160 THE GKAPE CULTUKIST, 



CHAPTER XVI. 



GAEDEN CULTUKB. 



THE greatest obstacles in the way of cultivating the 

 grape in gardens, particularly in cities and villages, are, 

 the want of circulation of air and the excess of shade, or 

 both. Still, with these difficulties there are some advan- 

 tages : protection from cold in winter, and greater heat in 

 summer, which cause the fruit to ripen early, so that upon 

 the whole there is about the same chance of success in city 

 gardens as in the open country. 



There are few gardens either in city or country where 

 there may not be found a sunny spot sufficiently large to 

 accommodate a few vines. It is often the case in cities 

 that the only spot that the sun reaches in the whole garden 

 is covered with a brick or stone walk. When this is the 

 case, it does not prevent the planting of the vine, as the 

 walk may be taken up, the soil beneath it made deep and 

 rich, the vine planted, and the walk re-laid, leaving the top 

 of the vine coming out at one side. Or the vine may be 

 planted on the side of the walk, and kept trained to a stake 

 until it has produced one long stout cane. Then take up 

 the walk between it and the building or wall on which we 

 desire to train it, remove the poor soil and substitute that 

 which is rich, for two feet wide and the same in depth, 

 and lay down the vine in this, bring up the cane on the 

 other side and replace the walk. 



This is a much better plan than to place the roots near 

 or against the foundation of a building, because in such a 

 position they usually receive too much heat in summer and 

 are too wet in winter. 



The roots of the vine will grow as readily under a pave- 



