100 On the Management of Grapes in Vineries. 



front ; it is planted with Peach trees trained to a low trel- 

 lis ; the produce of these, however, is quite a secondary 

 consideration, and perhaps it would be better if they were 

 removed altogether, and the border only applied to the 

 growth of small crops. The V 7 ines grow in a border outside 

 of the house, and are introduced close under the wall-plate. 



The front wall, in the house I have described, and it should 

 be so in all cases, is four feet from the level of the surface of 

 the outside ground, to where it joins the wall-plate. At 

 Woodhall the garden is on a declivity to the south, and con- 

 sequently there are fewer steps to ascend to the doors of the 

 houses, than if they were built on a level situation. 



The original formation of the border on which the Vines 

 are planted is of the first importance ; they cannot succeed 

 if the border is imperfectly prepared. The space allotted 

 for this purpose must occupy twenty feet in front of the 

 house, at which distance, and not nearer, if it be desired, a 

 gravel walk may be carried. The border is formed in the 

 following manner ; One foot in depth of the mould from the 

 surface is cleared out from the whole space ; a main drain 

 is then sunk parallel to the house at the extremity of the 

 border, one foot lower than the bottom of the border ; into 

 this, smaller drains are carried diagonally from the house 

 across the border. The drains are filled with stone. The 

 cross drains keep the whole bottom quite dry; but if the sub- 

 soil be gravel, chalk, or stone, they will not be necessary. 

 The drainage being complete, the whole bottom is covered 

 with brick, stone, or lime rubbish, about six inches thick, 

 and on this is laid the compost for the Vines. 



The compost is formed of one half good loamy soil with its 



