40 



THE FLOllIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



this method, to save time and expense, having proved the above system to be 

 quite satisfactory in every respect. The width of my vineries is on an average 

 13 or 14 feet inside, the front-wall bearers resting on a pillar under each rafter, 

 the space between being open to allow free egress for the roots running out. 

 The original Vines were planted inside of the houses, close to the front wall, 

 the roots at liberty to run either out or in. 



The first thing I provided was a young shoot to start from the bottom of 

 every old Vine ; that is more easily attainable by cutting down a shoot at the 

 bottom of every old Vine, or by cutting the bark with a nick above a dormant 

 eye, when there is no second or extra shoot on the old rods. These young 

 shoots are to be encouraged, and trained up to the top of the house, even a 

 little down the back wall if thought desirable to meet the space where it will 

 eventually be placed the following season. The following autumn or spring, 

 then, I take out all the old soil 7 feet broad from front wall backwards, or 

 if thought desirable all may be taken out the first season. In clearing out the 

 old soil I found most of the roots had gone to the outside : therefore I took away 

 the old soil very close to the old Vines, and quite to the depth required, nearly 

 3^ feet, and I concreted the bottom, allowing a gentle incline outward, then a 

 drainage of broken stone or brickbats, allowing 2 j feet for soil, then a rubble 

 drain from the bottom to the surface of the border was made to carry off all wet. 

 The drainage will be continued outwards when the outer border is renewed. 

 These houses are heated by the common smoke-flues. I have never had the ad- 

 vantage of bottom heat for vineries here, but I consider it most advantageous for 

 both early and late forcing if rightly constructed. However, were I now erecting 

 new vineries and not allowed the advantage of bottom heat, I would by all 

 means elevate my outside borders quite above the surface of the original ground, 

 and have a vacuum under the border, the said vacuum to communicate with 

 the heated air of the inside atmosphere, the rise of the border outside just 

 answering for that arrangement. The border outside would be many degrees 

 higher in the temperature of the soil than if it were resting on the original 

 cold bottom, where it would be influenced by the rise of damp and cold below. 

 I top-dress all the inside of my Vine-border with 2 or 3 inches deep of round 

 clean gravel, not less than a large Bean or small marble, the surface is 

 always clean, and the moisture is retained, the stones checking the evaporation, 

 light being excluded. 



I am a great advocate for a porous soil for making the borders, and therefore 

 I would use the following mixture : — To six loads of good strong loam, mix four 

 loads of old mortar rubbish, three loads of charred earth and charcoal, one load 

 and a half half-inch crushed bones, two loads fresh horse-droppings if thought 

 proper. This mixture prepared in due time, the half or whole of the border 

 may be renewed at once, as thought convenient. In spring or before be- 

 gining to force take down the young Vine-rods, bend them over in a circular 

 form, bringing the tops forward to the bottom of the old Vine-stool. The portion 

 of young rod brought down must be laid down in the soil of the new border 

 as far back as it comes in contact with the ground. Before laying down the rod 

 make several splits through its centre, which will cause them to throw off 

 roots. The portion of stem above ground to remain till the second season's 

 growth is over, when they will be well established and the old rods can be striped 

 half-way up the house. The new rod to be tied to the bare portion of the old 

 Vine, or if preferred the old rods done away with entirely. If the former plan is 

 adopted, the young Vines could be cut shorter down the first season of their 

 bearing. The outside border can be renewed at two intervals or all at once, 

 after the old Vines are turned out. 



Dalmemj Park, N.B. William Melville. 



