52 ON SOIL. 



greater crops of grapes within a given space of time, 

 when planted in a soil that has been properly prepared 

 fcr their reception. 



For instance, if two cuttings be planted, the one in 

 the soil of the former description, and the other in one 

 of the latter, it will be found at the end of ten years, 

 that the stem of the vine growing in the soil that was 

 unprepared, will not be more than half the size of that 

 planted in the other ; consequently, for every pound 

 weight of fruit which the smaller stemmed vine can 

 mature, the other will ripen very nearly three pounds. 

 This difference occurring annually, is sufficiently 

 great, to repay mcst amply the trouble and expense 

 incurred in making a suitable border, whenever local 

 circumstances will permit of such an operation being 

 performed. Nevertheless, the disadvantages of a poor 

 soil, or an unprepared one, may in some measure be 

 compensated, by planting the vines closer together, in 

 which case the surface of the wall will be much soon- 

 er covered with fruit than otherwise. If vines, indeed, 

 could not be planted with any prospect of success in 

 any other situations than in borders set apart for that 

 purpose, but a very small quantity of grapes could be 

 grown, compared with what the country is capable of 

 producing. Innumerable instances occur throughout 

 the country, and especially in towns and their subur- 

 ban districts, in which walls, cottages, houses, and va- 

 rious descriptions of brick and stone erections, present 

 very favourable aspects for the training of vines, but 

 which, nevertheless, are so situated locally, as to pos- 

 sess little or no soil at all on the surface adjoining their 

 sites ; the ground being either paved with bricks or 

 stone, or. perhaps, trodden so hard, as to be apparently 

 incapable of yielding sustenance to any vegetable pro- 

 duction. 



In all such cases, however, if the ground adjoining 



