242 Notice of Madeira. 



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beneath, which would oppose their growth. They water the ground 

 three times, if the summer has been dry, leaving the sluices open 

 until the ground is pretty well soaked ; the less the ground is water- 

 ed, the stronger the wine, but the quantity is diminished in propor- 

 tion. Some cultivators lay cow-dung at the roots of the vines when 

 they plant them, and when the wine becomes poor, mix a fresh 

 quantity with the soil at the surface. Others believe that animal 

 manure injures the flavor of the grape, and instead, sow the Lupinus 

 perennis among the vines ; this they do in the January of every sec- 

 ond year, cutting it down and burying it, by turning over the surface 

 of the soil after the small rains, which prevail for about ten days, at 

 the end of April. On the cutting of the Verdelho, (or northern vine,) 

 they engraft any other variety they may wish : the grapes yield no 

 wine until the fourth year. The stalks of the Arundo Sagitta are 

 used in making frames for supporting the vines in the southern parts 

 of the island, and the Salix rubra, for tying them to this trellis work. 

 In the northern parts of the island, the vines are trained around the 

 chesnut trees, this firmer support being necessary, it is said, on ac- 

 count of the higher winds prevailing there. The vines in Madeira, 

 give fruit as high as 2700 feet but no wine can be made from it : the 

 greatest height at which they are now cultivated for this purpose, is in 

 the valley of the Corral das Frieres, which is 2080 feet above the 

 the sea. There is much dispute as to the best month for pruning 

 the vines. Some prefer February, others the middle of March : it 

 depends principally however, on their foresight as to the weather, 

 when the flowing takes place, which is six weeks or two months af- 

 ter the pruning. As to the treatment of the wines, I have observed 

 that the produce of a particular season, must frequently be treated 

 one year, very differently from that of another. When the grapes 

 are green, the fermentation must be checked ; when they are wet 

 from unseasonable rains, it must be assisted ; generally speaking, the 

 riper the fruit, the more difficult the fermentation. A very agreea- 

 ble liqueur is made in the island, from the second pressure of the 

 grape, (the first being made with the feet,) into which, an equal 

 quantity of brandy is immediately thrown, to stop the fermentation 

 and produce sweetness. Gypsum is pretty generally used to clarify 

 and mellow the wines while working, unless they happen to be of a 

 green vintage." 



From all this, I think it must be apparent, that the attempt to pro- 

 duce Madeira wine in our country, from cuttings from the vines of 



