THE CULTURE OF THE VINE AT THOMERY. 413 



of the question, but was held, by the late Baron Rothschild, 

 who grew all our finest grapes. Grape culture is often 

 successful against houses with us when it receives mere 

 chance attention from cottagers and others. By selecting 

 the soil and position, and really paying some attention to 

 protecting and cultivating the Vine, we may grow capital 

 grapes against our walls, even in many places where ground 

 vineries are now resorted to. Should any person doubt 

 the possibility of cultivating the Chasselas and others of 

 our best hardy grapes in the open air, I have merely to 



Fio. 226. 



"Wall of Chasselas at Thomerj, showing the Vines trained as Horizontal 

 Cordons, and both in a pruned and unpruned condition. 



refer him to the horticultural papers for the autumn of 1868. 

 They contain abundant evidence that even with the rough 

 treatment grapes now receive in the open air, it is quite 

 possible to grow them of good quality on walls. Grapes 

 are already grown well in the open air in a few places — 

 by Mr. Darkin, at Bury St. Edmunds, for example ; and by 

 Mr. Fenn, in the Rectory Garden at Woodstock ; so that 

 there can be no doubt about the possibility of ripening good 

 grapes over a considerable portion of England and Ireland. 



It is necessary to observe that the plan is only recom- 

 mended for warm soils and positions, for gardens not having 



