December 9, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



noi 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day I Day 



of I ol 

 Klonth Week. 



DECEMBER 9—15, 1875. 



Kojal Society at 8.30 p.m. 



Royal Botanic Society at 3.45 p m. 



8 Sunday in Advent. 



Eoyal Geograpbioal Society at 8 30 p m- 



Royal lledicnl and Cliirurgical Society at S.30 p.m. 



Society of Arts at 8 p.:u. 



84.8'. 



From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 43 



and its night temperature 



COVERING OUTSIDE VINE BORDEKS. 



FT as tliis .subject has been bronglit before 

 the gardening world, it has always been 

 under such circumstances as elicited some 

 fresh idea, if not new fact, bearing on its 

 utihty or otherwise ; but it cannot be de- 

 nied that even now it is one of those sub- 

 jects on winch divers opinions still exist, 

 and most hkcly all wiU never be brought to 

 one mind upon it. As every fresh experi- 

 ment in the case adds something new on 

 the matter, some little digest may, perhaps, not be with- 

 out its advantages, the more especially at a time when 

 there is a hope that the discussion raised upon it may 

 receive some confirmation or the reverse by the time the 

 covering is likely to be removed. The experience of past 

 years ought to assist us all in coming to some conclusion 

 on the matter, for it has nothing new about it — in 

 fact it would not be easy to trace backward how long it 

 has been adopted ; but the diversity of opinions on its 

 utihty leaves much doubt on the mind of the amateur — 

 now-a-days a very important class of Grape-growers — how 

 to act in the matter, especially when one writer strenu- 

 ously advocates its adoption, and another in language 

 equally strong condemns it. That there may be a little 

 truth in the assertions of both it is easy to believe, and 

 that both may be right under their respective circum- 

 stances is also possible, and very likely to be the case. 



As has been stated above, the covering-up of Vine 

 borders has nothing new about it ; as readers of garden- 

 ing periodicals will remember the subject having been 

 prominently brought before the world at various times 

 since Loudon administered what I may call horticultural 

 law through his many publications, and coverings of one 

 kind or another have been more or less urged at various 

 times, possibly most so some twenty or twenty-five years 

 ago, when the covering-up of Vine borders by some water- 

 proof covering, as galvanised iron, wooden shutters, or 

 glass, was so much insisted upon, in some cases quite 

 one-half the original cost of the Grape house was in- 

 curred in protecting the border from the autumn rains 

 and winter frosts. Then again followed a reaction : those 

 who had ridden the hobby too hard found to their cost 

 that they had run to the other extreme, and covering-up 

 was condemned, to be revived somewhere else and in 

 another form. 'WhUe at the present day it would not 

 be saying too much if we aflirmed that it had as many 

 advocates now as at any former time, but they are of 

 another class, and do not quite follow out the hobby in 

 its entirety as did then- predecessors ; while not a few 

 that do cover-up then- borders do it for quite another 

 purpose altogether to what it was done in years gone by, 

 as will be shown. 



There are two distinct purposes for which Vine borders 

 are covered, and which have little or no connection with 

 each other — the one being with an object to protect the 

 border containing the roots of Vines intended to be forced 

 as early as possible, and the other to enable the crop of 



No. 767.— Vol. XXIX., New Series. 



Grapes that may be banging in a ripened condition in 

 the autumn to remain as long as possible without dete-. 

 rioration or decay in any way. The wide difference be-- 

 tween these cases is such as necessarily to call for a wide 

 difference in their treatment, and consequently we shali 

 treat them as distinct. Beginning with those intended to- 

 produce early Grapes first, we need hardly say at the 

 outset that there is even here much difference of opinion 

 on the utility of a covering, and not a few eminent 

 Grape-growers too condemn it. We nevertheless, to a 

 certain extent, recommend it where circumstances like 

 those we now adduce render the production of early 

 Grapes ri matter of importance. 



Whatever improvement may have taken place in Grape- 

 growing as a whole — and most certainly marvellous feats - 

 have been accomplished — there seems less anxiety to pro- 

 duce early Grapes at the present day than there was 

 twenty or thu-ty years ago, the direction of growers of 

 late years has been to preserve those that do ripen in the 

 autumn to a later period in the winter and spring in a 

 good condition rather than have fresh fruit ripe at that 

 time. This is so far commendable, as really good old 

 Grapes are no doubt better than new Grapes : hence 

 hard forcing is on the whole less practised than of yore ; 

 the late Grapes being often supplemented, or rather suc- 

 ceeded, by those grown in pots, the convenience of most 

 places whore there is much glass allowing this to be done, 

 and what is of more importance, better crops from those 

 grown in the ordinary way is the result. Perhaps it may 

 be asked, What has this to do with covering-up Vine 

 borders outside '? Well, it has a great deal to do with it .• , 

 for there is an immense difference between urging on a 

 house of Grapes to have them ripe by the middle of April 

 and having to accomplish that object a month later. In 

 the former case all the assistance possible inside and out . 

 will be required to accomplish the object, and many sacri- 

 fices made, while the other will be a much easier affair, 

 and most likely the produce superior. In the former 

 case the Vines, I need hardly say, ought all to be grown 

 inside the house where they are more immediately under 

 command ; in the latter they may be partly in and partly 

 out, and yet a fair share of success may be expected with- 

 out any covering-up. But suppose there are cases (and 

 I know there are many such) where early Grapes are 

 wanted as soon as it is possible to obtain them, and the 

 space inside the house is a very limited one for the roots 

 to occupy, and in fact the bulk of these roots are in the 

 outside border, it can hardly be said that to expo.^e that 

 border to the severities of a hard winter can be beneficial 

 to those Vines whose roots ramify in all directions through 

 it, and in some cases as near the surface as to be within 

 reach of the frost ; but this latter event is not of often 

 occun-ence, as in a usual way the Vine roots lie deeper 

 than to be directly frozen from the top in ordinary years. 

 However, it cannot be denied but that the frost and 

 melted enow must lower the temperature of the soil so as 

 to be quite unfit for the roots of the Vine, whose tops 

 are enjoying a temperature some 30° or 40° higher, the 

 result most likely being that if the roots occupying the 



No. 1119.— Vol. LIV., Old Seeies. 



