ROOTS OF GRAPE VINES. 163 



portion of the water thus sprinkled on the floor, will 

 find its way down to the imder surface of the bricks, 

 and consequently it will thus be seen, that what is so 

 extremely beneficial to the fruit, is also equally bene- 

 ficial to the roots. If the flooring-bricks, therefore, 

 were to be taken up at any time after the roots of the 

 vines had become well established; this grand source 

 of nourishment to them would be entirely cut off". One 

 course of movable bricks, therefore, running along 

 the middle of each compartment, containing one vine, 

 will be sufficient for the purpose before mentioned. 

 When the flooring is finislied, the glazing, &c. of the 

 house should be done without delay. 



9th. Planting the vines.— ^hen this is intended 

 to be done, the following directions are necessary to 

 be attended to. 



When planted in the Winter. — If the roots be 

 loose, and free from mould, provide for every vine 

 two pieces of flannel, or of any description of coarse 

 woollen cloth, sufficiently large to cover over the roots 

 when they are all spread out at length. 



Put these pieces of cloth in soap-suds, to be well 

 soaked, and, while that is being done, take up a suffi- 

 cient number of movable bricks, and then rake away 

 with the hand the materials of the bed where a vine 

 is to be inserted, under the course of movable bricks, 

 to the depth of three inches, and to such an extent of 

 surface, as will be sufficient for the roots to rest upon, 

 when they are all extended. Then make the surface 

 of this space quite smooth and even. 



After which take the two pieces of cloth out of the 

 soap-suds, and having drained them for a couple of 

 minutes, spread one of them out on the surface of the 

 bed, for the reception of the roots. This being done, 

 take the vine, and fixing the stem of it in its proper 

 place and position, spread the roots out carefully to 

 their full extent on the wet cloth ; then lay the other 

 piece of wet cloth on the roots, and replace the mate- 

 rials that were raked off at the beginning, on this up- 

 permost wet cloth, taking care to put only a small 



