SUITABLE COMPOSTS FOR VINES 25 



the vines, and at the same time obviate the risk of a 

 current of cold air finding its way to the vines. 



SUITABLE COMPOSTS FOR VINES 



The grape-vine is not so particular as to soil as many 

 people assume it to be. That the grape-vine, planted 

 "in a deep calcareous loamy soil, will flourish and pro- 

 duce abundant crops of first-rate grapes year after year, 

 without being subjected to any preparation in the way 

 of manuring and trenching of the ground prior to plant- 

 ing, I know to be a fact. 



It is also equally true that good results in the way of 

 crops can be obtained from vines planted in ordinary 

 garden or field soil, enriched in the process of digging 

 or trenching with a good dressing of short stable 

 manure. Of course it is undesirable that the roots of 

 the vines should be submerged during the late autumn, 

 winter and spring months, or, indeed, at any time, 

 although it would not matter much during the summer 

 months. As a matter of fact, experience goes to show 

 that heretofore much useless expense has been incurred 

 in the making of vine borders and the preparation of 

 composts to place therein. 



However, where the natural soil is either too light or 

 too heavy in texture for the production of good grapes, 

 vine borders consisting of prepared soils must necessarily 

 be made. The most suitable soil for the purpose is the 

 top three inches of a down which has been grazed by 

 sheep and which rests on a chalky or limestone sub-soil ; 

 and if this be cut and stacked a few months previous to 

 being used, all the better. This may be used either by 

 itself or with additions of old lime-rubble, wood-ashes, 

 and horse-droppings, at the rate of one cart-load of 

 each to five loads of the loam and one barrowful of soot, 

 and if four hundredweights of crushed bones be added 



