PLANTING VINES. 21 



two really good instances of success by planting inside 

 the house, while I have known several failures. 



Now, some may ask, what difference is there be- 

 tween planting vines inside a vinery, and covering the 

 outside border with glass as I recommend in my ' pro- 

 tector ' ? A great deal, is my reply ; and, first of all, a 

 deeply prepared bed must of necessity be made, con- 

 sisting of a rich fatty matter, or rather it is so generally, 

 which I can prove is not necessary, for the vine, like all 

 fast creepers and climbers, does not run deep into 

 the soil unless the roots cannot otherwise get the 

 nourishment which they prefer ; and if they are 

 compelled to go deep for it, the result is a defect in the 

 state of the fibre ; hence so many failures. Secondly, 

 no direct rays of the sun can get at the roots, nor 

 any fertilising air to harden and solidify those chan- 

 nels attached to the stem which are necessary for the 

 present and future health and longevity of the vine. 

 I am able to prove this by a multitude of facts within 

 my own experience, extending over a period of forty 

 years. It is unquestionably the effect of the sun and 

 air playing directly upon the roots of vines that 

 develops a healthy state in them, and when these 

 organs are in a healthy state the branches will be so 

 too. As I have already said, and also proved, when 

 the roots are buried deep in a mass of rich and fatty 

 matter, where no direct rays of the sun can come to 

 them, they will be spongy instead of solid, clean, and 

 firm. Thirdly, no proper method of applying or 

 regulating the necessary supply of liquid moisture to 

 the roots according to their wants can be adopted. 



But when vines are planted so that their roots can 

 run outside into soil prepared as I have described, they 



