THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 
271 
The Grape Vine so rarely produces handsome and well 
flavoured fruit on the open wall in this country that we 
might be excused for omitting mention of it in this work. 
But good table grapes are grown on open walls in a few well 
managed gardens; and we have tasted many excellent 
samnles of sparkling wines and clarets made from English vine- 
yard grapes, and therefore the subject of grape culture must 
have some attention here. If we could put all our readers in 
the way of supplying their tables with such home-made wines 
as have been systematically produced by Mr. lioach Smith, 
the well-known antiquarian of Strood ; and Mr. Fenn, the 
well-known pomologist of Woodstock, — to name but two 
amongst many friends who have acquired fame as amateur 
wine-growers — we should consider this book worth more than 
its weight in gold. But we can only say that wine making, in 
common with many other pastimes, cannot be very directly 
promoted by book teaching, and the novice must reach per- 
fection by an apprenticeship, which will include a certain 
amount of blundering, against which no general directions 
will provide. 
Out-Door Vines. — To insure good grapes in the open air 
the vines must be cultivated — that is to say, they must be 
planted in suitable soils and situations, and must have careful 
management during the growing season. More frequently 
than otherwise the cultivator, rather than the climate, 
is at fault ; the vines are planted without reference to the 
suitability of the situation, and left pretty much to them- 
selves, and the climate is blamed for the inferiority of the 
crop. 
A south aspect is best suited to outdoor vines, although 
with careful management they will do well trained to walls 
facing south-east or south-west, and that aspect should, if 
possible, be set apart for them. They also do better trained 
to high walls than they do to low ones ; and walls not exceed- 
ing eight feet in height may be more profitably employed in 
the cultivation of the peach, pear, or cherry, than in the 
growth of the grape vine. Fences also are objectionable, 
because of the cold current of air which continually passes 
through the crevices that exist, even in the best constructed 
fences ; and which materially reduces the temperature of the 
air in contact with the foliage and fruit. Dwelling-houses 
having suitable aspects present unusually favourable condi- 
