330 ON MANURE. 



that destroys, but the alternate frost and sun acting on the 

 plant every twenty -four hours, which overcomes the vitality 

 of the plant ; and another fell-destroyer is, \vhen we have 

 a mild February and a severe March. When such occurs, 

 which is but rarely, the vines must all be protected by mats 

 while there is danger. 



ON MANURE. 



This subject has been very recently indulged in to a 

 destructive extent. We could record instances of soils 

 strongly impregnated with very enriching manures, being 

 almost death to the plant; very rich soils are adhesive and 

 retentive of moisture, which is destruction to the roots of 

 the vine. The celebrated Brassin, conductor of the royal 

 vinery of France, used to practise enriching his vine bor- 

 ders with exciting manures : he now finds that cleansing 

 of ditches, grass-turf, and road sweepings, mixed well 

 together and allowed to ferment for a year, is far prefera- 

 ble. He now uses it entirely as an annual dressing ; but, 

 in our opinion, this cannot be continued for any length of 

 time, unless the border is also yearly reduced; conse- 

 quently, manures that are of slow decomposition are pre- 

 ferable, and nothing that we are acquainted with excels 

 bones of every description ; but these are not always at 

 hand in quantity. When to be obtained, they should 

 always be put to a good purpose an annual winter top- 

 dressing of manure of a few inches, and the roughest re- 

 moved in the spring, digging in the remainder not over 

 four inches deep, which will encourage the roots to the 

 surface, where they will be greatly benefited by solar heat 

 and air. Liquid manures are highly valuable where im- 

 mediate effect is required : they contain all the soluble 

 parts of manure in such a state as to admit of being taken 

 up by the plant as soon as applied. These are urine, which 

 may be used pure any time from the first of November to 

 February when the ground is not frozen ; but if used at 

 any other period, must be diluted with its equal quantity 

 of water. Drainings of manure-heaps and soap-suds can 

 be used at all times, but not too frequently. Soot dissolved 

 in water, in the proportion of one to twelve, is an exceed- 





