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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



obtainable from anyone else. Scientists had very little oppor- 

 tunity of tracing the origin of the diseases of the Vine, and to 

 do so it would be necessary for them to grow the plants and 

 keep a constant look-out. If this were done they would be in 

 a position to treat the enemy in a proper manner. One remedy 

 Dr. Masters recommended to kill Vine-disease, namely, sulphate 

 of copper. He said sulphur by itself was of little use, but 

 sulphate of copper in solution would at once check the ravages 

 of the disease. It was tried in many parts of France, and has also 

 been tried in the gardens at Chiswick successfully. 



SOILS AND MANUEES FOE GEAPES. 



By Mr. W. Thomson. 



The subject assigned to me for the paper I am now about to read 

 before you is, as you are aware, " Soils and Manures " suitable 

 for the cultivation of the Grape-vine, and I know I shall consult 

 your convenience if I make my paper as brief as the nature of 

 my subject will admit. 



For the substance of what I mean to bring before your notice 

 I will draw entirely on my own experience — I am sorry to say 

 not a short one now. In the first place I will treat of soils, and 

 in the second of manures. The soil in which the Vine grows 

 with the greatest vigour, produces the best crops, and maintains 

 its fruitf illness the longest — other treatment being judicious — 

 is old turf, cut from a calcareous soil not more than four inches 

 deep. Where there is any suspicion that wireworm is present, 

 I have found it an advantage to cut the turf and throw it grass- 

 side down, and leave it so till it gets a sharp touch of frost ; this 

 drives the wireworm to take shelter in the deeper soil, and the 

 frost has a beneficial influence on the soil itself. Where it can 

 be got, I would give the preference to soil from off the old red sand- 

 stone, next from limestone ; at the same time there is an excellent 

 soil for Grape cultivation to be had both in Middlesex and Hert- 

 fordshire, from a subsoil of clay, or clay and gravel mixed. Such 

 soil should consist of about 65 per cent, of sand, 30 per cent, 

 of clay, and 5 per cent, of chalk. The ingredients that should 



