320 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE, ETC. 
moisture, which is destruction to the roots of the vine. The 
celebrated Brassin, conductor of the royal vinery of France, 
used to practise enriching his vine borders with exciting ma- 
nures : he now finds that cleansing of ditches, grass-turf, and 
road sweepings, mixed well together and allowed to ferment 
for a year, is far preferable. He now uses it entirely as an 
annual dressing; but, in our opinion, this cannot be con- 
tinued for any length of time unless the border is also yearly 
reduced; consequently, manures that are of slow decomposi- 
tion are preferable, and nothing that we are acquainted with 
excels bones of every description ; but these are not always 
at hand in quantity. When to be obtained, they should al- 
ways be put to a good purpose ; an annual winter top-dressing 
of manure of a few inches, and the roughest removed in the 
spring, digging in the remainder not over four inches deep, 
which will encourage the roots to the surface, where they 
will be greatly benefited by solar heat and air. Liquid 
manures are highly valuable where immediate effect is re- 
quired : they contain all the soluble parts of manure in such 
a state as to admit of being taken up by the plant as soon 
as applied. These are urine, which may be used pure any 
time from the first of November to February, when the ground 
is not frozen ; but if used at any other period, must be di- 
luted with its equal quantity of water. Drainings of ma- 
nure heajis and soap-suds can be used at all times, but not 
too frequently. Soot dissolved in water, in the proportion 
of one to twelve, is an exceedingly strong manure, and very 
stimulating. Guano dissolved in water at the rate of 20 lbs. 
to 100 gallons is a first rate manure. Where great growth is 
required, they may be safely watered once a week, during 
the growing season, with the enriched liquid ; but all these 
exciting manures must be cautiously applied, as excess is 
very injurious to the fertility of the vine; and although 
one of the grossest feeders in nature, even possessing the 
appetite of a glutton, it can be satiated and destroyed. 
DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OP GRAPES MOST SUITABLE FOR 
OPEN AIR CULTURE. 
Golden Chasselas, Chasselas de Fontainbleau , D'Arbot/ce, 
or Royal Muscadine. Bunches medium size, with very small 
