58 THE GRAPE. 



to our offspring, instead of being, as it too frequently is, 

 only calculated to become the pleasure of a few years. 



The most suitable materials for composing the borders 

 are, a good friable loam (the top sod, grass included, of a 

 pasture), with a suitable quantity of partly decomposed 

 stable manure, in proportions of one-fourth of the latter 

 to three-fourths of the former, and a good dressing of 

 broken or ground up bones, say one bushel to every cubic 

 yard in bulk. If the soil contains much lime in its own 

 base, the bones may be dispensed with, but generally they 

 are of much benefit, being a very lasting manure, giving 

 out slowly, and when all the phosphates are exhausted, 

 they still remain as a carbonate of lime, among which 

 the grape vine delights. 



When the base soil, where the house is to be erected, is 

 of the above nature, it may be used, and the other mate- 

 rials added on the spot, which will save expense. There 

 is often much useless expenditure caused in this way. 

 Never remove away the existing base unless absolutely 

 bad, excepting with little outlay, a much better substitute 

 can be procured ; for by good mixing of the fertilizing 

 matter and drainage to correspond, a poor soil may in 

 many instances be made good, and often when it is consi- 

 dered impracticable, most likely all that is required. Im- 

 perfect drainage is frequently the cause that prevents 

 success, when it is attributed to an unsuitable constituent 

 base. The grape vine is not so capricious in its food as is 

 generally supposed, but a dry bottom it must and will have 

 to prosper. 



