November Autumn Work for Summer 



or Vines is 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide. There should 

 be some 9 inches of broken bricks at the bottom for 

 drainage, and upon these a layer of turves, placed grass 

 side downwards. The remaining space is filled with a 

 prepared compost. Turves, each of which is chopped 

 with a spade into about six pieces, should form the chief 

 ingredient; a free sprinkling of lime-rubble and bone 

 manure in the form of ^-inch bones is added and 

 thoroughly mixed in. As the border is made up the 

 soil ought to be trodden firmly. Planting should not 

 take place for a week or two afterwards ; by that time 

 the soil will have settled almost to its normal level. 

 As the fruit trees develop it becomes necessary to add 

 to the border ; an extra 2 feet width of soil every two 

 years will probably be found sufficient. The outer edge 

 of the border consists of a wall of turf, with which 

 the soil is enclosed. 



This advice is, I admit, a counsel of perfection, but 

 when one realises that under fair treatment Peaches 

 and Vines will live and bear good crops for half a 

 lifetime the trouble is scarcely too great. Fruit trees 

 under glass benefit at this season if the surface soil to 

 the depth of several inches is removed, and replaced 

 with fresh, turfy soil with which a little bone manure 

 is mixed. Now also is the time to attend to those that 

 have been failures. Not only should the surface soil 

 be taken off, but a trench ought to be dug as far away 

 from the tree steins as possible to enable one to fork 

 away the soil until a mass of roots is exposed. The 

 old soil must be removed, and a practically new border 

 formed in the manner previously indicated. It is a 

 laborious process, yet the only one that will bring any 

 lasting benefit to the trees. All thick, fibreless roots 

 should be shortened and relaid within the upper 12 

 inches of soil. Lime and mortar rubble is excellent 

 material to mix with the soil in preparing a border 

 for stone-fruit trees. 



