UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 197 



12th, My aunt, in the course of the last 

 week, frequently turned the conversation on Mr. 

 Lumley's travels : and he told us many interest- 

 ing things that he had seen both in Italy and 

 Portugal. First about the vine. In one of the 

 Minho vallies, not far from Oporto, the fields 

 are small, and surrounded by high oaks, ches- 

 nuts, and poplars ; the ground is artificially 

 watered, and every tree supports a vine, which 

 mounts to the top, and hangs its clusters to the 

 highest branches. In other places, the vines are 

 supported on rough trellises, so as to form shady 

 arched walks in summer. But neither of those 

 methods is supposed to produce as good fruit 

 as when the vines are kept low ; and as these 

 are planted in straight rows, corn and other 

 vegetables are sown between them. They are 

 pruned down every year into the shape of a 

 bush ; and a short time before and after they 

 come into blossom, all superfluous branches are 

 removed, and some of the leaves are afterwards 

 taken off to expose the fruit to the sun. The 

 ground is hoed before the leaves come out in 

 spring, and again before the flower comes. 

 Rising grounds are usually preferred for vine 

 culture, and when they are very steep, the earth 

 is supported by dry walls, so as to convert the 

 face of the hill into a succession of narrow ter- 

 races, which prevent the heavy rains from 

 washing away the soil from the roots. 



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