GARDEN CULTURE. 159 



than too little. There is usually an abundance of mate- 

 rials about a> city or village that may be used for manure, 

 but most of them should be used with caution, as it is 

 difficult to determine what injurious ingredients they 

 may contain. It is much the safest way to use stable 

 manure, when it can be had, or, in place of it, ground 

 bones, poudrette, etc., adding sods, leaves, or charcoal, 

 as much to lighten the soil and make it more friable, as 

 for their fertilizing qualities. 



One of the most pernicious practices in cities is the 

 continual drenching of the grape borders with slops from 

 the house; this has become common from the well- 

 known fact that they often contain a large amount of 

 manurial ingredients. But the large amount of water 

 accompanying them usually renders them more injurious 

 than beneficial. An occasional application of this kind 

 may be of service, if the borders are well drained ; but a 

 better way of saving such materials is to dig a hole or 

 make a cistern in some out-of-the-way place ; then add 

 charcoal or dry muck sufficient to absorb the moisture, 

 and when the place becomes filled, take out the manure, 

 add a little plaster, and then it is ready for use. In this 

 manner it becomes deodorized, and is really an excellent 

 manure for the vine. 



There is one other point upon which a word of cau- 

 tion may not be amiss, namely, not to apply top-dress- 

 ings of strong manures in summer, for this will usually 

 cause the vines to produce a late growth, which it is 

 always desirable to avoid. The best time to apply a top- 

 dressing is in the fall, as it then serves to protect the 

 roots during the winter, and the fertilizing materials are 

 carried down by the rains, and are ready for use when the 

 vine starts in the spring, and a steady, uniform growth 

 is insured. It is not advisable to grow any plants except 

 the vines in the border ; but where there is a scarcity of 

 room, a few bulbous-rooted or annual plants may b? 



