BRIGHT ON GRAPE CULTURE. 79 



Now mark the result. This experiment was per- 

 formed late in September, after a crop had been taken 

 oflf. The vines were in leaf, and the leaves scarcely 

 flagged during the whole operation, although the vines 

 were not cut back any more than they would have been 

 if not lifted, but were pruned in the usual way, and al- 

 lowed to fruit the next season, the whole length of the 

 canes. The vines broke rather weak, about as they had 

 done for some years previously, but increased in sub- 

 stance and strength rapidly before the bunches appear- 

 ed ; the bunches elongated to an enormous size, and the 

 vines perfected a crop of grapes which took the first 

 premium at the fall exhibition in the Crystal Palace at 

 Sydenham, against all the best vineries in Great Brit- 

 ain ! So much for shallow planting in a border mode- 

 rately rich. We feel sure that this is the best practice, 

 and that gardeners everywhere must sooner or later 

 come to it, and all vine-growers also, both in-doors and 

 out. 



The reason why vines do not thrive for a number of 

 years, in deep borders, is this : it is impossible to pre- 

 serve an equal degree of temperature, and an equal 

 action, between the roots and the tops of the canes. For 

 instance, the tops of the canes start early in the spring, 

 both in the vineyard and in the vinery, long before the 

 soil or the border becomes warmed to the depth of two 

 or three feet, and before the roots are properly excited 

 into action, and hence a great draught is made upon the 

 resources of the vine before it is properly supplied with 



