THE CULTURE OP THE GRAPE. 247 



Bervatorj- was set well up with a view to have a fine 

 gravelled trellis, the border was eighteen inches above 

 the level of the lawn. The border was formed by cart- 

 ing in sods and good loam from an old pasture, and mix- 

 ing with them about one quarter of well decomposed ma- 

 nure from the stable yard and from old hotbeds. This 

 was done in July and August at leisure time. In the 

 fall, the whole was trenched over in a rough manner, 

 and about thirty bushels of ground bones added. In 

 this way, the soil lay till the next spring, when it was 

 again trenched over anti ready for planting. We are not 

 thus particular in order to show how a border should be 

 made, but merely that it may be seen that a fine ceop 

 of grapes can be obtained without all the quackery so 

 often recommended in their formation, such as a bed of 

 oyster shells or boiled bones, dead horses, cattle, and 

 dogs, slaughterhouse manure, blood, soot, &c. All that 

 is necessary, in our opinion, to produce the very best 

 grapes, is a good rich, loamy soil, well top-dressed^ every 

 year, with old stable manure and guano, in order to 

 bring the roots to the surface, rather than that they 

 should go to the bottom after the dead carcasses." 



After planting the vines, Mr. Hovey directs, " that, 

 should the weather prove dry, the roots be well watered, 

 and the surface mulched with a little coarse stable nfa- 

 nure." 



The third season, the vines were allowed to bear from 

 two to five bunches each. Very gentle cropping, certain- 

 ly. Mr. H. says they were of superior quality, the vines 

 were not forced, and ripened their fruit in September. 



The fourth season. The regular dia,ry of the treatment 



