THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 69 



the United States, nor in the southern states at any season. 

 A great objection to it is the excessive stimulus to the plant 

 from such a quantity of manure, which must be kept up every 

 year, (after the vine has become accustomed to it,) or the 

 plant will languish and cease to yield its fruit. In England, 

 it unquestionably has, thus far, worked well ; but, by this plan 

 of heating the border, the roots are spreading with rapidity, 

 and it seems inevitable that the time must come, when the 

 roots have so extended themselves, that they will suffer for the 

 want of further protection. 



Wliere grapes are grown under glass on an extensive scale, 

 it would be dij0&cult to obtain fresh stable manure in sufficient 

 quantities (in most parts of our country it would be impos- 

 sible,) to make it practicable, and the expense of so doing 

 would be more than the value of the crop would warrant. In 

 the vicinity of large cities, and occasionally in other localities, 

 this manure may be obtained cheaply, and in sufficient quan- 

 tities for the purpose ; where this is the case, the objection 

 to it, on the score of expense, is obviated. 



A grapery one hundred feet long would require a border 

 one hundred and ten feet in length and twenty-four feet wide. 

 As, by Mr. Roberts's plan, the border is to be covered with 

 this heating manure and leaves four feet heyond where the 

 roots of the vine extend, and two and a half feet deep, in a 

 few years, or as soon as the vines have become established, it 

 follows, that the enormous quantity of GSx^^rr cords of manure 

 would be required, to cover, in this manner, the border where 

 the roots are now presumed to have extended themselves ; 

 thus, one hundred and twenty feet long, twenty-eight feet 

 wide, and two and a half feet deep. 



In our cold winter, I found it necessary to renew the heat 

 by adding one fourth part of new manure, and working it in 

 with the old, every three or four weeks. On a border to a 

 house winter-forced, that is, where forcing commences in De- 

 cember, this quantity of manure would be doubled by the 

 renewals. It is true that you would have about half the 



