VINES 



have found walls that had been covered with 

 vines for years in a better state of preservation 

 than walls on which no vines had ever been 

 trained. The explanation is a simple one: The 

 leaves of the vines act in the capacity of shingles, 

 and shed rain, thus keeping it from getting to the 

 walls of the building. 



But I would not advise training vines over the 

 roof, unless it is constructed of slate or some 

 material not injured by dampness, because the 

 moisture will get below the foliage, where the sun 

 cannot get at it, and long-continued dampness 

 will soon bring on decay. 



On account of the difficulty of getting at them, 

 vines are never pruned to any great extent, but 

 it would be for the betterment of them if they 

 were gone over every year, and all the oldest 

 branches cut away, or thinned out enough to 

 admit of a free circulation of air. If this were 

 done, the vine would be constantly renewing 

 itself, and most kinds would be good for a life- 

 time. It really is not such a difficult undertak- 

 ing as most people imagine, for by the use of an 

 ordinary ladder one can get at most parts of a 

 building, and reach such portions of the vines 

 as need attention most. 



