ON SOIL. 319 



It may hence be inferred that vines will not thrive in a 

 cold wet soil, nor composed of stiff clay, which is easily 

 accounted for from the fact that they delight only in soils 

 easily rendered dry by evaporation, and free from excess 

 of moisture, and are always more warm, which is so genial 

 to the growth of this plant. To elucidate this, we can 

 record an instance that occurred a few years ago in this 

 vicinity : A vine border was dug out to the depth of three 

 feet and a half, in a cold retentive clay soil ; twenty inches 

 of stone, brick, and lime rubbish were put in the bottom, 

 and the remainder filled up with good compost for the 

 vines, in which they were planted, and grew well for two 

 years, and produced some fruit; finally, they languished, 

 and almost died, and it was at once pronounced that fine 

 foreign grapes would not do in this country. But, on exa- 

 mining the roots of the plants, it was discovered that they 

 were rotten from the excess of moisture which was retained 

 in this pit ; for though it had been partially filled with a 

 dry bottom, no provision was made to carry off the water, 

 therefore it proved to be a complete water pail : a drain 

 was necessarily dug to th^ full depth to carry off the water, 

 and the soil generally renewed ; the vines were cut to 

 within two feet of the ground ; they now (four years after 

 the operation) grow luxuriantly, and produce abundant 

 crops every year. Therefore, if the sub-soil is not natu- 

 rally dry, it must be made so by draining, which is the 

 basis of the work, filling up the bottom with a sufficient 

 quantity of dry materials, such as stones broken moderately 

 small, brick-bats, lumps of lime rubbish, oyster-shells, &c., 

 which will keep them dry and warm by the free admis- 

 sion of air and solar heat, and to admit of heavy rains pass- 

 ing quickly through without being retained sufficiently 

 long to saturate the roots or injure the tender extremities; 

 having thus furnished a dry bottom, cover to the desired 

 height with turf taken about three inches deep from a rich 

 pasture ; and to every four loads of turf add one load of 

 thoroughly decomposed manure, at least one year old, in- 

 terspersing it with bones of any description, oyster-shells, 

 or any other enriching material that undergoes slow de- 

 composition: the whole must be repeatedly turned, and 

 allowed to settle before the vines are planted. Extreme 

 caution has to be exercised in administering bone-dust, 



