58 THE GRAPE. 
io our offspring, instead of being, as it too fre yuently 18, 
only calculated to become the pleasure of a few years. 
The most suitable materials for composing the borders 
are, a good friable loam (the top sod, grass included, of a 
pasture), with a suitable quantity of partly decomposed 
stable manure, in proportions of one-fourth of the latter 
to three-fourths of the former, and a good dressing of 
broken or ground up bones, say one bushel to every cubic 
yard in bulk. If the soil contains much lime in its own 
base, the bones may be dispensed with, but generally they 
are of much benefit, being a very lasting manure, giving 
out slowly, and when all the phosphates are exhausted 
they still remain as a carbonate of lime, among which 
the grape vine delights. 
When the base soil, where the house is to be erected, is 
of the above nature, it may be used, and the other mate- 
rials added on the spot, which will save expense. There 
is often much useless expenditure caused in this way. 
Never remove away the existing base unless absolutely 
bad, excepting with little outlay, a much better substitute 
can be procured; for by good mixing of the fertilizing 
matter and drainage to correspond, a poor soil may in 
many instances be made good, and often when it is consi- 
dered impracticable, most likely all that is required. Im- 
perfect drainage is frequently the cause that prevents 
success, when it is attributed to an unsuitable constituent 
base. The grape vine is not so capricious in its food as is 
generally supposed, but a dry bottom it must and will have 
Wo presper, . 
