836 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 13, 1892. 
with the grass and fibre roughly to pieces, and to 5 or 6 cubic yards of 
this add 1 yard of old lime rubbish or broken bricks, a portion of 
charcoal, wood ashes or burnt soil ; these well mixed will constitute the 
main body of the border, but are subject to considerable modification as 
to proportions according to the quality of the loam. If this be of a 
sandy nature, less of the lime ruboish must be used, as the object in 
employing it is to give porosity to the soil. If, on the other hand, it is 
ot a clayey nature a greater portion of lime rubbish will be required. 
• ti rY. P !\ Ce » may be very difficult to obtain soil at all approach¬ 
ing that which I have recommended, but let no one despair of growing 
Grapes on that account. Vines will grow well in soils of l much 
interior nature under careful management. I recommend that which I 
bave / ound be the best > and 1 always try to get it as near as possible. 
It interior soil is used in the formation of the border extra top-dressing 
will make up for the deficiencies, but 1 have ahvay 3 found the best 
results in every respect when the other ingredients mentioned are added 
in their proper proportions for the production of Grapes and the general 
constitution of the Vine. 6 
Manures. 
For the growth of the Vine nearly all soils require the addition of 
some fertilising agent. Not very many years ago it was a popular plan 
to bury the carcases of animals such as horses, cows, &c., in the borders 
under the mistaken impression that the roots revelled in such putrid 
matter A more erroneous idea never existed. At the present time 
very different notions prevail in regard to manures,and also the making 
of me borders. Some of the be3t cultivators now have their soils 
analysed with great care, and different ingredients in which they may 
be found deficient added with mathematical precision. In the forma¬ 
tion of a \ ine border which is intended to be of a permanent nature 
the manures that may be used should be of a lasting character, so that 
it will afford support to the Vine as long as possible. The generality of 
gardeners have now realised that to mix quantities of farmyard manure 
with soil for a Vine border is a mistake, for such manure does not 
contain more than 3 per cent, of the food the Vine requires, the balance 
being made up of inert matter, which clogs the pores of the soil, 
excludes the ,air, and leads to the border becoming sour. This evd is 
think entirely obviated by the use of Thomson’s manure, which I 
am Perfectly satisfied contains everything the Vine requires, and so 
blended that while a necessary section of them comes into action at 
once others remain as a reserve for later use. Thus while the plant is 
at once stimulated and nourished there is ample provision made for its 
permanent support. 
i T A om8 ° n & Sons ’ Vines at Clovenfords, Galashiels, were 
planted about twenty-two years ago in such soils as they could procure 
It was largely composed of the debris of the Silurian rocks of the district, 
for it was chiefly procured by the roadside, and the roads are made up of 
the Silurian stone known to be cold and poor. After they had been 
planted from eight to ten years they began to deteriorate rapidly, as Vines 
often do at their age in good soil. Some hundreds of tons of manure pro¬ 
cured from the cow feeders was applied, and the result was better foliage 
towards autumn, but the bunches shanked worse than ever. The use 
of the manure was then abandoned, as also bones, and now their own 
stimulant is employed exclusively. It would be a waste of time for me to 
attempt to give an adequate idea of the immense crops of Grapes cut from 
tb rJ ine “ a ° D ually. I believe that Vine borders made up of fresh turf 
and Ihomson s Vine manure in the proportion of half hundredweight of 
manure to one ton of loam will prove satisfactory, and will maintain 
the Vines in health and fruitfulness for at least a quarter of a century. 
If after the second or third year 2 lbs. weight per square yard of 
the manure are forked into the surface of the border every spring and 
1 lb. per square yard is added after the Grapes are thinned, the roots 
will be kept near the surface and be fed there. Bones, which are so 
much recommended, are of slow action unless they are finely ground I 
have seen them in borders which had been made up for thirty years 
little reduced and not a root near them. J 
Borders. 
Vines may be grown in a small space and in very little soil as is 
evident by the splendid results obtained by their cultivation in pots but 
they are soon worn out ; one crop one season and they are done.’ If 
\ Ine .s are desired chat will last for twenty-five or thirty years borders of 
considerable size must be provided, and this is best done in sections 
If young Vines are to be planted I to 6 feet will be found sufficient to 
make up the first season, adding a similar portion as the roots extend 
and so on until the space is filled up. 
Much discussion has taken place as to having the Vines planted with 
the roots inside or in borders outside the house. I prefer the former for 
very early forcing as also for late houses. The disadvantages are the 
great amount of labour required in watering, and the skill and care 
necessary in keeping up the requisite degree of moisture at the roots. 
A scarcity of water, or a little neglect in its application, will ruin the 
crop. On the other hand, outside borders require little attention in 
t0 wate ™ n &> exce pt m a summer like that which we have had. 
" he / eneral cr °P of Grapes, and for all ordinary cultivation where 
constant care cannot be given, outside borders are preferable. 
Drainage. 
borde^ S and 0 nL°tW im P ortaat matters in the formation of a Vine 
trou hieZ ! h m S ° me 81tUatlons emails a conside.able amount of 
t0 r n nder - ifc efficient ‘ Ifc is a P° ia * that should 
always be taken into consideration in selecting a position for a vinery. 
for if it cannot be drained freely it is not a proper site. Many gardens 
with a gravelly subsoil are well drained naturally, and so require little 
pre para'ion, but I would never trust to that. It is better to take all 
oidinary precautions at the first rather than run any risk, and then 
after several years of loss and disappointment to have all the work to 
do over again. A considerable amount of draining material should be 
placed over the whole of the bed of the border—say, from 1 foot to 
15 inches in depth, and certainly never less than 9 inches ; the back of 
the border ought to have a few inches more than the front, sloping into 
a drain 10 or 12 inches lower to carry off the superfluous water. 
The best material for drainage will be found in old bricks and lime 
rubbish. In the formation of a Vine border everything ought to be 
taken into consideration, not only the position, but also the level of the 
border. The amount of excavation necessary in making up the border 
will be determined by its depth, measuring from the surface level ; thus 
a border raised 2^ feet requires only to be excavated to a depth sufficient 
to hold the drainage. It is folly to dig a deep pit, which only acts as a 
reservoir for the drainage of the surrounding land, and nothing could be 
more injurious to the roots of Vines. 
Covering Borders. 
It is an old custom, and I think considered by many to be needful, 
that \ine borders should be covered, bnt I do not now think it is neces¬ 
sary in ordinary cases. The beneficial effects of frost on soil are well 
known, and it is a good practice to expose the soil of a Vine border to 
its action as much as possible. For early forcing a good covering of 
dry leaves will ward off cold rains, and, no doubt, assist in keeping up 
the temperature of the border, which is a most important feature in an 
early vinery ; but for late and general purposes the border is better 
exposed to the free action of the weather. I remember very distinctly 
a case which came under my notice, and which 1 took particular note of 
at the time. While working as a journeyman gardener in a rather 
remote corner of Scotland where we had a fair share of frost and snow, 
a span-roof house of 70 feet was pruned and thoroughly cleaned the first 
week in January ; the pipes were emptied of water, and the ventilators 
opened up until the 1st of March. On four mornings in January 20° of 
frost was registered. There was no mulching on the border either outside 
or in, yet I never saw Vines start better than these did. 
Watering. 
More Vines are ruined through the want of water than perhaps any 
other cause known. The quantity of water a Vine requires when grow- 
ing in well-drained borders is astonishing. I do not think they can 
receive an excessive supply. Before the Vines are started into growth 
every particle of the soil should be thoroughly saturated, and from the 
time they come into leaf until they begin to ripen the fruit. After that 
a somewhat drier condition should be maintained, but the soil should 
not be allowed to become dry even then. I never apply artificial 
manure while the border is in a dry state. I think it has much more 
effect when applied two days or so after rain, and then I give just 
sufficient water to carry the manure to the roots. 
Renovating Old Borders. 
Old and apparently worn out Vines are sometimes restored to vigour 
by a little fresh material being applied to the roots. It is the fear of 
loss, however little it may be, that often prevents any adequate means 
being taken to improve them ; but by careful management Vine borders 
may be renewed without any loss. If these facts were fully recognised 
we might see Jess poor Grapes. One difficulty in the way of this is to 
have the fruit the Vines may be producing ripe in time for the operation 
to be performed sufficiently early to get the roots to take to the new soil 
before the end of the season. As soon as the fruit is cut, say about the 
end of July, clear away the old soil and trace out carefully all the roots 
that may be found. These must be shaded from the sun and frequently 
watered ; then make up the border with fresh soil and replant as soon as 
possible. Success greatly depends upon the time taken in doing this, as 
the Vine roots suffer greatly if kept long out of the soil, but if care be 
taken a few days will do no harm. Notch the larger roots here and 
there with a knife, as it induces them to throw out plenty of young roots 
where cut. In making up the border make several layers of roots, place 
a few in the first layer of new soil, then sprinkle on a few inches more, 
then lay in a few more roots, and so on, having the last layer of roots not 
more than 3 inches from the surface. The Vines will flag for a time, but 
shade them heavily for a time, then slightly for a little longer, water 
them well, and there need be no fear of the result. I have just finished 
the renewal of one of the borders at Ware House. It is much later in 
the season than I like for the work. At first it was m.v intention to 
partly renew the border, but finding the drainage in a very unsatisfac¬ 
tory state I turned the whole of it out. The new border is composed of 
the same ingredients as I have recommended for the formation of 
borders, 1 cwt. of hoof and horn shavings being added in addition to 
the manure. I consider it a fine fertiliser to put into the first layers of 
soil. 
In regard to the houses for the cultivation of Grapes the greatest 
latitude may be allowed. It is not to be assumed, however, that 
certain structures are not better adapted for their cultivation than 
others. It is the little difference from this or that which leads on to 
failure or success as the case may be. A house which may be very 
suitable for early Grapes may be unsuitable for late Grapes, and vice 
u ) sa. \ ineries are of three classes :—1, The early vinery for tarly or 
forced Grapes. 2, General crop, including all unheated houses. 
