

No. 99 & 100, ^ VITIS. 161 



times there is a total failure when rains drown the blos- 

 soms ; but an extra good crop of 500 or 600 gallons 

 commonly follows and covers their loss- 

 ^ 20. The cultivation of the vines includes several con- 

 siderations, a choice of ground, soil, and vines, repair- 

 ing the ground, planting, manuring, dressing, trimming, 

 grafting, harvesting, be'sides the diseases of the vines 

 and grapes. 



21. Vines may grow any where, bnt do not thrive 



equally every where. Table grapes thrive beat in shel- 



tered gardens, espaliers, and bovvers, producing more and 

 better fruit. Wine grapes tlirive best of all on the east- 

 ern slope of hills exposed to the rising sun, and in a vol' 

 canic or gravelly soil, producing stronger and better 



^\me. 



22. All our native grapes will grow well near to their 



native soil, and produce difterent wines. Some species 

 are peculiar to the Southern vStates, and will not thrive 

 so well north of the Potomac and Ohio rivers. They 



grow spontaneously in rich soils, or loam, sand, graiwel, 

 rocks, near streams : in fact every where, but seldom in 

 clay and mountains. 



* 



23. The best situations for native vineyards are shel- 

 tered vallevs, banks of streams, on the eastern and 

 southern sides of hills in the Northern States ; but fur- 

 ther South plains and open grounds will do as well. If 

 they have a wood to the north west or south west to 

 sheifer them from the cold bla *s or sudden storms, so 

 much the better. In the north they may also require 

 such shelter from the north east storms. 



24. These are the best soils for them in the order of 

 excellence. 1- Volcanic, scarce with us. g.Pseudoyol- 

 canic, ot New York and Connecticut, 3. Granitic, rot- 

 ten rov.ks. 4. Sandstone gravel. 5. Gravel and sand. 

 6. Barren an<l worn out soils- 7. Rich or loamy soils are 

 the worst, except clay and damp and cold soils, which 

 always produce bad wine. Pine barrens will do. 



25. IT^us it is seen that the worst soils for all other 

 agricultural purposes are the best fur vines. Many mil- 



* lions of acres of our rocky, gravelly, or barren soils, now 

 hardlv worth any thing, mav inns, if turned to vine- 



2 



