VINE BORDERS. 265 



cadine, may be grown in the open air by bending down the vines in 

 the month of November, and covering them with tan-bark, or other 

 mulch, and raising them again to their position in April. Free sup- 

 ply of wood ashes and soap-suds will be found requisite to hasten 

 their growth and maturity of fruit, as well as prevent mildew.* 



Cold-Houses. By this term is meant an inclosed structure of wood 

 or brick, with a sloping roof covered with glass. These structures, 

 as made at the East, and by a few wealthy men at the West, and 

 represented in the Horticultural journals of the day, are too expen- 

 sive to make the growing of the better foreign grapes general at the 

 West. But expensive structures are not necessary ; many a man at 

 the West has a south side of a building unoccupied ; this may serve 

 as the back of his cold-house, by setting up pieces of four-inch scant- 

 ling against the building, nailing boards to it, and filling in between 

 with tan-bark, saw-dust, or fine charcoal, he has the back ; now, four 

 inch square posts rising four feet from the ground, at a distance of 

 say fourteen feet from the back, boarded on each side, and filled in 

 same as the back, make the front wall ; leaving, however, two spaces 

 six feet from either end, of about two feet square, for hanging shutters. 

 Now, the back wall being ten feet high, the ends are to be made in 

 same way as the front, giving, of course, the slop*, from back to 

 front, and leaving out at one end space for a door-way, and at the 

 highest point of sides near the back at each end, a space for swinging 

 shutters of say two feet square ; these opened, will give ventilation, 

 in connection with those in the front wall. This done, a joiner will 

 be required to fit on a plate of two inch plank all around, and fit in 

 rafters and sash ; the sash should be the entire length of width of 

 house ; stiles four inch wide by one and a half thick, bars one inch 

 wide beveled to half inch on the under side, the upper stile or head 

 piece six inches wide, the lower one fourteen inches ; the rafters 

 should be placed so that sash cannot be over forty two inches wide, 

 or sufficient for five lights wide of six-inch glass. When the location 

 of such houses is not in a very cold climate, or where the thermometer 

 rarely falls below zero, cotton cloth dipped in boiled oil and varnished 

 will answer a very good purpose ; but, perhaps in the end, not be 

 as cheap, as its durability will only be about two years. Those 

 who wish for more expensive houses, we advise to purchase " Allen's 

 Treatise on the Grape." 



Vine Borders. Upon the formation of vine borders for cold, as 

 well as forcing-houses, more has been written and published than 

 one person could read at the rate of ten hours a day, in one entire 

 month. Some advise the formation of the border all outside, while 



* Geo. Hoadley, Esq., says, that in 1820 to 1880 there was growing in the garden where he 

 then resided, in New Haven, Conn., many white grapes, received from David Deforest, aa 

 \V hite Sweet- Water, which never mildewed. This garden was sixty or seventy rods from the 

 harbor (or salt water). The prevalent winds were from the harbor, in Summer, and in 

 torms the shrubbery not unfrequeutly covered with spray. 



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