April 8, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
509 
VINES AND VINE BORDERS. 
Vine growing, to those who take a genuine interest 
in it, is one of the most pleasant and fascinating 
pursuits in the whole round of horticulture; and 
probably the one in connection with which more 
serious mistakes are made than in any other. To 
those contemplating ^ the building and planting of 
new vineries I would say, enquire first as to the 
natural quality of the soil, where your houses are to 
be erected, and what the subsoil and natural drainage 
are like; for in some cases it will turn out upon dili¬ 
gent inquiry that with some enrichment the existing 
soil of the locality, both as respects quality and 
drainage, is eminently adapted for Vine culture, and 
that the formation of expensive artifical borders is 
altogether unnecessary, as is well evidenced by a 
case I have in mind at the present time of a Ham¬ 
burgh Vine, the extent of whose seven rods exceeds 
a quarter of a mile in length. This was originally 
planted outside in the angle of a walk in the kitchen 
garden, and afterwards covered with glass. It 
annually yields a crop of first-class fruit, the crop 
running up from ten to thirteen hundred bunches. 
This was struck thirty-four years’ since by the 
present grower in charge of it, and which is credited 
with beiDg the largest Vine in the world. His is 
certainly a unique experience,and if any one has a just 
cause to feel a wee bit proud of his achievements in 
this particular line, I think he is the man. 
There is one other thing worth calling attention to 
in reference to this particular Vine, that, like a few 
other large ones I know, is allowed to retain the 
covering which nature has so wisely provided for it,and 
most manifestly to its advantage. Asking my friend's 
opinion on this particular point, his answer was that 
nothing he knew was more detrimental to a Vine 
than the annual skinning to which so many are 
subjected, and that no Vine treated in that way 
would attain the dimensions mentioned. It hinders 
the rods from swelling. At the same time he has no 
mealy bug to contend with as so many have where 
the vineries have to be utilised as plant houses during 
a considerable portion of the time the Vines are in 
growth. Where the bug has a footing it is a difficult 
job to keep the Vines clear of it; but I would urge, 
as I have before in your pages.that it is quite possible 
to free a place of this pest, and that the extra expen¬ 
diture entailed in doing so is money well spent, and 
in the long run the operation is less costly than half 
measures, which entail an ever recurring expense. 
This annual scraping and cleaning ought not and 
would not be necessary in the absence of insect pests, 
which ought in fact to be kept at bay during the 
growing period. 
Now, to return to Vine borders ; how should they 
be made and of what materials ? if deemed necessary. 
After the admirable books published on the subject, 
and the great mass of writing appearing from time 
to time in the gardening press, one cannot but wonder 
at times at the samples of how not to do it, which 
are met with ; and how to account for the blunders 
made in this direction is a task which is at the least 
somewhat baffling. 
Now one of the first things to be considered is 
drainage; for, although the Vine is a water-loving 
plant, and the highest results are unattainable with¬ 
out an adequate supply during the growing period, 
anything approaching a stagnant condition of the 
soil must be avoided. Hence the necessity of drain¬ 
age. Should the subsoil be an of unkind nature the 
bottom of the border should be concreted to prevent 
the roots from penetrating into it. The height of 
the wall plate of the Vinery ought to be the guide 
as to the elevation of the border, that is, it should be 
so formed that its surface should be just below it, so 
that if the Vines are planted outside, the least pos¬ 
sible exposure of their stems to outside atmospheric 
influences is insured. 
Having fixed on this, if necessary, excavate the 
soil to the required depth, allowing six inches for 
concrete and nine for rubble, broken bricks by pre¬ 
ference. Then cover with good turf, grass side 
downwards, but have a drain running at the foot of 
the border, and continue the pipe drain to an 
efficient affluent. Should this have to be carried 
near trees whose roots may penetrate into it, make 
the joints good with Portland cement. As to depth 
of border three feet is ample, and the surface of it, 
when complete, should be somewhat above the 
surrounding soil or paths. As to materials I would 
say avoid manure at the time of first making a border, 
which should consist of turfy loam, to two yards of 
which add, say, a sixth part of broken bricks and lime 
rubbish, not too coarse, a hundredweight of crushed 
bones, and the same of shells, well broken. The 
best plan is to form only half of the botder at first, 
and, when this is filled with roots, to add the rest. 
It will often be found that Vines, when from any 
cause the borders have become unsuitable to them, 
either wander far away into the adjacent soil or 
penetrate into the subsoil and have very few if any 
roots in the borders intended for them. This will 
come about sometimes from what we believe an un¬ 
expected cause, namely, during dry seasons and 
where from the elevation of the borders much of the 
rain which falls during the summer runs off them, 
and where, as is too frequently the case, a sufficency 
of water is not supplied by artifical means, the borders 
becoming drier than the surrounding soil the Vines 
send out their roots in search of the moisture they 
require. This often ends in the result indicated, a 
border with no feeding rootlets in it. This state of 
things may be remedied tn some extent, if things 
have not gone too far, by barmg the big roots at two 
feet or so from the stem and cutting them half way 
through and then splitting them with a knife for 
about nine inches towards the stem, keeping the cut 
open, and covering it up with some good soil. The 
principal reason why Vines send their roots either 
too deeply or beyond the limits assigned to them is, 
I believe, the one mentioned, for if they cannot get 
water at home they will do their best to find it some¬ 
where. Another cause is the unsuitable condition 
borders get into from not being properly made in the 
first instance. Sometimes they become waterlogged 
through the decay of the excessive proportion of raw 
animal manure incorporated with them, and thus 
rotting of the young rootlets ensues.— IV. B. G. 
THE IVY CONTROVERSY. 
An apology is due from me to the Editor, for in my 
last I promised by postscript not to take any further 
notice. 
Now, when this subject set out it arose from a wall; 
my back was placed against a wall, and I have stuck 
to the old wall. A good definition is half the battle. 
Mr. J. Mayne fully comprehended this, (p. 461), and 
rightly would not be caught in traps. There were 
other things to be discovered outside—himself, his 
own cut trees, and Bicton. Yes, the world is as wide 
as the realm. Why some of my opponents will keep 
flinging trails about I know not. The only reference 
made to trees, in the first instance, was by compar¬ 
ing a smooth Oak, with the dry bones of a window 
sill, that had neither life, moisture, joints, lime, nor 
pity ; nor would the Ivy touch it. This in itself 
ought to have been a sufficient conviction for the un¬ 
biased mind. Some correspondents have merely 
detailed their observations, without comment, leav¬ 
ing Nature to control her own environments and 
destiny. 
Now here comes our old friend, A.D.; really, I 
thought he was lost. A controversy without the 
G.O.H. is “ nowt," as we sometimes say in Yorkshire. 
His observations may be sincere, but his comparisons 
are unfortunate, for the man who said there was 
nothing like leather proved to be a shoemaker ; like¬ 
wise A.D. jumps to the conclusion that, as in the 
case of treatment meted out to Ivies on bare tree 
stems, all others must collapse, which they will so far 
as dryness is concerned; but in his next sentence, 
referring to dryness of walls, he says, very much 
depends on the aspect. (Why aspect ? should not one 
aspect be as good as another ?). I like that sentence, 
there is something broader, more solid, more tolerant 
here. 
When is a root not a root ? When it is not in the 
ground, says Mr. Somebody; whilst Mr. Somebody- 
else infers it is neither ; but crown tendrils, dingers, 
tentacles. 
Aerial roots, as in a vinery (A. D. knows more 
than can be told), are soft, whitish in colour during 
the growing and moist atmospheric period of the 
vinery; and as the cultivator arrests these conditions 
to ripen and colour the wood and fruit, the aerial 
roots change colour as a matter of course. As dry¬ 
ness is continued, these roots shrink too ; exactly so 
with Ivy rootlets. They are simply roots arrested in 
the process of growth. Were it otherwise they would 
reach down to the ground and across the building 
respectively. Now leave these Vine roots alone. 
Why should Vine roots be scraped yearly from the 
stems, and Ivy rootlets left on ? The contrast is an 
unfair one. 
Yes, both are now left, clinging, and so is the dead 
bough on the live tree, growing in the plantation for 
that matter, and it will continue to cliDg, until the 
force of gravity brings it to the ground. Yet the 
bough is not a tendril, nor the latter a root. 
A. D. must look elsewhere, not in shade, but in 
sunshine ; for in the Vine they are purely tendrils. I 
doubt not they are somewhere about. Ivy rootlets 
and tendrils, or dingers are quite distinct. Ivy 
joints, or eyes, although not married nor given in 
marriage, as in a flower, have the capable organs of 
reproduction [vegetative only.— Ed.]; the others 
none. They purely twirl and twist. Indeed, my 
strongest opponent, Fiat Juslitia has demonstrated, 
that the nodes coming in contact with soil will strike, 
otherwise cuttings could not be had. If these nodes 
had not the faculty of taking in food and nourish¬ 
ment, what in the world is there in the soil to be 
afraid of ? 
Tendrils on the Vine, Scarlet Runner or Peas cer¬ 
tainly seize the rods, to outwardly hold themselves 
up, whilst the tentacle of the octopus, and the human 
arm and hand grasp their food, and convey it to the 
beak and mouth respectively. 
A. D. wants as much proof as pudding, certainly, 
but one finds that missing links cannot be brought to 
light every day, that tendrils with true joints are no¬ 
where discoverable. 
But the time will come when no gardener will 
declare that the same cause, which compels the Ivy 
to strike roots on one half-side up the stems, is not 
the same cause which compels trees and cuttings to 
strike all round themselves, that the withdrawal of 
cblorphyll, shade, and darkness, are not favourable 
to smoothness, arborescence, and hardness, and that 
propagating plants from eyes, cuttings, and layers 
shall not yet become obselete. 
Walls, Dry and Damp. 
Walls that are built strictly on scientific principles 
will neither give nor take damp ; rather Ivy, if any- 
thiDg, protects them from damp. A shower strikes 
against the leaves on the wall; but they are all at the 
same angle, like so many slates, one over the other, 
and the raindrops fall to the ground. Bare walls re¬ 
tain a good percentage of the shower. Here, in this 
town, a man is paid something like thirty shillings 
per diem, who does nothing else but inspect and pass 
foundations, drainage, and damp courses, with a 
composition of tar pitch, &c., at ground levels. 
Bad foundations, positions, loose strata, buildings 
in proximity to moats, or water courses, and sur¬ 
rounding condensations are causes; the healthy 
appearance of the Ivy are the effects of these. My 
contention is that Ivies keep the buildings dry by ab¬ 
sorbing the moisture. They have also a larger leaf 
area or surface to sustain, being three or four times 
the area of the bare wall. Ivies keep these drier 
and sweeter, as the water molecules within the walls 
are kept continually in motion. Where otherwise, 
these would lay dormant, green and damp, and pro¬ 
duce crops of algae instead. There is nothing like 
motion ; it is life. 
A certain house was built with its back and south 
gable against the stratum of a hill, to within six feet 
of the eaves. The moisture, I considered, was drawn 
from the back, and the life of the Ivy sustained. 
Reverting to the tops of old ruins, I have found that 
the water is conducted into the centre, by the angles 
of the leaves falling all ways, just as a crowd of um¬ 
brellas held up, causes the rain to drop between, but 
in greater volume. 
And now I have done, as there is springtime, the 
garden, and lots of other jobs thrown about in it. 
This controversy, so far as I am concerned, must for 
the present cease.— B. Lockwood. 
THE MANUFACTURE OF PERFUMES 
IN FRANCE. 
Enormous quantities of flowers are used in the Alpes 
Maritimes in the manufacture of perfumes. It has 
teen estimated that of Roses alone 2,000 tons are 
annually treated ; Orange flowers, 2,500 tons ; Jessa¬ 
mine, 200 tons; Cassie (Acacia farnesiana), 150 tons; 
Tuberoses, 150 tons; and Violets, 200 tons. The 
average selling price per pound of flowers is, in the 
case of Violets and Cassie, is. 8d.; Tuberoses, 
is. 3d.; Jessamine, is.; Roses, 3^d.; and Orange 
flowers, 3^d Of the flowers producing essences, 
the Orange flower produces 1 lb. of essence-= which 
