1875. 
THE LAMBTON CASTLE VINES. 
101 
old canes, and the others from eyes struck the same spring, the latter having a 
decided advantage at the end of the first year’s growth, which they still maintain. 
Wireworm was found most destructive the first year ; to check this, the surface 
of the border was smoothed with the back of a spade, coated over with rape-dust, 
on which were laid thin boards, which were covered up with 2 in. of old mush¬ 
room manure ; this was turned over every alternate morning, when the wireworms 
were picked off the boards by hundreds. 
“ With this treatment the Vines carried their foliage well into December, when 
they were cut back to 6 ft. from the bottom. I very soon after felt disposed 
to see what wireworms were left in the border, and also with a view of further 
assisting the Vines, I had an opening taken out at the back of the border and 
worked forward on them carefully with steel forks ; every portion of the border 
was turned back and hand-picked until within 3 ft. of the Vines, by which time 
we had a fine lot of roots laid bare. The soil was worked forward again, with the 
addition of a few more ingredients to the old, the roots being carefully laid in 
again. This has been done this, and every year, with one exception, since plant¬ 
ing, and I doubt not with advantage to the Vines. At one place where I was, 
under a noted Vine-grower, I assisted in making over a hundred yards in length 
of new Vine borders, at various widths, and to my surprise on removing the old 
Vines, which were considered A 1 in their day, I found that each had but a root 
or two to support them ; they had taken up their abode in some quarter never 
made for them, as they passed out of the border, without leaving a fibrous root in it. 
Imagine a gardener trying to assist the Vines by watering and top-dressing such 
borders ! 
“ I shall close by giving the outlines of treatment the Vines had in this house. 
In the latter end of February the house was kept close, previous to starting, on 
March 1, when syringing, morning and evening, was well done, according to the 
weather; fire-heat was applied at 6 a.m., and taken off at noon; and no fire-heat 
was given at night unless rendered necessary by frost. During the month the 
outside and inside borders were watered with 1,G80 gallons of tepid water, 
running on at the rate of seven gallons per minute through a fine rose. By the 
15th no syringing was allowed overhead. During April fire-heat was turned off 
sooner in the day, weather permitting, but was applied immediately after shutting 
up. On the 6th, so rapid was their progress, that the shoots were pinched two 
leaves beyond the fruit, and tied down. On the 13th, the evaporating troughs 
were allowed to become dry, and fire-lieat was used freely, front air was put on 
at 8 p.m., and increased at 10 p.m. On the 20th, the Vines were in full flower, 
the treatment remaining the same, only the troughs becoming dry. By the 27tli, 
all the flowers had set; then the evaporating troughs were refilled, and front air 
was more freely admitted. On May 1, thinning commenced; airing as in 
April. On the 13th, the inside border was watered with 3,360 gallons of 
guano-water, at a temperature of 85°. After the 18th, the temperature of the 
house was not allowed below 65°, when front air at nights was admitted much 
more freety. On June 15, the outside border was watered with guano-water, 
running at the rate of six gallons per minute, which lasted seven hours, the 
quantity given being 2,520 gallons. Again, on the 29th, this house received 
5,040 gallons, and on July 20, 1,680 gallons. * All this was put on at a uniform 
tepid temperature. The regular requirements, such as stopping, tying, thinning, 
&c., were duly attended to. Here w r e have a dry locality; in the grape-growing 
season at Lambton Castle our rainfall did not exceed ten inches.” 
Abundant but judicious feeding would appear, then, to be the speciality in Mr. 
