152 TREATISE ON THE 



ving the degree of humidity necessary to resist 

 the great heat of such situations, a humidity 

 which, in the early part of the season, promotes 

 the vegetation of the vine grounds, and of which, 

 from the evaporation of a reflected heat, and the 

 facility with which from an open soil, and the 

 descent of the position, the rains and dews are 

 easily carried off. The depth of the digging 

 must be regulated by that of the soil, varying 

 from six to ten inches. In performing the work, 

 I usually give two strokes of the instrument to 

 each vine. By the first blow the earth is turned 

 up, the second raises that which remains at the 

 bottom of the furrow, leaving it of an uniform 

 depth. The method of performing this opera- 

 tion by a single stroke of the hoe, which is the 

 habit of some of the vine dressers of our Cantons, 

 is, in my opinion, injudicious. There are those 

 who neglect this work altogether, which is yet 

 more pernicious in its effects on the vineyard, as 

 under such shameful negligence the vines soon 

 become choked up with noxious weeds, and the 

 difficulty increased of keeping the vine grounds 

 sufficiently clean. 



In turning under the surface of the soil to the 

 proper depth, most of the seed of such destruc- 

 tive weeds will be so buried as to be incapable of 

 reproducing. If at the moment of the first la- 

 bour, the surface of the ground be dry, the result 

 of the work will be more advantageous. Care 

 should be taken, in effecting this work, not to 

 perform it by heavy blows, particularly in the 

 vineyard of the hills, as it is prudent to avoid, as 

 far as possible, causing the loosened earth to roll 



