Review of Paxton's Horticultural Register. 187 



houses myself, I knew the imperfection could not arise from any such 

 cause. 



From several observations I had made, very similar to those men- 

 tioned by Mr. D., I came to a similar conclusion, viz., that it originated 

 in a want of energy in the root, and which, as he has justly stated, 

 might ainse from a variety of causes. In my case, I conceived it to arise 

 from a pooi*, cold border. The border, I was informed, had been duly 

 drained when it was made ; but, as the situation of the garden was low, 

 and the subsoil strong clay, and an excavation having been made for the 

 border, it was not diliicult to understand that the roots nuist suffer from 

 cold. Moreover, the border was shaded by a row of espalier trees, 

 which grew a short distance from it. I had not the opportunity of 

 raising the roots to the surface ; I tlierefore removed the apple-trees, 

 lowered the walk at the front of the border, and, as the stems outside 

 of the house, were naked, I laid a covering of decayed leaves and dung 

 on the surface. By these means the roots were ultimately acted upon by 

 the genial rays of the sun. Within the houses,- I left but a thin crop of 

 grapes, and a limited supply of wood for the succeeding year. The re- 

 sult was most satislkctory. 



My usual practice now is, to di'ess the border every summer with 

 decayed leaves and a little loam. In a cold, wet season, I leave but thin 

 crops ; in a dry, hot season, good crops. When the latter is the case, T 

 supply the roots with water most abundantly, without any fear of para- 

 lysing their efforts. The grapes produced are generally admired for their 

 size, color, and flavor. 



To young gardeners I would say, do not be too anxious for a great 

 crop in your first effoii. Endeavor to ascertain the capabilities of your 

 vmes Attention to the ripeness of the wood and the circumstances of 

 the place, will very much assist you in this particular. If you are re- 

 quired to make new borders, elevate them as much as you conveniently 

 can, particularly if the site be low and damp. A bed of compost from 

 eighteen to twenty-four inches is quite depth enough. Extend the roots 

 horizontally, as much as circumstances Avill admit. 



To gentlemen may I be allowed to say, desire to have good fruit rather 

 than great abundance : make every allowance lor local circumstances, 

 and the natural difficulties your gardener has to contend Avith. Do not 

 place implicit reliance on the writings or the sayings of any man, merely 

 because he has obtained a degree of notoriety ; — many wi'ite and talk 

 from no other motive. Mr. Judd, I fear, is amongst the number. Why, 

 every gardener of ordinary observation knows that when the " cuticles 

 of the berries" are acted upon by the sun's rays, it is by the concentra- 

 tion of the rays acting like a burning-glass, and injuring only the part 

 where the focus strikes: hence we see the side next the sun injured — 

 the other side perfect. I have, indeed, known grapes really scalded by 

 vapor heated to a great degree ; but that is a very different thing to the 

 "shrivelling of grapes." 



As far as I have observed, when grapes are injured from external 

 causes, the herry discovers it first. In the " shrivelling of grapes," the 

 defect is first exhibited in the pedicle." 



Some remarks " on the different methods of training fruit-trees 

 round the quarters or compartments of kitchen-gardens," are very 

 good, and contain considerable information. The old-fashioned 

 system of distributing large standard trees all over the kitchen gar- 

 den, to the utter exclusion of all vegetation underneath, will soon be 

 exploded here, as it is already in Britain. They are not only, 

 from many reasons, improper for the purpose, but they give a good 



