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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  27,  1896, 
QUESTIONS  ON  GRAPE  GROWING. 
Having  read  with  some  degree  of  interest  the  paper  by  Mr. 
Colebrooke  (page  122,  February  6th),  I  give  the  result  of  my  own 
experience.  “  R.  P.  R.”  asks — First,  “Is  the  circulation  of  air 
through  the  bottom  of  a  border  beneficial  or  not  ?  ” 
In  the  garden  in  which  I  served  my  apprenticeship  two  large 
vineries  were  erected,  added  to  a  range  of  three  already  standing 
there,  “  one  at  each  end,  with  a  plant  house  in  the  centre.”  They 
were  built,  I  think,  by  Messenger  &  Co.  The  roofs  are  of  iron, 
hip-span,  with  broad  squares  of  glass,  ventilated  their  full  length, 
back  and  front.  They  were  in  course  of  erection  at  the  time  of 
the  Franco-German  war.  The  soil  in  that  garden  is  of  a  heavy 
retentive  nature,  resting  on  a  subsoil  of  clay.  I  have  good  reason 
to  remember  this,  as  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  assist  in  trenching  a 
portion  of  the  garden,  as  well  as  to  help  to  make  the  Yine  borders. 
They  were  not  made  Y  shape,  but  sloping  upwards  from  front 
to  back,  and  the  bottom  of  the  border  thickly  concreted.  On  the 
concrete  was  placed  a  foot  or  more  of  open  drainage,  and  drain  pipes 
about  8  inches  in  diameter  laid  in  it  at  certain  distances  apart. 
At  the  front  of  the  border  traps  made  of  bricks  were  built  up 
about  a  foot  square  inside,  and  nearly  as  much  above  the  surface, 
with  small  trap  doors  to  open  and  shut  as  required.  One  trap  to 
each  row  of  pipes.  The  borders,  which  were  about  4  yards  wide, 
were  composed  of  turf  cut  from  the  roadside,  and  of  rather 
a  sandy  texture,  old  mortar,  half-inch  bones,  and  leaf  mould, 
thoroughly  incorporated  by  twice  turning  before  being  wheeled  in 
to  form  the  borders,  which  were  made  up  entire  and  at  once  for 
appearance  sake. 
The  Yines,  whch  were  raised  from  eyes  and  grown  on  the 
place,  were  turned  out  of  their  pots  and  shaken  but  not  washed 
out,  and  their  roots  laid  straight  in  the  new  soil.  They  grew 
strongly  and  soon  made  good  Yines,  which,  as  they  came  into 
bearing,  produced  fine  crops  of  fruit,  large  both  in  bunch  and 
berry  ;  but  after  about  three  years  bearing  some  of  the  fruit 
shanked.  Th8  borders  were  protected  with  fresh  stable  litter 
during  the  winter.  The  two  older  houses  in  the  same  range  had 
their  borders  renewed,  and  planted  with  young  Vines  in  the  same 
way  as  the  two  new  houses,  excepting  the  air  drains,  these  not 
being  added  to  the  borders.  The  Yines  in  these  houses  did  equally 
as  well  as  the  others,  and  side  by  side  with  each  other  as  before  stated. 
I  feel  perfectly  satisfied,  speaking  from  the  experience  gained 
by  this  single  example,  that  we  must  look  elsewhere  for  success  or 
failure  than  to  air-drained  borders  if  we  wish  to  grow  Grapes  of  the 
highest  quality.  I  have  made  many  borders  and  planted  a  large 
number  of  permanent  Vines,  but  have  never  adopted  the  above 
system  simply  because  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  see  the  utility 
of  it. 
2nd.  “In  planting,  is  it  desirable  to  wash  away  the  soil  from 
the  roots  ?  ” 
That  depends  largely  on  the  condition  of  the  roots.  If  the 
presence  of  the  dreaded  phylloxera  is  suspected,  I  should  say,  Yes, 
by  all  means.  “  Water  is  the  only  vehicle  by  which  anything  can 
reach  the  roots  of  plants  ;  and  so  far,  water,  where  it  can  be 
applied  in  quantity  and  for  a  long  time  so  as  to  suffocate  the  insect, 
has  proved  efficacious  in  destroying  this  pest.  It  has  been  noted 
that  in  nearly  every  instance  the  insect  has  only  existed  in  warm 
and  probably  dry  inside  borders.  In  moist  or  outside  borders, 
where  abundance  of  water  has  been  supplied,  little  or  no  phylloxera 
has  existed  in  this  country.” — Barron. 
Water  is  thus  one  of  its  greatest  enemies.  Wash  out  these  in 
more  than  one  lot  of  tepid  water,  if  its  presence  is  suspected  in 
your  young  Vines,  before  planting.  Again,  if  a  Yine  has  been 
growing  for  some  months  in  a  pot,  its  roots  will  of  necessity  grow 
round  and  round  in  a  cramped  position  under  such  circumstances. 
If  I  found  that  they  could  not  be  readily  separated  without  injury, 
the  washing-out  process  would  instantly  be  resorted  to.  Vines  bought 
from  a  nursery  would  also  receive  the  same  treatment  ;  but  if  I 
had  to  raise  and  grow  my  own  from  eyes,  I  certainly  should  use 
my  utmost  endeavours  to  plant  them  out  before  their  roots  had 
reached  such  a  condition  as  to  require  washing  out.  1  have  planted 
numbers  both  ways,  and  am  therefore  able  to  speak  confidently 
that  those  which  can  be  safely  planted  without  undergoing  the 
washing-out  process  make  headway  more  quickly  than  do  others 
that  are  washed  out. 
3rd.  “Is  the  use  of  wood  ashes  and  leaf  mould  to  be  com¬ 
mended  in  making  borders  ?  ”  I  can  testify  to  the  good  effects 
of  leaf  mould  and  wood  ashes  not  only  for  Yines,  but  for  other 
kinds  of  fruit  also,  as  Apples,  Pears,  and  Peaches  and  Tomatoes. 
I  grow  a  span-roofed  house  full  of  Tomatoes  in  12-inch  pots,  and 
use  more  than  a  7-inch  potful  of  wood  ashes  to  each  plant,  besides 
charcoal,  and  with  the  best  results  ;  but  “  with  the  Editor’s 
permission  ”  I  will  give  my  mode  of  growing  Tomatoes  with  results 
ip  a  short  article  deyoted  exclusively  to  them.  [Granted. — Ed.] 
In  the  formation  of  Yine  borders,  and  especially  if  the  loam  is 
of  a  heavy  texture  inclining  to  clay  with  little  sand,  so  that  after 
the  borders  have  been  made  a  short  time  it  is  liable  to  run  together 
like  that  with  which  I  had  to  deal  on  the  borders  of  Yorkshire,  I 
should  certainly  incorporate  leaf  mould  (carefully  prepared  without 
sticks  or  bits  of  wood  of  any  kind,  for  it  is  leaf  mould  not  properly 
prepared  that  does  harm  in  Yine  and  other  borders,  breeding 
fungoid  pests),  wood  ashes,  charcoal,  old  mortar,  broken  bricks,  and 
even  good  river  sand  if  procurable,  for  if  we  would  grow  Grapes 
satisfactorily,  that  is  of  fine  flavour,  rich  in  colour,  solid  with 
bloom,  and  above  all  entirely  free  from  shanking,  we  must 
maintain  a  healthy  root  run,  free  from  stagnation,  sourness,  or 
starvation. 
I  knew  a  very  successful  exhibitor  who  had  turf  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  could  be  dug  6  inches  thick,  full  of  beautiful  fibre 
and  of  such  a  texture  that  on  one  occasion  when  I  had  visited  him 
I  picked  up  a  large  piece,  and  after  examining  it  kicked  it  before 
me  right  across  a  large  field  as  I  returned  home.  Here  was  soil 
for  Vines  if  you  please,  abounding  in  nitrogenous  matter  and 
not  likely  to  grow  pasty  or  run  together.  If  I  had  such  soil 
as  that  to  deal  with  I  should  keep  my  wood  ashes  near,  not  on 
the  top,  and  should  not  use  leaf  mould,  but  water  freely  with 
tepid  liquid  manure  drained  from  a  manure  heap,  and  that  is 
just  what  my  friend  used  to  do,  and  need  I  say  with  the  very 
best  results,  as  his  success  as  an  exhibitor  abundantly  testified. 
Notice.  I  have  just  said  that  my  friend  put  his  wood  ashes 
near  the  top.  Why  ?  In  order  that  they  should  be  influenced  by 
the  nitrogenous  elements  contained  in  the  soil.  They  supply 
phosphates  and  potash,  but  are  said  to  be  much  more  effectual 
when  under  the  influence  of  nitrogen.  And  I  think  Munro 
confirms  this  idea  when  he  says,  “  Applied  without  nitrogenous 
manures  wood  ashes  do  not  usually  produce  much  effect,  except  on 
Turnips,  &c.,  and  so  are  best  utilised  as  ingredients  of  a  compost 
heap.  Rotten  leaves  are  much  better  than  burnt,  because  the 
nitrogenous  organic  matter  is  preserved.”  That  the  Vine  cannot 
produce  fruit  without  potash,  though  every  other  essential  element 
of  food  be  present,  has  been  satisfactorily  demonstrated,  for 
Munro  gives  an  illustration  of  Yines  grown  in  pots  with  which  he 
proved  this  fact.  The  following  is  the  footnote  to  his  illustration. 
“Yines  grown  in  manure  destitute  only  of  potash  produce  little 
or  no  fruit,  practically  no  crop.  Yines  grown  without  any  manure 
produce  a  few  shrivelled  Grapes,  practically  no  crop.  Yines  grown 
with  ‘  normal  ’  or  complete  manure  produce  at  the  rate  of  4  tons 
15cwts.  of  Grapes,  giving  848  gallons  of  must  per  acre.”  This 
quotation  shows  how  necessary  potash  is.  Of  course,  I  thoroughly 
understand  the  different  sources  from  which  potash  is  derived,  and 
use  some  of  them.  But  do  not  wood  ashes,  which  yield  from  5  to 
15  per  cent,  of  potash,  serve  a  double  purpose  ?  For  while  yielding 
an  essential  element  of  plant  food,  they  also  help  to  open  the  soil 
and  keep  it  open. 
Respecting  garden  soil  for  Vine  borders,  I  do  not  consider  that 
it  is  necessary  in  every  instance  to  clear  it  away,  and  go  to  the 
expense  and  trouble  of  carting  soil  from  a  distance  into  its  place. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  often  done  when  the  Boil  on  the 
spot  might  be  utilised  with  equal  advantage  and  perhaps  more 
successfully.  The  good  soil  full  of  humus  having  to  give  place  to 
that  of  an  inferior  quality  just  because  it  does  not  happen  to  be 
turfy.  Surely  soil  that  will  grow  good  Apples,  Pears,  and  Peaches, 
will  grow  good  Grapes  also  ;  and  if  not,  then  why  not  ?  A  mode¬ 
rately  good  local  soil  can  be  improved  on  the  spot  just  as  well  as 
that  which  is  brought  from  a  distance  is  improved  on  being  made 
up  into  a  border.  We  improve  such — in  fact,  often  have  to — for 
the  above  named  fruits  ;  why  not  for  Yines  also  ? 
I  know  Yines — more  than  one,  two,  or  three — that  grow  on  the 
fronts  of  cottage  houses  and  close  to  the  public  highway  with  foot¬ 
paths  pitched  with  pebbles  up  to  the  very  stems  of  the  Vines  ;  yet 
they  grow,  and  produce  good  crops  of  fruit,  and  have  done  for  a 
generation  at  least.  I  have  in  my  mind’s  eye  at  this  moment  some 
very  large  Vines  thus  situated.  I  knew  them  for  years  ;  they  pro¬ 
duced  fruit  that  were  made  into  wine  for  a  gentleman’s  table.  He 
used  to  buy  the  fruit  from  the  cottagers  and  make  the  wine  himself. 
These  Yines  had  no  elaborately  prepared  border,  but  were  simply 
“  stuck  in  ”  many  years  ago,  and  allowed  to  take  their  chance.  If 
such  turf  as  I  described  my  exhibitor  friend  had  at  his  disposal, 
that  could  be  kicked  half  a  mile,  and  the  more  it  was  kicked  the 
more  it  showed  its  fibre,  like  kicking  a  wool  mop,  could  always  be 
procured,  I  would  say,  Change  what  you  have  for  it  by  all  means. 
But  unfortunately  such  a  soil  is  the  exception,  not  the  rule. 
Should  any  reader  of  these  notes,  as  the  result  of  his  experience, 
have  reason  to  object  to  the  use  of  wood  ashes  and  leaf  mould  in 
making  up  new  Yine  and  other  fruit  tree  borders  he  would  oblige 
by  giving  his  reason  and  the  result  of  his  experience  in  a  short  note 
on  the  subject. — W.  West  Chatman. 
