204 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



After describing the conservatory, and with other remarks 

 relative to the plants therein, Mr. Hovej goes on to say, that 

 it was not originally intended to plant vines in the house, 

 but that, being anxious to prove kinds, " we commenced the 

 formation of the border, not with the expectation that we 

 should raise any grapes worth the trouble. Consequently, 

 the border was made only fourteen feet wide and two and a 

 half deep, and, as the conservatory was set well up with a 

 view to have a fine gravelled trellis, the border was eighteen 

 inches above the level of the lawn. The border was formed 

 by carting in sods and good loam from an old pasture, and 

 mixing with them about one quarter of well decomposed ma- 

 nure from the stable yard and from old hotbeds. This was 

 done in July and August at leisure time. In the fall, the 

 whole was trenched over in a rough manner, and about thirty 

 bushels of ground bones added. In this way, the soil lay till 

 the next spring, when it was again trenched over and ready 

 for planting. We are not thus particular in order to show 

 how a border should be made, but merely that it may be 

 seen that a fine crop of grapes can be obtained without all 

 the quackery so often recommended in their formation, such 

 as a bed of oyster shells or boiled bones, dead horses, cattle, 

 and dogs, slaughter-house manure, blood, soot, &c. All that 

 is necessary, in our opinion, to produce the very best grapes, 

 is a good rich, loamy soil, well top-dressed, eyerj year, with 

 old stable manure and guano, in order to bring the roots to 

 the surface, rather than that they should go to the bottom 

 after the dead carcasses." 



After planting the vines, Mr. Hovey directs, " that, should 

 the weather prove dry, the roots be well watered, and the 

 surface mulched with a little coarse stable manure." 



The third season, the vines were allowed to bear from 

 two to five bunches each. Very gentle cropping, certainly. 

 Mr. H. says they were of superior quality, the vines were 

 not forced, and ripened their fruit in September. 



The fourth season. The regular diary of the treatment 



