VINE IN ITALY. 103 



are compelled to resort to a planting of the root- 

 ed vine. 



Such soils in general, though defeating, for a 

 succession of seasons, the persevering efforts of 

 the planter, have yielded to a cultivation of the 

 rooted vine, and though it has resulted that the 

 vineyards of such a source flourish, to all appear- 

 ance, in healthful vigor, it is generally conceded 

 that the product is less abundant, and the vine of 

 shorter duration, than from the former source. 

 It is in fact the last resort of the mortified vigne- 

 ron, defeated by the successful opposition with 

 which a stubborn soil has disputed his industry. 



Amputations are the disgrace of surgery. The 

 business of the profession is to save, not destroy 

 the limb, and the hapless subject of the tourni- 

 quet and scalpel, who drags through life the 

 remnant of a mutilated frame, is a moving monu- 

 ment of the imperfection of the healing art. It 

 is equally so with the Swiss vine dresser, when 

 defeated in the attempt to establish from the cut- 

 ting his new plantation. There is a strong 

 "esprit du corps/' among the cultivators of the 

 vine in the Cantons, and the whole fraternity 

 feels that a shade is cast over the profession, 

 when an acknowledged member of their society 

 abandons the system of cultivating from the cut- 

 ting, and commences an establishment of his 

 vineyard from the rooted vine. 



To the rooted plant introduced among us from 

 abroad, it may be difficult to afford an attention so 

 minute, but the deepest may be obviated by a 

 practised observation of the habits of the plant, 

 as the former aspect, where the vine is not old 



