THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 53 



months of May and June, the lights in bright weather would 

 require to be opened much earlier. Again, if the fronting of 

 the house inclines to the west, eight or nine o'clock would be, 

 perhaps, too early. His principle, as applied to the forcing- 

 house, is correct, but he errs in giving fixed hours for venti- 

 lating the house, when he should have substituted the range 

 of the mercury as a guide. In this country, in May and 

 frequently in the summer months, the mercury ranges in the 

 daytime from 75° to 90° in the shade. At such times, how 

 misuitable for the welfare of the vines would be the closing 

 of the windows of the grapery at an early hour ! 



Culture of the Vine under Glass. — By James Eoberts. 

 London, 1842. 



This work is very concise, and, for the climate of England,* 

 unsurpassed m its directions for the preparation of the border, 

 etc. ; yet there are objections to it, particularly as concerns 

 the cultivation in this country. It is divided into six short 

 chapters. In the preface, Mr. Roberts states " that it has 

 been his study to bring the vine into a bearing state earlier 

 than what is commonly practised." 



The first chapter treats of the border ; the opinion of the 

 author upon the difierent compost as recommended by Speech- 

 ly, Abercrombie, Mawe, and others, and his own plan upon 

 the subject, wliich is as follows : — 



" The borders outside the houses ought to be twenty-four 

 feet wide, cleared out to the depth of three feet six inches 

 upon a bottom of retentive clay, Avell prepared, with a fall of 

 one foot from back to front. A main drain ought to run 

 along the extremity of the border, one foot six inches deep, 

 with cross drains, in an oblique direction, leading into it, so 

 as to have perfect command in draining oiF superfluous water, 

 which I consider an essential point to attend to, so as to lay 

 them dry (more particularly where the climate is humid) ; 



" If we can judge from the result of the practice, as detailed by the author, whose 

 statements, as regards the crop of fruit and its fine quality, are corroborated by the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle. 



