GRAPES 35 



his vines ; but these several disadvantages are not all to the 

 bad, for without them so many people would be growing grapes 

 that as a market commodity all profits would vanish. 



We firmly hold that there are no grape growers in the world 

 to equal a selection of the best English growers, whether they 

 are private gardeners or trade growers ; and this affords 

 conclusive evidence as to the suitability of the climate. It is 

 also a testimony to great skill, but, be it thoroughly understood, 

 the skill of the market grower is directed to a different end 

 than that of the private grower. Many of the most magnificent 

 bunches of grapes staged at exhibitions by noblemen's gardeners 

 are produced irrespective of cost, and if disposed of in the open 

 market would show a considerable deficit, whereas the market 

 grower, while producing grapes of nearly equal quality, has to- 

 do so at a cost which shall show a profit for himself when sold 

 in the market. And if the latter 's bunches do not equal the 

 former's in point of size, it is because he has to take a con- 

 sistently heavier crop from his vines to make quite sure that the 

 credit side of his ledger compares favourably with his debits. 



But even apart from that, we should object to taking the 

 exhibition standard as any criterion of successful grape growing. 

 The buying public is not prepared to pay fancy prices for huge 

 berries, and it is possible to have really fine, well-finished bunches 

 of good average-sized berries that will arrest attention in the 

 market, yet fall just short of being fit for exhibition. This is 

 the class of stuff produced by our most successful market men 

 men who have made their names and their products famous. 



PREPARING THE BORDERS 



In the preparation of a vine border there are three vital 

 considerations to be kept before us : (i) the drainage must 

 be above suspicion ; (2) the bed must be made with a view to 

 remaining in good heart and condition for a period of years, 

 certainly not less than ten ; (3) it must be so made as ta 

 attract the roots towards the surface and not towards the 

 subsoil. 



We assume that the borders will be inside rather than outside, 

 for the commercial grower builds his houses too closely together 



