GRAPES. CULTIVATION, SOIL, ETC. 269 



parallel to it, two feet wide and nine inches deep. They 

 have ready prepared a quantity of cuttings sufficient for 

 the wall ; these are about two feet long, and from being 

 taken with a piece of old wood attached to the heel, 

 are called croisettes, [cruciform;] but this form is not 

 considered indispensable. These they lay across the 

 trench at the bottom, with the top towards the wall, and 

 at the distance of twenty inches asunder, and cover them 

 with four or five inches of soil, and tread them down ; at 

 the same time raising the upper end, which was towards 

 the wall, nearly to a perpendicular; then fill the trench 

 two thirds full, and spread the residue over the border. 

 They then put into the trench three inches of manure, 

 which keeps the plants fresh and moist, and prevents the 

 ground from becoming dry. 



In March, [November with us,] they cut in the plant 

 to two eyes above ground ; they weed, dress, and water 

 the border during the first season, if needful, for the young 

 planted grape requires a gentle degree of moisture. They 

 tie the young shoots of the year to some supporters, and 

 do every thing to favor its growth. The second year, if 

 any of the plants have more than one branch, they pre 

 serve only the strongest. They bury the new wood as in 

 the first year, and so on till they reach the wall. At every 

 time they lay the shoot, they cut in till they reach strong, 

 ripe wood, well furnished with good eyes. It will gener- 

 ally take three years before it reaches the wall ; but in the 

 mean time they gather some fine bunches of fruit. 



We now come to the formation of the cordons or hori- 

 zontal branches. If the wall is eight feet high, it will 

 require five cordons, [or five tiers of branches ;] the first 

 six inches from the ground, and the four others eighteen 

 inches asunder, upon the horizontal rails of the trellis, 

 which had been previously so arranged as to effect this 

 object. The stalk destined to form the lowest cordons, 

 [or horizontal branches to right and left,] will be cut just 

 at the required height, if it has at that place a double eye. 

 If it has not, you must cut it above the eye which is next 

 above the lowest rail of the trellis. These two eyes are 

 destined to furnish the two lowest branches or horizontal 

 arms, the one to the right, the other to the left, on the lowest 

 rail. The one that is too high must be bent down gently, 

 and that which is too low trained up, and then bent. The 

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