of the vine, especially un- 

 der glass. 



With regard to border-making and thorough drainage : I am 

 persuaded that a vast proportion of the grapes which do not 

 colour well, are planted in borders Jiot adapted to meet the great 

 extremes of moisture to which our fitful climate is subject. It is 

 also certain that over-cropping alone is one cause of the colour- 

 ing, and of course the flavouring, process being incomplete in a 

 great number of cases. 



It is quite clear from numberless instances, that porous ma- 

 terials for the mere transmission of moisture, and of course atmo- 

 spheric influences, may be used to the extent of nearly one half 

 the volume of the compost with propriety. Mr. Iloare's system 

 as it is called, although a failure, will, I make no doubt, have 

 done much good in this respect : one of Mr. Hoare's chief errors 

 being undoubtedly the total exclusion of soil from his compost. 



Whatever deptli of border may be adopted, the substratum 

 should be so complete as to bid defiance to excess of moisture 

 from both springs beneath, and atmospheric moisture above. 

 This being secured, the next point is compost; chopped turf of 

 a loamy character, and inclined to what is termed " sandy loam," 

 is, I am assured, complete, or nearly so, in itself for this purpose, 

 providing the previous points be eflficiently secured : as, however, 

 soils, as well as subsoils, differ so much in point of mechanical 

 texture, it is perliaps wise on the whole to use a mixture which, 

 in point of texture, may bid defiance to all weathers. 



Two-thirds then of the loam above described, with the other 

 third composed of equal parts of charred brush-wood, old plaster, 

 and what is termed by agriculturists " half-inch bone," (boiled 

 bone), will be found all that can be desired or nearly so in bor- 

 der-making. 



The loamy turf should be from very old rest land, the older 

 the ley the better ; if not of considerable age, I would prefer it 

 from an old lane or road side. It should be merely quartered 

 with the spade, and should by no means be either cut or handled 

 in any way when wet ; dryness is as indispensable a point in 

 handling the material for a vine border as for harvestinji:. 



