ON SOIL. 49 



the soil of the former description, and the otlier in 

 one of the latter, it will be found at the end of ten 

 years, that the stem of the vine growing in the soil 

 that was unprepared, will not be more than half the 

 size of that planted in the other; consequently for 

 every pound weight of fruit which the smaller 

 stemmed vine can mature, the other will ripen very 

 nearly three pounds. This difference occurring an- 

 nually, is sufficiently great, to repay most amply the 

 trouble and expense incurred in making a suitable 

 border, whenever local circumstances will permit of 

 such an operation being performed. Nevertheless, 

 the disadvantages of a poor soil, or an unprepared 

 one, may in some measure be compensated, by plant- 

 ing the vines closer together, in which case, the sur- 

 face of the wall will be much sooner covered with 

 fruit than otherwise. If vines, indeed, could not be 

 planted with any prospect of success in any other 

 situations than in borders set apart for that purpose, 

 but a very small quantity of grapes could be grown, 

 compared with what the country is capable of pro- 

 ducing. Innumerable instances occur throughout the 

 country, and especially in towns and their suburban 

 districts, in which walls, cottages, houses, and various 

 descriptions of brick and stone erections present very 

 favorable aspects for the training of vines, but which, 

 nevertheless, are so situated locally, as to possess 

 little or no soil at all on the surface adjoining their 

 sites ; the ground being either paved with bricks or 

 stone, or perhaps trodden so hard, as to be apparently 

 incapable of yielding sustenance to any vegetable 

 production. 



In all such cases, however, if the ground adjoining 

 the site of the wall or building be opened to the 

 extent of eighteen inches square, and as many deep, 

 it will be sufficient to admit the roots of a young 

 vine, which must be pruned to suit that space. If a 

 wider and deeper space can be made, it will of course 

 be better, but if not, that will do. After the sides 

 and bottom have been loosened as much as possible, 

 5 



