216 THE CULTCJRE OF THE GRAPE. 



states his conviction that this sort of manure is of the first 

 degree of importance. After mentioning that, in his new 

 vine borders,, not one horse carcass, nor a portion of one, is 

 buried, he expresses his regret, that, at the time he made 

 them, it was not in his power to avail himself of that ' pabu- 

 lum to produce the nectar of Bacchus.' ' But,' he adds, ' if 

 I was not able to add carrion, except in a very limited de- 

 gree, at the time my borders were made, I may mention that 

 I fell in with a goodly lot last Avinter, part of which has been 

 added as a top-dressing this autumn, and I intend in future 

 to apply it to that purpose. I am so cautious, that the least 

 particle should not be wasted, that I hoard it up as a miser 

 would his gold.' 



" This is perfectly consistent with the directions which 

 Mr. Roberts has given in his treatise." 



[For these, see Mr. Roberts's border ; it is unnecessary to 

 repeat them here.] 



" It cannot be denied that this is a process which must not 

 be called inviting. Has it any disadvantages ? Has it any 

 advantages ? These are both very important branches of in- 

 quiry. It may be alleged that it can have no disadvantages, 

 because the magnificent grapes, above referred to, were ob- 

 tained by it. But we are ignorant of the history of those 

 vines since 1841, and this point it would be desirable to have 

 elucidated. In the next place, it appears to us that the 

 introduction, into vine borders, of pasty masses of matter, 

 such as result from the use of carrion, is at variance with the 

 first principles of vine cultivation, the truth of which was 

 known even to the Romans. 



for the flesh and sinews to dissolve. At my garden in Salem, Massachusetts, a very 

 (at hog-, that had died from excessive heat, in August, was placed just under the 

 ground, and covered with the soil, with the intention of removing and scattering the 

 remains on the border in the fall. In sixty or seventy days, the place was opened, 

 and not a bone even could be discovered. The only vestige of animal remains that 

 could have been part of the creature were some teeth, and they may have been in 

 the soil before. The rapid decay, in this case, no doubt, was owing to the exces- 

 sively fat condition cind age of the hog, which was only six or eight months. 



