COVERINGS FOR BORDERS. 



This .is a matter of much importance, especially in 

 the case of early-forced vines. Where the border is 

 heated by hot-water pipes from beneath, all that is 

 necessary is to lay some dry leaves, dry fern, or other 

 litter, on the surface of the border to prevent radiation, 

 and to cover it over with such as tarpaulins, oiled calico, 

 wooden shutters, old hothouse lights, or straw thatch 

 any material that will throw off the greater portion of 

 the winter rains will answer the purpose. Where vines 

 are not started till March, any advantage they might 

 derive from a permanent covering would be more than 

 counterbalanced by the loss of the sun's rays on the 

 border during the day. In such a case, a covering of 

 coarse cloth of some sort thrown over the border in the 

 evening and removed in the morning would be bene- 

 ficial till the warm nights of June set in. Grapes that 

 ripen in autumn and have to be kept till spring are 

 supposed to keep better by having the border the roots 

 of the vines are in kept dry during the winter. I have, 

 however, kept Lady Downes Grape hanging on the vine 

 till May without a covering of any sort on the border. 



COMPOSTS SUITABLE FOR VINES. 



As previously remarked, the soil the vine thrives 

 best in is a fibry calcareous loam, taken, not more than 

 3 inches deep, from an old sheep or deer pasture. Such 

 soil should consist of about 65 per cent sand, 30 per cent 

 clay, and 5 per cent of chalk, with an abundance of 

 vegetable fibre, giving it the character of what gardeners 



