AND ON COTTAGES. 



467 



Some of the best permanent manures are bones, horns and hoofs of cattle, 

 bone-dust, the entu-e carcases of anhnals, cuttings of leather, woollen rags, 

 feathers, and hair. Bones Mr. Hoare considers by far the most valuable 

 manure that can be deposited in a vine border, and he recommends their 

 being buried in the soil whole, and as fresh as possible, and of every size 

 from the smallest bone of a fowl to the largest bone of an ox, (p. 58.) 

 Excess of manure deteriorates the flavour of grapes, and produces an exces- 

 sive and unnatural growth of long-jointed wood, with nothing but leaf-buds. 

 We may here notice a manure for the vine recommended by Mr. Hayward. 

 This gentleman has tried a great variety of compounds as food for plants, 

 and has found that one quart of cider, or cider-grounds, added to two gallons 

 of water, brings a grape vine to a more perfect prolific state than anything 

 else. This mixture must be supplied in such quantity as will saturate the 

 earth, like water, to the depth of the roots, and all over the surface occu- 

 pied by the roots. It must only be given once in the year in J une ; and if 

 repeated the second year, its good effects will be sustained for several years 

 afterwards without further supplies. The apple and pear, and the fig, are 

 alike benefited by this compound. — (Gard. Chron.^ vol. i. p. 413.) 



980. Walls, — In an unsheltered situation, exposed to W. and S.W. winds, 

 Mr. Hoare has never seen prime grapes produced much higher than eight 

 feet from the ground ; but in sheltered situations, and in S. and S.E. aspects, 

 grapes may be matured at any height from the ground. The lower part 

 of the wall, however, will always enjoy an increased degree of warmth 

 from the reflexion of the ground. Hence grapes growing within two 

 or three feet of the bottom of a wall facing the south will, in general, 

 ripen from ten days to a fortnight earlier than those growing on the 

 upper part of it. It may be observed, that the higher the wall the 

 warmer will its southern aspect be, and the colder its northern aspect. 

 There is a disadvantage, however, in training grapes near the ground, as it 

 respects their remaining on the vine after being ripe. If grapes can be kept 

 perfectly dry, they will hang on the vine and improve in flavour for a long 

 time after they are ripe ; but if dampness or moisture of any description 

 reach them, the consequences are quickly seen in the decay of the berries. 

 After the middle of October, therefore, it will be found a difficult matter 

 to preserve grapes that hang within two feet of the ground, on account of 

 the damp exhalations that continually arise from the soil at that period of 

 the year," (p. 68.) Blackening the surface of a wall, Mr. Hoare finds 

 productive of a considerable increase of heat as long as the sun shines upon 

 it ; but while that surface is in the shade, it parts with the heat so rapidly as 

 soon to become colder than if it had not been blackened. Hence he would 

 only blacken walls with an aspect due south, because the absence of the 

 sun from such walls is so much less that the wall has not time to cool, and 

 the heat produced by blackening on a clear day, when the sun is in the 

 meridian, is frequently from 10° to 20" more than that on a wall which has 

 not been blackened, (p. 7l.) Projecting copings to vine walls preserve the 

 shoots from late frosts in spring, and the blossoms from cold dews and heavy 

 rains ; they also keep the grapes in good condition for some time after they 

 have become ripe ; they prevent the escape of heat, and are convenient for 

 fastening netting, bunting, &c. to, when it is necessary to protect the fruit 

 from birds and insects. The disadvantages of copings are, that they exclude 

 light, air, dew, and rain, which are very beneficial from the time the fruit 



