54: OPEN AIR GRAPE CULTURE. 



extreme heat of summer and the severe cold of win- 

 ter. Consequently they do not suffer from drought, 

 and are able at once to enter upon their duties in the 

 spring. 



For table grapes, we doubt whether the soil can 

 be too deep or rich not meaning by the latter term, 

 however, saturated with undecomposed organic mat- 

 ter. But observation leads us to doubt the propriety 

 of carrying these features to an extreme in the case 

 of closely-trimmed vines cultivated for wine. It is 

 true that the Western authors (Remelin, Buchannan, 

 etc. some of them Europeans) advocate this depth 

 and richness. But, if our memory does not deceive 

 us, some of Mr. Longworth's tenants who have not 

 pursued the most thorough system of cultivation 

 have occasionally escaped evils to which their more 

 skillful and hard-working brethren have been ex- 

 posed. And perhaps a solution of this mystery may 

 be found above, notwithstanding Mr. Longworth 

 naively tells us that he cannot believe that nature 

 ever favors the indolent. Our own experience in 

 this particular department is not sufficient to warrant 

 us in pronouncing a decided opinion on the subject; 

 but the principles of physiology would lead us to be- 

 lieve that if the roots of vines are planted in a deep 

 and rich soil the branches must be allowed corres- 

 ponding elbow room. If we desire to keep a vigorous 



