262 THE CULTUKE OF THE GRAPE. 



last week, he states his conviction that this sort of ma- 

 nure is of the first degree of importance. After men- 

 tioning that, in his new vine borders, not one horse car- 

 cass, nor a portion of one, is buried, he expresses his 

 regret that, at the time he made them, it was not in his 

 power to avail himself of that ' pabulum to produce the 

 nectar of Bacchus.' ' But,' he adds, ' if I was not able 

 to add carrion, except in a very limited degree, at the 

 time my borders were made, I may mention that I fell 

 in with a goodly lot last winter, part of which has been 

 added as a top-dressing this autumn, and I intend in 

 future to apply it to that purpose. I am so cautious 

 that the least particle should not be wasted, that I hoard 

 it up as a raiser would his gold.' 



" This is perfectly consistent with the directions which 

 Mr. Roberts has given in his treatise." 



[For these, see Mr. Roberts's border ; it is unnecessary 

 to repeat them here.] 



" It cannot be denied that this is a process which must 

 not be called inviting. Has it any disadvantages ? Has 

 it any advantages ? These are both very important 

 branches of inquiry. It may be alleged that it can have 

 no disadvantages, because the magnificent grapes, above 

 referred to, were obtained by it. But we are ignorant of 

 the history of those vines since 1841, and this point it 

 would be desirable to have elucidated. In the next 

 place, it appears to us that the introduction, into vine 

 borders, of pasty masses of matter, such as result from 

 the use of carrion, is at variance with the first principles 

 of vine cultivation, the truth of which was known even 

 to the Romans. 



