COMPOSTS SUITABLE FOR VINES. 19 



surface of the soil, and dissection showed the same 

 effects as in the former case. The border had been 

 made up of soil taken out of a plantation, and con- 

 tained beech-nuts, every one of which was found to be 

 a mass of white fungi; they, however, do not appear 

 able to penetrate the bark of the vine, but take ad- 

 vantage of the smallest opening, as in the cases related. 

 The fungi, besides destroying individual plants, have a 

 bad effect on the general health of the whole, in as far 

 as they exhaust the soil, and render it unfit for the 

 growth of other plants. I would therefore guard 

 against the smallest atom of any woody substance 

 getting mixed with the soil of a vine-border, especially 

 where bottom heat is to be applied, which at once 

 brings the spores of the fungi into active life. Where 

 the border is all outside the house, and no artificial 

 heat of any sort applied, the wood will rot, spores 

 and all, and do no harm. The general application of 

 bottom heat to vine-borders gives this matter an im- 

 portance it did not formerly possess. 



As many who are anxious to grow grapes may not 

 be able to obtain access to a sheep or deer park to 

 procure the loam I have described as most suitable 

 for vines, I will here indicate a compost that will 

 grow excellent grapes, and that is at the same time 

 within the reach of all who possess a garden. Take 

 of the ordinary garden-soil one-half the quantity re- 

 quired to make up the border, lay it in sharp ridges 

 to get a winter's frost, then procure one-fourth the 

 quantity required of the parings of turf-edgings and 

 the scourings of ditches, with the addition of a few 

 barrow-loads of clay ; then get together all the clip- 



