356 THE FLORIST AND 



vines. Many causes may produce this disorder, and no one in particular ; 

 over cropping is a fruitful source of evil ; 'although that term is one which 

 it would take a whole treatise in itself to explain— a healthy, vigorous vine, 

 with strong luxuriant roots, will safely bear to perfection double the crop 

 that a poor scrub with half rotten roots will do. We have seen the most 

 scanty crop of grapes, ill colored, while, on the other hand, we have seen 

 crops on an old vine, which had fine vigorous roots, feeding on the water of 

 a neighboring pond and not slaughter house drainings, bear crops that- 

 most gardeners in these days would think "tremendous," and yet most 

 perfectly colored. The greatest aim in good grape growing should be to 

 preserve every root, and encourage an abundance of them. The borders 

 should be drained to prevent injury from stagnant water ; while they should 

 not be made so dry as to allow the roots to get scorched in summer. It 

 should be composed of materials favorable to the ramification of the fibres^, 

 such as a coarse turfy loam, having mixed with it a quantity of coarse 

 silicious matter, or broken bricks, soft stones or even lime rubbish. It 

 should be enriched with materials lasting in their tendency, and not having 

 the property of turning ultimately into a "slimy, gelatinous mass/' l£ 

 should not be cropped, or get an annual digging, but every year get afresfe 

 but moderate dressing of manure, and every precaution taken to encourage 

 the fibres to keep as near the surface as possible. A good supply of roots; 

 affords a firm foundation upon which to build ones future hopes ; but this m- 

 but the beginning of the end. Hoots are injured by other causes separable 

 from the border. Severe summer pruning; an insufficiency of light and air 

 to the wants of the foliage, and, probably, some other causes ; have more- 

 influence on preventing an abundant production of roots than many would 

 be disposed to admit. But I can do no more in this paper, than thus briefly 

 allude to them. The reader follow them up for himself, once fairly on the 

 track. 



The result of this care for the healthy luxuriousness of the vine, will be 

 fine, well ripened wood in the fall — such wood as can be made at any time 

 to produce full crops of plump cheeked, chubby faced looking berries,, with the 

 rich, full colored hue which they should ever bear ; without caring a fig for 

 the "atmosphere" outside, unless it brings with it the notorious Oidium 

 Tuckeri, as they have odiously dubbed the French vine mildew. * 



