62 CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



plete success attend the effort to establish the plants. 

 A careful gardener would prefer to run the risk rather 

 than go through the labor and expense of potting. 



But a more certain and perhaps cheaper and better 

 method is to prepare frames to receive the plants directly 

 from the propagating-bed. They are best prepared as fol- 

 lows : Throw out the surface-soil to the depth of a foot, 

 the soil being placed on each side to bank the frame : six- 

 feet sashes being used, this will be the width of the pit. 

 Fill the pit to the depth of nine inches or a foot with 

 fresh manure for a slight bottom-heat. Half a foot of 

 manure is sufficient, if the ground is warm, and the season 

 advanced. As the depth is slight, the manure may be 

 thrown in without turning. Then cover with a compost 

 of two-thirds light, floury, pasture-loam, and one-third of 

 a spent hot-bed at least a year old. Add charcoal-dust 

 ad libitum; also bone-dust and wood-ashes to a moderate 

 degree, if at hand. This covering should be at least five 

 inches thick over the manure. The front plank of the 

 frame should be a foot wide, and the back eighteen inches. 

 Bank up the sides, and let the sashes remain close upon 

 the frame for a few days in order that the soil may be 

 well warmed. When the temperature of the bed is 

 found to be above sixty degrees, the cuttings may be 



