800 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 6, 1892. 
six leaves in order to plump up the remaining buds. The few 
leaves retained will not be seriously affected by the necessary dis¬ 
turbance of the roots, and will, moreover, when the work is com¬ 
pleted, help to incite root action before falling. I have on many 
occasions had to deal with Vines after they have been completely 
or partially lifted, and from their subsequent behaviour have learnt 
many useful lessons. The result of my experience leads me to 
advise all who contemplate the overhauling of Vine borders, espe¬ 
cially those in which early Vines are growing, not to attempt too 
much the first year, or the intended remedy may prove worse 
than the evil. If the roots are partly in an inside and partly 
in an outside border, the ordeal of lifting is sometimes not so 
trying for the Vines, because they are chiefly supported by the 
roots in the undisturbed border till young ones are formed 
in the fresh soil. Unfortunately, however, it is seldom that 
both borders are well furnished with roots, which generally 
confine themselves almost entirely to one or the other. Be con¬ 
tent, therefore, with lifting those in the outside borders the first 
season. 
The first thing to be done is to shade the roof of the vinery 
with mats or canvas ; next dig a hole near one corner of the border 
right down to the drainage to ascertain the condition of it. In 
nine cases out of ten, if the border was well made, this will be in 
good working order, although the soil above may be close and 
sticky. This state of affairs is caused by too deep a border, by the 
use of too much animal or vegetable matter in its composition, and 
by the absence of a sufficient quantity of such porous and sweetening 
materials as lime rubble, charcoal, or bones. The roots found in a 
border which has lapsed into this condition are invariably long 
and destitute of fibre. To take out the whole body of soil down 
to the drainage, and then force the Vines the same season, would be 
to court failure ; in fact, I have seen many old Vines ruined by 
resorting to such extreme measures, and I have had charge of other 
Vines which have been greatly improved by partial lifting, although 
they were forced hard enough the same season to produce ripe 
Grapes the first week in May. 
The practice I advocate is partial lifting. Carefully remove 
the soil with a fork to the depth of 12 or 18 inches. This is best 
done by taking out a trench at the extremity of the border opposite 
the vinery. As the work proceeds all roots found should be 
preserved uninjured as much as possible, and be tied to stakes 
driven into the border. This will keep them out of the way of 
the operator as the soil is forked out fiom among them and 
wheeled away. Moreover, it enables the roots to be kept moist 
and fresh by giving an occasional syringing, and keeping them 
covered with mats. In all probability the majority of the roots 
found will be deficient in healthy fibre, the principal ones being 
deep down in the soil beneath. Having proceeded thus far, next 
mark off from 5 to G feet from the front wall of the vinery and 
drive a strong stake into the border at each end, then loosen the 
surface of the soil with a fork the whole length of the border, 
keeping the same width as the stakes indicate. When the forking 
is completed give a good dressing of soot, and place on it a layer of 
lime rubbish an inch or so in depth. A layer of prepared soil 
should be spread upon this, and if dry be trodden firmly. Spread 
about half the roots evenly over this surface, cutting notches with 
a sharp knife at intervals of 6 inches to induce them to send out 
fibrous roots at those points. Another layer of soil should next be 
placed over these roots. 
As the work proceeds a wall of turf, with the grassy side 
placed downwards, should be built up to form a continuous straight 
line between the two stakes at each end of the border. A trench 
must next be cut along the entire length of the border, at the 
boundary ; this ought to be opened down to the drainage, cutting off 
all roots which are met with. If the border has not been confined 
within brick walls, the probability is that many strong roots will 
have extended beyond the border, the severance of which will 
cause a considerable check to the Vines. In such cases it is not 
wise to disturb the roots any further at present. They should, 
however, be for the future confined to the border by building a 
wall along the trench already formed or by filling it up with 
concrete. All that remains to be done in the present case is to 
remove a little more soil from the lower level of the border— 
between the turf wall and the outer one—till roots are found, 
when a few inches of fresh soil should be added, and the whole 
surface of the border covered with 6 inches of half-decayed leaves. 
If when taking out the trench along the front of the border few, 
if any, roots are found, the soil may be removed quite up to the 
strip of border already completed, and marked off by stakes, the 
roots found as the work proceeds being, of course, carefully 
preserved. The drainage should then be cleared, and if found 
defective re-arranged. Use some freshly broken bricks and old 
mortar rubbish to finish off with, taking care to cover this with 
brushwood, bracken, or straw before fresh soil is added. The 
roots should then be spread out in layers in the fresh soil, taking 
care to keep the bulk of them within 3 inches of the surface. 
When completed the border will be in two sections, the one 
nearest the house being 12 or 18 inches higher than the other con¬ 
taining the surface roots, which previously extended the entire 
width of the border, while those roots in the outer half of the 
border which were deep down in the soil are brought within the 
quickening influence of fresh air and sunshine without being 
subjected to the trying ordeal of complete lifting, which in many 
cases would be disastrous to early forced Vines. If the Vines are 
allowed to make plenty of growth during the growing season after 
a couple of years the section of border nearest the house will 
be filled with healthy fibrous roots, for in addition to the roots sent 
out from the notched portions of the old roots another set will 
spring from the main stem of the Vines. These will perform the 
best future work, and should therefore be encouraged by filling 
up the lower section of the border with fresh soil, through which 
the young surface roots will steadily permeate, and if these are 
kept active and healthy by top-dressing and good treatment Grapes 
of high quality will be the result. 
Vines in later houses may be completely lifted with more 
prospect of success, but even in their case better results may often 
be obtained by working on the lines above indicated. Of course in 
all cases the work of lifting should not be begun till after the 
Grapes are cut, and if the foliage is still on the Vines shading and 
syringing must be resorted to to keep the leaves fresh as long as 
possible. A good compost to use for the purpose is one consisting 
of six loads of good turfy loam, one of horse droppings, one of 
burnt refuse, half a load of lime rubble, 1 cwt. of half-inch bones 
and 3 bushels of soot, the whole to be thoroughly mixed before 
using.—H. Dunkin. 
THE PROTECTION OF PLANTS. 
Various means are employed by Nature for the dissemination 
of plants over the surface of the earth and for their preservation. 
The natural forces, water, wind, animals, and even man are the 
most active agents of this dissemination, and many interesting 
species have been introduced into certain countries by their in¬ 
fluence. If some plants appear in places where they had never 
been seen before there are others on the contrary which disappear 
from a locality, a country, or entire continent. Without dis¬ 
cussing the subject of the great changes made in the flora of a 
country in the course of time I wish to call attention to certain 
plants, the approaching disappearance of which is anticipated and 
lamented by botanists, and at the same time I shall explain the 
measures taken in certain countries to protect those species which 
are most in danger. 
Some will no doubt smile when I talk about protection. 
“Nature,” it will perhaps be said, “does not require your inter¬ 
vention ; it maintains itself, and we have only to preserve the 
greatest neutrality with regard to its works.” This is true ; but 
the neutrality must be absolute, that is to say it must be respected 
by all. From the instant of its being violated by some who strip 
the earth of its most beautiful ornament it is a duty to adopt 
measures for placing a check on these depredations. Certain kinds 
of animals formerly abundant, like the bison of America, the 
whale, the elephant, and lion, are rapidly decreasing, and they will 
probably disappear entirely. Some plants are menaced with a 
similar fate. 
Psiadia rotundifolia was at one time very abundant in the 
island of St. Helena, and in spite of its inelegant form it is of 
special interest, as it belongs to the great family of Composite, most 
known representatives of which are herbaceous plants. Here we 
have a tree of 6 to 7 yards in height with heavy naked branches 
bearing small Aster-like flowers. Man and goats have played such 
havoc with it that the numerous forests which covered the island 
have vanished, and this vegetable species would now be reduced to 
this single individual were it not for the fact that some have been 
planted and cultivated at Kew. One of the most graceful species 
of Eucalyptus, E. alpina, formerly abundant on Mount Williams 
in Australia, would now be unknown had not Baron Von Mueller 
of Melbourne planted a specimen in the Botanical Gardens. It is 
gradually being propagated by seeds and in other ways. 
It will perhaps be said that this suppression of certain trees is 
an exception. True, it is rarely that man, in spite of his activity, 
is able to destroy or annihilate a species of plant. But we know 
the effects produced by the systematic clearing of woods. What 
has become of those immense forests which formerly covered 
Germany so thickly that a squirrel could travel from Strasbourg 
to Koenigsberg leaping from branch to branch ? It is but three 
years ago, says a traveller, that it rained every day at Para ; the 
vegetation was ef extraordinary luxuriance. Since the population 
