Chap. 35.] CULTURE OF THE TINE. 507 



high at the least ; care should be taken, however, never to let 

 them exceed the height of a man of moderate stature. Growers 

 are in the habit of surrounding the vines that creep along the 

 ground with a low fence 35 for them to lean upon ; and round 

 this fence they dig a trench by way of precaution, for fear lest 

 the branches in their range should meet one another and so 

 come into collision. The greater part of the world, in fact, 

 gather grapes at their vintage, grown in this fashion, and lying 

 upon the ground — at all events, it is so in Africa, Egypt, and 

 Syria ; throughout the whole of Asia, too, and in many parts 

 of Europe as well, this method prevails. In such cases the 

 vine ought to be kept down close to the ground, and the root 

 should be nurtured at the same time and in just the same way 

 as in the case of the vine that grows on the cross-piece. Care, 

 too, should be taken to leave only the young thumb-shoots, 

 together with three buds, where it is a prolific soil, two where 

 it is poor and thin : it is better, too, that the shoots should be 

 numerous than individually long. The influences of soil, of 

 which we have made mention already, will make themselves 

 felt all the more powerfully the nearer the grapes grow to the 

 ground. 



It is a very advantageous plan to separate 36 the various 

 species of vines and to set them in different compartments — 

 for the mixture of different varieties is apt to deteriorate the 

 flavour not only of the must, but the wine even as well. If, 

 again, for some reason or other, the different kinds must be 

 intermingled, it will be requisite to keep all those together 

 which ripen at exactly the same period. The more fertile and 

 the more level the soil, the higher the cross-pieces must be 

 placed. 37 High cross-pieces, too, are best suited to localities 

 that are subject to heavy dews and fogs, but not to those 

 that are exposed to high winds ; on the other -hand, where the 

 soil is. thin, parched, and arid, or exposed to the wind, the 

 cross-pieces should be set lower. The cross-piece should be 

 fastened to the stay with cords tied as tight as possible, while 

 the bindings used for tying the vine should be thin. As to 

 the various species of vines, and the soils and climates requi- 



35 Small forks of hazel are still used for the purpose, in Berri and the 

 Orleanais. 



36 This plan is highly recommended by the modern growers. 



37 This, as Fee remarks, is based upon sound reason. 



