ROOTS OF GRAPE VINES. 169 



There remains now to be described a mode of cul- 

 tivating the vine, wliich, from its simplicity and 

 economy, and its easy practical adoption, recommends 

 itself most especially to the notice of a vast class of 

 persons who are not in possession of the means to 

 practise any of the usual methods of culture. 



This mode of culture is based upon two important 

 principles connected with the growth of the vine. 



The first of which is, that a body of substances or 

 materials, of the nature already described, being 

 enclosed in hollow brickwork or masonry erected on 

 the surface of the ground, will nourish and support 

 the roots of a vine inserted therein, as effectually as it 

 would do, were the brickwork or masonry enclosing 

 the materials, placed below the surface of the ground. 

 The second principle is, that the roots of a vine, when 

 enclosed in this manner, and supplied with the requi- 

 site degree of moisture, will strike upwards^ and grow 

 as freely in that direction, as they will downwards or 

 horizontally, when the brickwork and materials are 

 beneath the surface of the earth. 



On these two important principles, an easy and 

 novel mode of cultivating vines may be practised, 

 which may be described as that of building hollow 

 brick erections on the surface of the ground, of any 

 shape, circular, square, or otherwise, and filling them 

 with dry materials of the description already men- 

 tioned, then planting in each erection amongst these 

 materials, the roots of a vine, and training the 

 branches of it on the outside surface of the brick- 

 work. 



These are the principal features of this method, 

 which, perhaps, will be more clearly understood from 

 a detailed account of the mode of putting up an 

 erection of this description, and planting a vine inside 

 of it. 



For this purpose, a hollow circular column five feet 



high and three feet in diameter, may be chosen. A 



circular erection is the best, because the sun will 



shine all round it throughout the growing season, and 



15 



