On the Formation of Vine Borders. 115 



than either of the former houses. Weight of tlie respective 

 crops:— No. I.— 112 lbs. ; No. 2.— 793 lbs. : No. 3.— 603 lbs. 



Thus you will observe, that No. 1, with the carrion border, 

 in the four years, produced 856 lbs. of grapes. No. 2, loam, 

 leaf mould, manure, and bones, 2032 lbs., and, in No. 3, with 

 the loam alone, 1798 lbs. were produced. The houses were 

 all managed in the same manner, and if any difference exist- 

 ed, No. 1 had more care bestowed upon it, than the rest ; 

 they were all pruned on the spur system, which, if not the 

 most scientific, is, I think, the most simple, and easily per- 

 formed. 



Without entering into a chemical analysis of the ingredi- 

 ents contained in these borders, I think it will appear evi- 

 dent, that the one in which the greatest portion of the constit- 

 uents of the vine were present, was best adapted for its 

 culture. Thus, No. 1 contained an excess of organic matters, 

 carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, &c., and was deficient in 

 inorganic substances, which are equally essential to the de- 

 velopment of the vine. The plants were thereby unable to 

 assimilate the crude organic matters, which they were com- 

 pelled to absorb. On examining the roots of these vines, I 

 found the greater portion of them were rotten, the chief 

 part of the healthy ones being within a few inches of the sur- 

 face. No. 3 was rather deficient in organic, but abundant in 

 inorganic matters, which accounts for the fruit being smaller 

 in size than the others, but superior in flavor and color, ri- 

 pened sooner, and hung on the vines, after they were ripe, 

 longer without shrivelling. No. 2 was everything that could 

 be desired, and, had I the formation of a hundred borders, I 

 should make them in the same manner. Turves from an 

 old pasture, cut not more than three inches thick, I consider 

 the best material in nature for making a vine border, not only on 

 account of their chemical, but also of their physical properties. 

 No other soil can be compared with them ; if deficient in rich- 

 ness, add about one sixth of their bulk, of good dung, and, if too 

 adhesive, a like quantity of leaf mould. Mix a good quanti- 

 ty of whole and broken bones into the mass, and here you 

 have a material for growing grape vines, superior to any car- 

 rion composition that I have yet seen. These materials, 

 especially in this country, are comparatively inexpensive, and 



