290 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



mere trifle, — often they caa be had free of cost, brought 

 to your place, and then killed, and the thanks of the 

 owners to you in addition, for providing a place of de- 

 posit, near at hand, for them, which otherwise might 

 occasion them some expense -in their removal to a dis- 

 tance, or in burying them. All bodies of animals, killed 

 accidentally, or by disease, are of no value in this coun- 

 try, but as manure, and when such can be had, there is 

 so much saved. On the contrary, the land that has been 

 skimmed of its turf, and three or four inches of its best 

 soil, (in tliis jDart of our country at least,) is almost ruined- 

 It is true, you may rob your own land, but, should your 

 garden be in the city, (as mine is situated,) you would 

 search many an hour before the proper pasture soil could 

 be obtained. Knowing these difficulties in providing 

 suitable soil from a pasture, I, in the first place, gave the 

 directions for the compost, with the animal carcasses ■, 

 and then, in giving the substitute, presumed that it 

 would be understood, that I did not consider that it was 

 imperatively necessary that these materials, flesh and 

 all, should be incorporated into the border. That it is 

 best to do so, I firmly believe. 



My first border was made in 1834, on a flooring of 

 stones ; it was very rich ; much slaughter-house ma- 

 nure, with many bones, were incorporated with the soil ; 

 cow manure, and some lime, also, was added nearer the 

 surface. This house has always had artificial heat ap- 

 plied to it ; and, for the last ten years, has been forced 

 in December, and has never failed to produce a crop of 

 fruit. This season of 1848, the fruit was as fine as it 

 ever lias been ; the bunches, many of them, weighing 



