The Garden Under Glass

AN EPITOME OF VINE CULTURE 155 he probably would not if he had never propagated a vine before. The Vine Border Considering that under skilful treatment a vine should flourish for a great many years, it is all-important that it should have a good border made up for it. Now without arguing the perennial question as to the value of inside and outside horders I will only say that I will advise only an inside border. If the subsoil be of a retentive clay I would certainly advocate a concrete bo ttom, with a slight fall to a line of drain-pipes. The making of a concrete bottom is a task which any intelligent man may undertake. Excavate the so il to the requisite depth, say two and a half to three feet, and slope the ground sufficiently to take away the water to the drains. Then a layer of brick rubble may be put on and covered with ashes. Over this the concrete may be put. A barrowful will do several yards. Good concrete can be made by mixing four barrowloads of clean gravel with one bag of cement, turning it over well while dry and again when wet. Only a few days will be needed for it to set sufficiently. Some drainage material may then be put on and be covered with clean straw. Fresh turves are laid over this and the compost for the border is then put in. This compost may consist of freshly cut fibrous turf or loam, mortar rubble and half-inch bones. If the best possible border is to be made I would advise the use of loam procured from Kettering, Walton Heath, Banstead, or Cranleigh, but usually some of a sufficiently good fibre can be obtained locally. This should be chopped up into fairly large pieces, for it is really the fibre we need. If a vinery is to be planted I would advise that only a part of it be done at a time, say four feet the first year and two