ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS. 63 



CHAPTER VII. 



ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS. 



To ripen any of the sorts of grapes cultivated in this 

 country, (England,) sufficiently to be used as table fruit, 

 requires the shelter and reflected heat of a wall. 



The proper height of a wall intended for the training 

 of vines upon, must depend in a great measure on local 

 circumstances. In an unsheltered situation, and an 

 aspect exposed to the injurious influence of westerly or 

 south-westerly winds, I have never seen fine grapes 

 produced much higher than eight feet from the ground. 

 But, in situations and aspects of an opposite descrip- 

 tion no limit to the height of a wall need be assigned, 

 for as fine grapes may be matured at the distance of 

 twenty feet from the ground as at any less height. 

 Grapes, when growing at a less distance than about 

 four feet from the ground, certainly enjoy a considera- 

 ble increase of reflected heat, particularly if the surface 

 adjoining the wall be paved or covered with stones, or 

 gravel ; but, on the other hand, to counterbalance this 

 advantage, if the aspect be cast or west, the sun will 

 shine longer on the upper part of the wall than on the 

 lower part, in consequence of which, the surface of the 

 wall will be found, in general, pretty equally heated in 

 all its parts. But, if the aspect be south, the solar rays 

 during the summer will strike the entire surface of the 

 wall at the same instant of time, unless there be some 

 local impediment; and in this aspect, therefore, the 

 lower pa-t of the wall will always enjoy an increased 



