THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 281 



ing with temperature and other circumstances, that they 

 cannot be too cautiously guarded against ; and therefore 

 carrion, in the sense in which we understand the word, 

 is wholly unfit for gardening purposes. But, by degrees, 

 the horrible emanations from putrid flesh are decomposed, 

 or- absorbed by the surrounding soil, or are lost in the 

 open air, and then their dangerous quality disappeai's. 

 In fact, decayed carrion^ that is to say, carrion which has 

 lost its otfensiveness, is not carrion 'at all ; it consists of 

 little more than bones, saline matter, and the black earth 

 which is called humus, — a very valuable substance, 

 partly on account of its own action, and partly on ac- 

 count of the gaseous matters which it detains among its 

 pores, and parts with gradually and beneficially. It is 

 old, crumbling manure. It is not to this that we, or any 

 one, would object. Quite the contrary ; and we readily 

 admit that, after a time, the dead horses in the vine 

 borders at Eshtou, ceasing to be dangerous, will become 

 a potent and harmless manure. But the mischief is done 

 before that time ; the first stage in the growth of the 

 vines has been injurious, and we doubt whether any 

 amount of care will quite repair the damage. At all 

 events, admitting that it may be repaired, we are still 

 forced to arrive at the conclusion that the use of so offen- 

 sive a materia] as carrion does no good, and therefore 

 ought to be abandoned." — Gardeners^ CJironiole, 1848, 



p. 83. 



By J. W. Roberts, Gardener, Wakefield., YorhsUre.— 

 " Three years ago, I gardened not two miles from Wake- 

 field, where I had two vineries, which had produced 

 little for years. The vines in them, were nearly sixty 



