ROOTS OF GRAPE VINES. 167 



\y, Greenhouses, Conservatories, &c., and in which, 

 though vines are frequently cultivated, they are gen- 

 erally treated as subordinate to other purposes. 



In these houses, grapes not being the principal 

 object, the management of the vines is in general of 

 an inferior character. The roots of them are taken 

 but little account of, being generally planted outside 

 in an open border, and suffered to ramble about with- 

 out any attempt being made to bestow on them more 

 favorable conditions of growth. 



Vines that are subjected to this description of glass 

 culture are brought under notice here, for the purpose 

 of suggesting, that if an improvement in their culture 

 be desired with reference to the better management of 

 their roots, it can easily be accomplished, by making 

 a bed of materials, such as has been already described, 

 and enclosing it in brickwork outside of the house. 

 This would be a decided improvement, and one that 

 would be far better calculated to ensure the produc- 

 tion of good fruit, than any other that could be 

 adopted, while the roots are suffered to ramble about 

 unrestrained in the open soil. Where, therefore, this 

 improvement is intended to be made, the roots should 

 be carefidly taken up at the proper season, and pruned 

 back, and then temporarily tied up in plenty of mat- 

 ting, so that the air cannot affect or injure them. The 

 soil of the border should be then excavated to the 

 breadth of about 8 feet, and to the depth of 2| feet, 

 which is sufficiently deep for an outside border. 

 There are two ways of enclosing the bed of materials 

 that is to be formed in place of the soil taken away, 

 namely, either 7oith the surface of it paved with 

 bricks, or without it. 



If the surface is to be paved^ then the brickwork is 

 to be done in precisely the same manner as that al- 

 ready described for the inside of a vinery, with the 

 two following exceptions; — 1st. The whole upper 

 flooring of brickwork is to be laid in mortar, no 

 courses of inovable bricks being required for a bed 

 outside of the house, as a sufficient quantity of mois- 



