Tecember 13, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
545 
modern times set in. Writing from memory I forget how many degrees 
below freezing, but as the question raised at the time quite a controversy 
among meteorologists I will let sleeping dogs lie. Absit omen, for the 
effects of that frost and previous open weather I never wish to see again, 
for vegetation with wood so unripened and full of sap stood no chance. 
Even the common Laurels were cut down to the ground line, Roses 
everywhere were destroyed. I had just before removing sold several 
hundreds of standard Roses—Manettis were indeed rare in those early 
days—to King’s Acre Nurseries, and never realised a penny owing to 
Jack Frost claiming them all. I also remember George Paul fils, as he 
was then, surprising me the spring following by a remark he made (it 
would not in the least now), when I alluded to my loss, though I need not 
say he spoke in general terms, “ A very good thing ; it will weed out the 
rubbish which we can’t.” I will not prophesy because, as Brother Jonathan 
says, I do not know ; but every prognostication leads, I believe, to the 
anticipation of unusually severe weather with, if not before, the new 
year, and if so, which God forfend, then there will be a “ weeding out ” 
with a vengeance.— Herefordshire Incumbent. 
DOLLONDS IMPROVED THERMOMETER. 
The eminent firm of opticians of the above name have sent us a very 
useful boxwood thermometer for gardens. It is customary when read¬ 
ing thermometers below freezing for gardeners to count so many 
degrees of frost. This is arrived at by a little mental calculation. 
This thermometer assists the process, indeed almost obviates it, for a 
scale below the tube indicates the number of “ degrees of frost ” in addi¬ 
tion to the ordinary figures that indicate the temperature in the usual 
way. The small figure shows the two scales, and the instruments 
(which are advertised) will probably become favourites with gardeners, 
as they are good and inexpensive. 
FIRM AND NARROW VINE BORDERS. 
When I wrote on the subject of narrow Vine borders several weeks 
ago I did not anticipate such a free response to my observations. It 
may be remembered that my remarks were not the outcome of vague 
theoretical notions, but were founded on accomplished facts, and as the 
authors or founders of these facts were given, and as not one of them 
has questioned the accuracy of the narration, I feel myself on tolerably 
safe ground ; and certainly my confidence in firm and narrow Vine 
borders has not been shaken by the very fair criticism that they have 
elicited. 
I have no time for turning back to the several issues of the Journal 
which contain replies to my letter, so cannot refer in detail to the points 
raised. Nor is this necessary, for so far as can be remembered only two 
of them call for comment. One is the expression of a doubt as to the 
lasting qualities of narrow borders, and the other the possibility of the 
soil being made too firm for free penetration by the roots of Vines. 
In respect to the quick exhaustion of narrow Vine borders that 
seems to be feared—1 forget by whom, but that is immaterial, as it is 
not persons but principles with which we have to deal—I think I 
recorded an instance of a Vine planted in a narrow strip at the end 
of a house bearing more and better Grapes than any Vine of the same 
variety grown in the same house, but planted in a large and costly border 
in front of it, and I also either stated, or intended stating, that the 
productive Vine in the narrow border that cost nothing outlived two 
sets of Vines and two new and wide borders, for the making of which 
scores of tons of soil were carted from a distance of a mile at least, and 
the cost of which must have been very considerable. I have recently 
been to the garden referred to, and pointed out to the gardener now in 
charge the aperture in the woodwork through which the Vine was in¬ 
troduced that gave such a good return, and which was planted in the 
natural soil in a strip not 2 feet wide between the house and the path. 
As may be expected he was a little interested when he found he was on 
the “ spot ” that he had seen referred to in the Journal, but not pre¬ 
cisely indicated. And why not ? may be asked. Well, because of an 
indisposition to reflect on a previous gardener who had incurred the cost 
involved in making two new deep and wide borders, and yet failed in 
producing anything approaching such Grapes as were borne by the Vine 
for I cannot say how many years, but twenty at the least, in the narrow 
one. 
Do not let it be supposed that it is suggested the roots of the pro¬ 
ductive Vine in the narrow unprepared strip of ground were confined to 
it. Roots were there as thick as a mat, attracted and increased probably 
by a heavy layer of manure spread on every autumn, hidden by a 
sprinkling of soil, and fed by many a gallon of liquid manure, but 
others we may be certain wandered away. Equally certain, however, 
it is that they had firm soil to contend with, because they had to go 
into or under a gravel walk which has existed for probably a hundred 
years, or nowhere, for inside the house a flight of steps leads to a sunken 
path much below the level of the ground outside, and, moreover, at 
that time there was a flue between the path and end of the house that 
I have many times seen red hot, and it is not very likely that the roots 
would pass through that, as the ‘-bottom heat’’would be rather too much 
for them. Wherever they went, therefore, they must have had to pene¬ 
trate soil that had not been disturbed for generations. But it was not of 
a nature to run together like cement, and this brings me to some remarks 
of, I think, Mr. Arthur Young. 
I have great respect for Mr. Young, with whose work I am quite 
familiar, and it justifies me in ranking him amongst the best of British 
gardeners. But even the best are caught napping at times. Though 
two fifteen or sixteen-stone men might jump on the Vine border at 
Cardiff Castle with impunity, it does not follow they might have a 
similarly safe dance on the Abberleysoil in which Vines maybe planted. 
Nor is it very likely either of the two heavy weights would do so, any 
more than they would jump about on the ground in preparation for an 
Onion bed like a pair of lumbering kangaroos. It is not improbable that 
the Abberley soil runs together very much like cement under a hot sun 
after a drenching rain. If this is so, the stamping process would be a 
work of supererogation, and if two sixteen-stoners were to be seen 
waltzing on such soil for firming it, it would savour of an example of 
zeal overrunning discretion. So many Vine borders are dug yearly and 
left so light that when stepped on deep impressions are made, and it i3 
the opposite of this that is recommended for the subdivision of roots, 
and the consequent increase of absorbing points for extracting nutri¬ 
ment for the sustenance of Vines. That is what is meant by firm Vine 
borders. 
As to the question of restricted root space and its results under 
skilful management, an example may be cited of Vines in pots. I am a 
believer in facts, and when I see, as I have seen, bunches of Muscat 
Grapes cut from a Vine in a pot, weighed, taken to a show, and place 
the fine examples cut from the gigantic Vines in the great vinery at 
Longleat. in a second position, I am bound to recognise the efficacy of 
narrow borders. But in such borders the Vines must be fed, and they 
can be fed without souring the soil, which is no small advantage in the 
production of first-class Grapes. 
How long Vines may be kept healthy and profitable in a border, say 
6 or 8 feet in width, or even less, I am not able to say ; but no doubt 
when the roof does not exceed in length of rafter half the width of 
the border they can be made to bear satisfactorily for a generation at 
least; and if the roots are pruned as the wuod is pruned and new fibres 
formed in good soil, as new wood is produced after the manner described 
by “ Bon Accord,” I entirely fail to see that they will not continue 
bearing as long and as well as if they had four times the extent of space 
to ramble in. Those persons who think that all the roots of Vines that 
are produced in the summer live through the winter not improbably 
labour under a misapprehension. It is much more likely that with the 
fall of the leaves there is a correlative collapse of roots, and that the 
production of new leaves is accompanied by the emission of absolutely 
new roots and not the mere extension of old ones. That is a contingency- 
in the economy of Vine growth that has not perhaps received all the 
attention it deserves, and hence the habit that has been formed of 
making needlessly large borders for Vines.— Spectator. 
NOTES ON HARDY PERENNIALS. 
GENTIAN A ACAULI3. 
It may not be generally known that the autumn season is by 
far the most fitting for the successful planting of this fine old 
perennial, though it may be planted at other times, for it is very 
accommodating in this respect; but I incline to the belief that 
autumn planting is the best, for then the soil is uniformly moist, 
and the atmosphere heavily laden with moisture also, and this 
combined with the usual rainfall at this season of the year, having 
a tendency to make the ground solid about the plants, are all points 
bearing upon its well-being. I prefer solid planting for all Gentians 
which produce stoloniferous or underground stems such as this 
one, and, so far as my experience goes, the plants prefer it too, and 
this makes them very useful for edgings of a permanent character. 
We have no other of its class so easily grown and so handsome 
with its glistening blue flowers, of whose beauty I am still re¬ 
minded by some flowers, even in November, which have struggled 
open in spite of the absence of sun. It is essentially a plant for 
those who love plants for their intrinsic worth rather than for their 
rarity and costliness ; for bright and beautiful as many of our rarer 
Alpines are, the successful culture is limited indeed, and much still 
remains to be learnt respecting them. 
MONTBRETIAS. 
The several species and varieties of these, with which may 
coupled Crocosma aurea, should all be planted at once if not 
already done. The tone of the flowers, and the season during 
which they are produced, render them very acceptable autumn 
flowering plants ; particularly effective are they when well estab¬ 
lished and at home. The great secret respecting them is the 
original planting. This must be well done. No plants more fully 
deltght in a rich, moist, sandy, and w-ell-drained light loamy soil 
than the members of these two groups, to which add fairly deep 
planting where they may be free from frost. All these points 
