20 COMPOSTS SUITABLE FOR VINES. 



pings of hedges, the prunings of fruit-trees, with any 

 other refuse of a kindred nature ; build all into a 

 heap and set fire to it, piling it round with the turf- 

 parings and clay already referred to, till the whole 

 forms a cone, with a fire in its centre. After it has 

 burned for some days, and the whole has got tho- 

 roughly hot through, and the wood all charred, ex- 

 tinguish it by pouring on the hot mass the drainage of 

 cow-byres, pigsties, or any similar liquid ; and while 

 still in a hot state, mix it with the common garden- 

 soil that has been for some time in ridges. To every 

 ten loads of this compost add two of old lime-rubbish, 

 one of horse-droppings, 4 cwt. of bones about an inch 

 square, 2 cwt. horn-shavings, and a cart-load of cal- 

 cined oyster-shells where they can be had. They may 

 be calcined by being placed in the centre of the char- 

 heap as it is being built. Let the whole be turned 

 over more than once, but always in dry weather, and it 

 will form an excellent compost for vines. 



For reasons that all gardeners understand, I would 

 not make the whole width of the border at the time 

 the vines are planted, but would make up, say, 6 feet 

 inside the house, and the same width outside. This 

 will be found ample for the roots of the vines to run 

 in for the first year. The second year I would add 

 3 feet inside and 3 out, and at this rate annually till 

 the allotted width is made up. In this way the com- 

 post, instead of becoming sour from being trod upon, 

 and watered while as yet no roots are in it, will be 

 added just as the roots are ready for it ; and every 

 gardener knows with what gusto vine-roots rush into 

 fresh turfy loam as compared with that which is 



