1§B> PLANTING AND MANAGlNlS 



culated in every respect to produce a very superior 

 growth of the vine. 



In furtherance of this object, it happens that the 

 best description of materials for the intended purpose 

 can be easily procured, at any time, and almost in any 

 place. These are, broken bricks, lumps of mortar, 

 charcoal, and bo7tes. The three first should be reduced 

 to the size of a hen's egg, or thereabouts. Larger or 

 smaller fragments will do, but when they are about 

 this size they are better calculated to retain the requi- 

 site degree of moisture, in connection with the greatest 

 possible extent of surface. The bricks should not be 

 too hard burnt, because their porosity is thereby les- 

 sened. Old mortar should be preferred to new, when 

 it can be procured. The bones may either be broken 

 into fragments, or deposited whole, and the fresher 

 they are the better. Any description of bones will do, 

 provided they are those ofanimals arrived at maturity, 

 and are, therefore, of a solid and lasting nature. Such 

 as have marrow in them should be broken asunder, 

 that the interior surface may be available to the roots 

 of the vines; and the lighter and more porous the 

 charcoal is, the better will it answer the intended pur- 

 pose. The whole of these materials should be used 

 in equal proportion, measure for measure, and should 

 be well mixed together. But before this is done, the 

 bricks, mortar, and charcoal should be well soaked in 

 urine, and then used immediately. And as these sub- 

 stances convey to the roots of vines an extraordinary 

 supply of nutriment, in a highly concentrated form, a 

 small quantity in bulk, in proportion to that of common 

 soil, will be amply sufficient to support a single vine 

 for a long series of years. 



The manner in which these materials are to be used, 

 so as to form a bed for the roots of vines, remains now 

 to be explained. 



One general rule must be first laid down, and that 

 is, that whether they be deposited in an open border, 

 or in the interior of a vhiery, they must be enclosed 

 on all sides within solid brickwork. This is necessary 



