THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 
303 
August 14.J 
particles of the soil above, which, by gravitation, and in 
a state of solubility, would gradually insinuate them¬ 
selves into the drainage, to its ultimate derangement. 
Nothing is better for this purpose than stout turf of any 
kind, cut in squares of about eight inches, or in longi¬ 
tudinal narrow strips, not more than six inches in width. 
Some very small cinders may be strewed over this sur¬ 
face, in order to preserve every interstice from the obtru¬ 
sion of soil; and now the whole is perfectly ready for 
the reception of the compost. 
If any one should suppose that the course here recom¬ 
mended is too troublesome, or involves too much labour, 
we beg to assure him that it is no more than is applied 
to the ordinary process of potting, only, unfortunately, 
our border possesses a larger area than the bottom of a 
garden-pot. According to the old proverb, “ the goose 
sauce does for the gander,” and what is suitable for a 
plant in a pot, which requires special drainage, is equally 
suitable to a vine border; and, to follow out the proverb, 
good culture on a pole, is good culture for the acre. Let 
it not be understood that we point to this mode of pro¬ 
ceeding as the ne plus ultra of vine-border making ; it is 
simply, we contend, a safe and good plan, and perfectly 
consonant with principles well attested, and almost uni¬ 
versally recognised. 
Compost. —Here two distinct phases present them¬ 
selves : the one, which is the best principle; the other, as 
an expedient. We have before observed in these pages, 
and we must repeat it, that a rich, mellow, turfy loam, 
if not too adhesive, is complete in itself for first-rate 
vine culture. This, however, is not within reach of 
everybody. Such loam procured in a dry state, with the 
turfy herbage adhering to it, might be brought at once 
to the border and filled in as chopped. It need by no 
means be chopped very fine ; the more of moderate- 
j sized lumps the better. If the turves were quartered 
until they averaged the size of large potatoes, the whole 
; would be very excellent; enough of fine material would, 
of necessity, be produced in the act of chopping. Still, 
we think it would be well to blend some imperishable 
materials with it in the act of filling iu, and we must 
beg to recommend a mixture for that purpose, viz., equal 
parts pounded charcoal, half-inch boiled bone, aud old 
plaster; indeed, of the latter, and what is generally 
termed lime-rubbish, there can scarcely be too much, 
especially if there is the least suspicion of the loam 
proving too rententive of moisture. In filling the exca¬ 
vation with such materials, we would first tumble in a 
layer of the turves “ higgledy-piggledy;” then a good 
sprinkling of the lime-rubbish mixture; next the chop¬ 
ped turfy material; then another sprinkling of the 
lime-rubbish, &c.; and so on to the surface of the 
border. 
We have a practice here, as applied to fruit-trees in 
genera], of strewing strawy or littery materials in or 
between every layer of the former. It will, doubtless, 
be best that such be as fresh as possible, as durability is 
the thing to be aimed at. Our practice is to use the fresh 
dung from the stable-door, or otherwise fresh leaves from 
the park ; this is frequently strewed in very thin layers as j 
the work proceeds. We find such a proceeding to add 
porosity to the volume of soil, and to provide, in its 
gradual decay, a slight amount of humus, which, in con¬ 
junction with the decaying turf, will much facilitate the 
multiplication of the fibres. There are those who recom¬ 
mend horse-flesh, carrion, &c., from which the mind in¬ 
stinctively revolts. Powerful manorial matters they 
doubtless are; but since splendid grapes of first-rate 
j quality aud size have been for a long series of years 
produced from native or virgin soils, why resort to such 
extravagant proceedings, involving most unpleasant 
reminiscences ? Let us leave all such extreme cases to 
the mere experimentalist, whose province it really is, and 
I who will, with time and patience, be able to point to a 
mode of application more compatible with the ends of 
true science, and by far less offensive to the feelings. 
Moreover, it is well known that means of rapidly- 
decomposing matter, however flattering the results ot 
its application at first, speedily become dissatisfactory : 
what is gained in quality is more than counterbalanced 
by the sacrifice of organic texture. And if this hold j 
true with regard to vegetable matters, how much more 
so with regard to animal substances? No; there is 
nothing like keeping a fixed eye on the mechanical \ 
texture of soils. This it is which must ensure an uni¬ 
form amount of success, which alone can give per¬ 
manent satisfaction. Materials thus provided, thus 
compounded, will be found to preserve their texture for ( 
several years ; and, indeed, can never become “ soured,” ; 
as gardeners term it. 
Excellent borders may, nevertheless, be made without j 
a particle of loam. Since Mr. Hoare showed so plainly 
that the vine might even be grown with scarcely a par- 
tide of soil, the “ one idea ” of our gardeners of the olden 
time, of the absolute necessity of very expensive pro¬ 
ceedings in border making, has become dissipated; 
and a little turfy loam stands first on the list when 
procurable; yet it is both possible, and sometimes 
absolutely necessary, to proceed without it. 
One fifing must be observed as a preliminary piece of 
advice concerning expedients of this kind. Ordinary 
soils do not, in general, possess sufficient fibrous or 
organic matter to render them sufficiently nutritious, or 
to incite to the production of fibrous roots. In propor¬ 
tion, then, as they are deficient in this respect, some 
substitute must be added. Almost any vegetable matter 
is an assistant in this case; but in the main it should 
be selected on the ground of durability, and should, con¬ 
sequently, possess some strength of fibre. Where com¬ 
mons or waste-lands are at hand, capital materials may 
be obtained for this purpose. The skimmingsor parings 
of the road side, of walks or drives, are all capable ot 
adding this necessary condition in the soil, and may be 
used with an unsparing hand. Even litter or strawy 
materials may be strewed frequently as the filling pro¬ 
ceeds. One-lialf of any ordinary soil, if not too adhesive, 
and the other half collected from the sources alluded to, 
together with plenty of lime-rubbish, old plaster, and 
charred materials, will, if thoroughly blended in the act 
of filling, make a very good border indeed, and certainly 
an inexpensive one. 
Such borders may be regarded as somewhat weaker 
than loamy borders, and will require occasionally a little 
more assistance in the way of top-dressing, liquid-ma¬ 
nures, &c. We cannot, by any means, be reconciled to 
such costly affairs as the celebrated Bishop’s Stortlord 
borders, which swallowed so many tons of manure; 
neither can we subscribe to such supererogatory and 
, disgusting proceedings as the burying some scores of 
dead cats and dogs as contributories, being persuaded 
that just in proportion as any performer introduces such 
materials, in like proportion is he warring against ulti¬ 
mate durability in point of texture of the border. 
Such proceedings, however, as mere experiments and 
illustrations of the feeding powers of the vine, have, 
doubtless, been iu some degree beneficial. 
E. Erbington. 
THE ELOWER-GARDEN. 
After all that has been suggested and done to curtail 
the over-luxuriance of plants in the flower-garden during 
the autumn months, the usual complaint of too many , 
leaves, and too few flowers is as rite as ever, and this * 
season we are more likely than not to have cause tor 
louder complaints. After a smart drought in .June, 
July set in more like a damp hot-bed than anything 
else in the ideas of a gardener, and 1 never recollect to 
