OPEN-AIR CULTURE. 77 



The soil in which the vine should be planted for open- 

 air culture, should not be so rich as that used for it 

 under glass, and should consist of three-fourths light 

 sandy loam, the other fourth to be made up of old lime- 

 rubbish, brickbats, and burned clay, with a small propor- 

 tion of broken bones. In this compost it will not make 

 such strong canes as in a richer one, but they will ripen 

 better, and have more prominent fruit-buds than the 

 product of rich soil. The young wood should be nailed 

 close up to the wall as it advances, so as to get the 

 benefit during the night of the heat the wall has ab- 

 sorbed from the sun during the day. As to pruning 

 and training, the same course should be pursued as what 

 I have recommended for the vine under glass. During 

 the cold nights of spring, early summer, and autumn, 

 great benefit will result from covering the soil along 

 the bottom of the wall where the roots of the vines are, 

 with fern, straw, or any such litter, as soon as the sun 

 ceases to shine on it ; to be uncovered every morning 

 when the sun shines on it again. In this way the heat 

 derived from the sun is retained in the soil, instead of 

 passing off by radiation, as it soon does, especially in 

 clear cold nights. With a wooden rake the operation 

 of covering and uncovering is soon performed, and 

 might with great advantage be applied to other wall 

 fruit-trees as well as to the vine. 



Various methods of protecting the young buds of the 

 vines from spring frosts, such as covering with oiled 

 calico, old fishing-nets, &c., will suggest themselves to 

 all concerned. A considerable width of projecting 

 coping is of much importance, in as far as, besides 

 sheltering from frost, it throws the wet clear of the 



