IMPORTANT TO CULTIVATORS OF THE GRAPE. 



525 



fion of wood, and at another the production 

 of fruit. 



The following is the paper alluded to, 

 which, it will be seen, relates chiefly to 

 vineyard culture : 



" The new process which I propose for 

 cultivating the vine, inasmuch as it enables 

 us to make use of half the land for growing 

 nutritive plants, may, at first sight, appear 

 to differ completely from the plans now 

 adopted in vineyards. Such, however, is 

 not the case ; and, as those who have stu- 

 died the various methods adopted in dif- 

 ferent countries will see, several of the re- 

 commendations here made have already 

 been followed in practice. I acknowledge 

 this the more readily, as it enables me to 

 appeal, as a proof of their usefulness, to 

 results attained by long experience. In 

 one respect, my plan differs from every 

 other ; for I propose that all the vine stocks, 

 in a certain space of ground, should be 

 brought together in a trench, where, by 

 one chemical action, the wood, and by ano- 

 ther the fruit, may be induced to form. 

 This I propose, in consequence of having, 

 by direct experiment, satisfied myself that, 

 of the manures which are fit for the culture 

 of the vine, some seem exclusively for the 

 increase of cells, i. e., of wood, and that 

 others cause the development of the flower 

 bud, (fruit or grape ;) and that the actions 

 of these substances, instead of both going 

 on at the same time, ought to be succes- 

 sive. By the application of these princi- 

 ples, the growth of the wood can be stop- 

 ped at pleasure, while, by the ordinary 

 methods, the same effects can only be pro- 

 duced by artificial and empirical means. 



*' When it is wished that wood should be 

 developed, the vines [roots,] must be placed 

 in a trench, and covered with three or four 

 inches of earth, with which have been 

 mixed, for every square yard of the surface 



of the trench, 8 lbs. of pulverized bone, 4 

 lbs. of pieces of skin, leather, horns, tan- 

 ners' refuse, etc., and 1^ lb. of gypsum. 



" When the wood is sufficiently forward, 

 which will be in a year or two, according 

 to circumstances, the roots must be supplied 

 with salts of potash, in order that the fruit 

 may be produced. For this purpose it is 

 necessary to spread over the trench, at a 

 distance of three or four inches from the 

 buried wood, [roots,] 5^ lbs. of a mixture 

 formed of silicate of potash, and 2i lbs. of 

 double phosphate of potash and lime. The 

 trench is then to be filled up. and the roots 

 have as much potash as they want for a 

 long time. To prevent, however, the ex- 

 haustion of the potash, it is as well to 

 spread, every year, at the foot of the stools 

 a certain quantity of the marc ["cheese," 

 or refuse of the wine press,] of grapes ; this 

 marc, containing 2.5 per cent, of carbonate 

 of potash, will restore, annually, a large 

 proportion of the potash which may have 

 disappeared from the trench. 



" Hitherto, the success of a vintage de- 

 pended, cateris paribus, in a great mea- 

 sure, upon the influence of the atmosphere. 

 Thus, suppose a vine stock required 10 

 parts of potash to be enabled to bear fruit ; 

 i( the action of heat and rain on the stones 

 and earth, in a state of decomposition, 

 could only furnish 5, the vintage would be 

 bad. This- danger will be avoided by the 

 above system of culture, in which the vine 

 must always have suitable food ; but it is 

 not to be forgotten that, although I promise 

 those grape-growers who follow my plan 

 an abundance of produce, I can by no 

 means insure the quality of that produce ; 

 for quality must alway depend on the tem- 

 perature." 



We will add one consideration to the 

 foregoing. Every horticulturist in America 

 deplores the fact, that, while the peach, 



