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take out as much more, the object being to raise the 

 border above the natural level of the surrounding soil ; 

 but this is not so requisite in a high situation as in a 

 low one. The width of the border need not be more 

 than 20 feet, and should not be less than 15 feet. It 

 is a good general rule to have the border the same 

 width as the houses. The width of the border being 

 determined, and the soil removed, the top spit, if it 

 be good, may be mixed with the compost ; then slope 

 the bottom with a gentle descent from the houses, 

 making it pretty firm. This is the floor of the bor- 

 der. At the extreme edge build an open drain, ex- 

 tending six inches below the level of the floor and six 

 inches above it, by one foot wide. The sides to be 

 built in the pigeon-hole manner, to allow a ready pas- 

 sage for the superfluous water. Have this floor paved 

 with strong slates or thin flags, and then covered all 

 over with broken stones or brick ends, about the size 

 of a man's fist. When these are levelled, cover them 

 either with small twigs, bean-straw, or thin turf, laid 

 with the grassy side downward. This is to prevent 

 the soil from falling amongst the stones below. It is 

 now ready for the compost. The best compost for 

 the vine is the thin top spit from an old pasture, 

 chopped, and thoroughly mixed with one-fourth rotten 

 horse-dung and one-fourth rotten leaves, or one-third 

 dung when leaves cannot be had. Bones are excel- 

 lent, broken small, and mixed in the compost ; but 



