] 364 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.^February 24, 1857. 
Formerly the Vines were planted four feet from the wall, 
and layered till they reached it. This mode is not now 
strictly adopted. The plants are sixteen inches apart. The 
plant A having reached the first horizontal bar of the trellis, 
which is six inches above the surface of the ground, it is 
there cut at the winter pruning; and shoots are trained 
from it to form the cordon, right and left. The distance 
between the cordons is eighteen inches; and when the 
Vine B has extended so far above the cordon formed by A, 
it is likewise cut, for the second cordon. In this manner 
the Vines C , I), E, are treated at the winter pruning, after 
they have attained the respective heights. At F is repre¬ 
sented the mode of introducing a Vine, to form a cordon, 
from the other side of the wall. 
It will be seen that each Vine has two arms, extended in 
opposite directions; and that their utmost extent horizontally 
is only eight feet; whilst the bearing shoots are not allowed 
to pass the next cordon : consequently, each Vine is limited 
to eight feet by one foot and a half of trellis, or twelve square 
feet. We had the opportunity of seeing the Vines at 
Thormery winter-pruned, as in the lower cordon of the 
above figure; and not pruned as in the four other cordons. 
At the winter pruning the upright shoots which have borne 
the fruit are cut close to the small eyes situated at their 
bases ; and from these eyes only two shoots are allowed to 
grow up to hear fruit, to he stopped in summer below the 
next cordon, cut back, like their predecessors, at the next 
winter pruning ; and so on for perhaps half a century. We 
saw some old knotted subjects occupying no more space than 
that above mentioned, that had been planted by the grand¬ 
father of the present proprietor fifty years ago. Their 
space indeed seemed ample enough for their apparent 
vigour. They would certainly form the greatest contrast 
imaginable with the Vines described by travellers in the 
East, having stems one foot and a half in diameter, with 
branches, supported to form a canopy fifty feet in length 
and breadth, covering 2500 square feet. Yet, on such a 
portion of wall as is represented by the figure, being only 
eight feet in length and as much in height, it is calculated 
that not fewer than 320 bunches would be produced. 
The soil is not rich, nor does it get much manure ; only a 
little when the shoots become very weak, once in three or 
four years. It is a poor light brown sandy soil, such as 
would not be supposed capable of supporting anything like 
a crop of Grapes. We obtained some of it, which has been 
analysed by Professor Solly, and gave the following result:— 
Analysis of Thomery Soil. 
Silica . 81-0 
Alumina... 7-0 
Oxide of iron. 3'0 
Lime. 1-5 
Magnesia. 0 - 5 
Saline matters . 0-5 
Organic matters . 3 - 5 
Water. 3-0 
100-0 
It may prove interesting to contrast the above with an 
analysis of the soil in the Society’s Garden at Chiswick, by 
the same eminent chemist, and which was published in the 
“ Transactions of the Horticultural Society,” Second Series, 
vol. iii. p. 36 :— 
Analysis of Soil in the Garden of the Horticultural Society. 
Silica . 78-730 
Alumina. 5-182 
Oxide of iron. 8-250 
Lime. 0-640 
Magnesia. 0-107 
Potash and soda. 0'047 
Chlorine. 0-004 
Sulphuric acid . 0"007 
Phosphoric acid. 0-018 
Organic matters. 7-000 
boss. 0-015 
100-000 
It appears from these analyses that the Thomery soil 
contains a greater proportion of silica, alumina, lime, and 
magnesia than the soil in the Society’s Garden; but nearly 
one-third less oxide of iron, and only one-half the quantity 
of organic matters. The latter circumstance proves that 
the soil is not highly manured. The manure preferred 
consists of equal portions of horse-dung and cowdung mixed, 
j The dry soil is easily moistened throughout. 
Vines are also trained, en cordon, against low espaliers in 
the ground forming the central plot of the respective en¬ 
closures. In some seasons the fruit from these is said to 
be excellent in quality; but wind and rain often render it 
unsaleable, except as inferior produce. Some of the espa¬ 
lier Vines were sixty years old, and were even partially over- j 
run with moss. Against a wall sixteen feet high Vines 
were trained en pahnette, as at Fontainebleau. 
Outside the walled enclosures, in the open ground ap- i 
proaching the forest, Vines were observed cultivated accord¬ 
ing to the vineyard system. The shoots are trained to 
stakes in summer; and at the winter pruning all the shoots 
are cut down to two eyes. The plant then resembles a 
stumped willow stool. The stakes here employed measured 
four feet three inches in length. 
The variety of Grape cultivated almost exclusively at 
Thomery on walls, espaliers, and in the open ground, is the 
Chasselas de Fontainebleau, which is the same as the Royal 
Muscadine. The cultivators are particular in propagating 
only from such Vines as are the most healthy, and which 
produce the finest fruit. They do not say that such are 
varieties absolutely distinct from the Chasselas de Fontaine¬ 
bleau ; but they do maintain that there is decidedly a con¬ 
stitutional difference amongst the plants. M. Larpenteur 
had the kindness to cut some shoots for the Society from 
Vines recently planted against a wall, and which had been 
propagated from Vines producing the finest fruit growing at 
Thomery. 
We tasted some of last year’s crop of Grapes, still fresh. 
They keep them on broad stages, occupying the middle of 
an upper story, leaving a passage all round between the stage 
and the walls. A board along the edges gives the stages the 
form of a shallow box, in the bottom of which is placed a 
layer of well-dried fern, upon which the bunches are laid. 
M. Larpenteur was of opinion that very dry straw would 
answer as well as the fern. 
Having seen the mode of training the Vine at Thomery, 
and received, through the kindness of M. Larpenteur, full 
information respecting its cultivation, we retraced our steps 
through the forest, and reached Fontainebleau at dusk.— 
(Horticultural Society’s Journal.) 
VEGETABLE CULTURE AND COOKERY. 
THE CARROT. 
The best soil for Carrots is that which is deep and light, i 
It should be dug at least two spades deep, and either j 
manured early in the autumn with good rotten dung, or ' 
have been liberally dressed the previous season for some 
former crop; for if the manure is applied at the time of 
sowing it is very apt to make the roots forked and deformed. 
For very early crops the Early Horn and Dutch Short 
Horn are employed. They are sown on slight hotbeds, 
which are made up in the end of January ; but, as they are 
not required to be very strong, they need not be above two 
feet and a half high. When the rank steam has passed oif 
the bed is to be covered with about nine inches of light, 
rich, mellow soil, on which the seed is to be sown, and 
covered about a quarter of an inch deep. The beds are to 
be hooped over and covered with mats, or the lights of an 
old garden frame. The plants must have abundance of air 
and as much light as possible, but securely protected from 
frost and chilling draughts. As they grow they are to be 
thinned out to an inch or two apart, leaving sufficient room 
to enable those remaining to swell a nice size. 
For an early crop Carrots may also be sown in the open 
air in a warm situation about the middle of February. The 
ground is to be well dug and pulverised, and after the seed 
is sown covered with haulm or straw to protect it from the 
frost; but in fine weather exposed during day, and covered 
again at night so long as the severe weather lasts, and the 
crop will be ready for use in May. 
For a succession crop James’s or Long Horn should be sown 
in the first week of March on a bed in an open situation, 
the soil of which has been deeply dug and well manured 
the previous season. The seed is to be sown broadcast, and 
as the plants come up they are to be thinned when two or 
