168 PLANTING AND MANAGING 



ture for the roots will find its way through the bricks 

 forming the surface. 2d. The surface of the bed must 

 be sloped^ so that the front of it may be at least six 

 inches lower than that part that joins the house. 



If the surface of the bed is 7iot to be jjaved^ then 

 the brickwork forming the bottom flooring is also to 

 be sloped, as well as the top surface of the materials, 

 to the same extent as that in the preceding case. 

 The object in view in sloping the bottom, is to admit 

 any excess of water, that may at any time fall on the 

 border, to drain away. To effect this more readily, a 

 few very small crevices must be left open in the 

 bottom of the front wall, just at the junction of the 

 flooring and the wall. And as there is to be no brick 

 flooring on the upper surface of the bed. the cross- 

 walls that are pigeon-holed, are of course not wanted, 

 but it will be advisable to run up the 5o/^W cross- walls, 

 that are intended to keep the roots of each vine 

 separate from each other. The preparation and filling 

 in of the bed of materials is to be efl'ected in the same 

 manner as already described. The roots of the vines 

 should also be deposited in the bed of materials in a 

 similar way, betwixt two pieces of wet woollen cloth ; 

 and in this latter case, where the surface of the mate- 

 rials is open, the roots should be laid in six inches 

 below the surface. 



If the borders outside of greenhouses, &c., be thus 

 made for the roots of vines that are cultivated within 

 them, the superiority of the fruit would, in conse- 

 quence, be such as to amply repay the trifling expense 

 incurred in making them. 



A similarly beneficial eftect on the fruit of vines 

 cultivated on the open wall would, without doubt, be 

 produced by making artificial borders of materials 

 enclosed in brickwork in the manner already de- 

 scribed, in all cases where either the soil or subsoil is 

 naturally stifl", adhesive, and cold. 



