Grapes 187 



nearest the rod left to make the lateral the following season and the 

 other rubbed out, the piece of bare spur so left dies back to the grow- 

 ing bud. When the pruning is done the rods should be gone over with 

 a solution of Gishurst compound, or the common lime-and-sulphur wash 

 may be used instead. An old paint brush is used for the application. 

 The formula for the lime-and-sulphur wash is as follows: 3 Ib. of lime, 

 3 Ib. of sulphur, and 10 gall, of water. The lime is selected from good 

 freshly burned lumps, and slaked with some of the water and mixed 

 to a cream; the sulphur is then added, and the remainder of the water, 

 and the whole boiled for a couple of hours. This dressing will be found 

 deadly to any of the pests of the Vine it comes in contact with. While 

 the rods are down the glass and woodwork should be thoroughly syringed 

 and washed down, usually with a little carbolic or some similar prepara- 

 tion. At the same time the walls should be sprayed with hot limewash 

 containing a little of the disinfectant used. The rods are then tied up, 

 using tarred string and leaving so much of the upper part of the rods 

 untied as will allow the tips to hang down as low as possible without 

 obstructing the path. This is to ensure even breaking of the buds. Vines 

 should not be forced till they have made their full growth, but when 

 forcing is in contemplation there is a special method of tying down which 

 is dealt with further on at p. 192. 



Borders. The borders must next receive attention. These are scraped 

 clean of every scrap of rubbish, such as bits of bark which have fallen 

 on them during the cleaning of the rods, which work should have been 

 done over a piece of canvas laid on the border to catch the fine rubbish. 

 A dressing of complete manure, at the rate of 3 oz. per square yard or 

 a good guano may be used instead also a dressing of ground chalk, 

 enough to whiten the border all over, or basic slag at 3 oz. per square 

 yard should be pricked into the back borders and dug lightly into the 

 other borders. A good complete manure for the purpose is made by 

 mixing 2 parts superphosphate with 1 part each of sulphate of potash 

 and sulphate of ammonia. The dressing of ground chalk is added to 

 correct any acidity of the borders and to assist in the proper working 

 of the other artificials. If the grower likes, he can use instead basic 

 slag, 1| oz.; calcium cyanamide or nitrolim, f oz.; and sulphate of potash, 

 f oz. per square yard. These manures can be sown separately or mixed 

 up together in the following proportions: 5 cwt. basic slag, 1 cwt. sul- 

 phate of potash, 1 cwt. nitrolim. This at 3 oz. per square yard makes 

 a good dressing, and has the advantage of being alkaline. Some growers 

 give a lot of bone meal and other special Vine manures, which are sold 

 ready mixed and generally at a price far beyond their value. The grower 

 is well advised who has his soil analysed and takes expert opinion as 

 to the manures required for it. Most nurserymen use enormous dress- 

 ings of artificials without any consideration as to whether they are 

 wasting money and material. If the soil is inclined to wash when 

 watered, i.e. to run close together and refuse to take further waterings 



