THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 55 



one good-sized horse or cow carcass to every ten or twelve 

 square yards, using caution, and not bringing it to the sur- 

 face of the border within one foot, as its assistance is not 

 wanted the first year. What I have here recommended, is 

 my practice adopted at this place, the result of which, I dare 

 presume to say, has surprised all, both gentlemen and practi- 

 cal gardeners, who have witnessed it." 



Mr. Roberts then goes on to say : " Still, an improvement 

 might be made on this border, particularly where a cool and 

 humid atmosphere prevails, as it does, to a great extent, in 

 the northern parts of these kingdoms. 



" To obviate this defect, I should recommend, instead of a 

 border two feet six inches deep, with one huge stone every 

 six or eight feet square, to put four or five in the same space, 

 allowing the border, when filled and settled, to be from fifteen 

 to eighteen inches deep, and to plant the vines as near upon 

 the surface as possible ; you would then be better able to add 

 a top dressing to your border every autumn, so as to feed and 

 keep the roots of your vines near the surface." 



The second chapter treats of the kind of grapes for the 

 vinery, etc., and of the different methods of propagating the 

 \ine ; his plan is by the single eye, as follows : — 



" Choose bold, prominent buds, taking two inches of wood ; 

 on each side cut a little sloping, opposite the eye ; then pot 

 singly, in thirty-two sized pots, using leaf mould and sandy 

 loam in equal parts," prepared fourteen days before placing 

 in the pit. " When your pit is ready, having been filled with 

 stable dung and tree leaves, so as to command a bottom heat 

 of 80° or 85°, which you can easily ascertain by inserting a 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer to the depth of a foot, proceed to 

 plunge in your pots, which you may safely do, being rather 

 sparing of water the fii'st fortnight or three weeks, and never 

 using the water at a lower temperature than the heat of the 

 bed. The temperature of the pit must not exceed 55° by 

 day, and may be allowed to fall to 45° in the night, until the 

 buds are in motion. They will then require the raising of 



