1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



431 



bunches." I may liavc inisiiiulorsUKHl llie writer; 

 but this is PXiU-.iiy the cU'oct oC shdrtoniiifr the 

 bearing or other vigorous shoots, by which means, 

 a second crop ol' grapes is ohiaineil, whicli, iiow- 

 ever, seldom come to perlect matin-ity. In order 

 to perceive tlie nature of the injury done by tins 

 operation, we must i<ecp in mind that the buds 

 that are at the junction of the leaves with (he 

 stem, are tliose intended by Nature to produce the 

 loilowing growth of bearing slioots. If you 

 force them to push by cutting olf the end of the 

 shoot, there will be no bud left lor the Ibllowing 

 year's crop, and the vine will thereby be materi- 

 ally injured. This shows also the impropriety 

 of pulling off the leaves, as inexperienced people 

 recommend; for the leaves protect and support 

 the bud at the foot of them, and by breaking or 

 cutting them off, you deprive these buds, which 

 are intended lor the following year's growth, of the 

 nourishment necessary to enable them to perlbrui 

 their intended functions. 



I think 12 leei is inconveniently high for an ar- 

 bor lor vines, and find eight, or eight and a hali' 

 feet much more convenient, and sufficiently high 

 to allow a li'ee circulation of air below, particu- 

 larism as 1 do not suffer any of the grown vines to 

 have any thing crowing below the top of the ar- 

 bor, which is level on the top, and on which the 

 vines are made to spread evenly, and are tied 

 down. 



Mr. Recluse's precaution of locking his garden 

 gate and keeping the key in his pocket, is very 

 good. I hope that, to coincide with this, his 

 fence is sufficiently high to keep off all two-foot'ed 

 thieves, except those that can fly. As for his 

 having neglected to have his frame made at first 

 full and complete, I consider it not as an error; for 

 the vines do not need it for two or three years, 

 and sometimes a longer time, during which, they 

 may be supported by poles. My practice is to put 

 three poles to each strong vine, sinking them in 

 the ground at some distance from the vine, fornr.- 

 ing thereby a triangle in the middle of which is the 

 vines. These poles are strongly tied together at 

 the top with a willow twig, and the wmd cannot 

 blow them down. These will last about three 

 years, and when the frame or arbor is made, three 

 years of its duration is gained. 



# * » * 



I have thus, sir, candidly and fully given you 

 my views of the 'Upper Country Recluse,' (or 

 his benefit, and that of others, if any such a 

 thing can be gleaned from this letter of mine. I 

 take the liberty of exhortintr him and all others, to 

 persevere in this most interesting culture, and as- 

 sure them that my experience proves to me that 

 it is as wholesome an exercise for the body, as it 

 is most pleasantly exciting to the mind. I am at 

 this very moment under the influence of these 

 very benefits, for I have been for two weeks past 

 busily cutting my grapes, and mnking wine, both 

 at my farm and in my garden. I was much in- 

 disposed when 1 began, and would most probably 

 have got sick, but for the great exertions and fa- 

 tigue 1 unavoidably put upon myself, 1 had no 

 time to think of sickness. In consequence of this 

 I have much improved in health. 



Do pray, my dear sir, recommend my remedy 

 to all the good people of the low country, particu- 

 larly to those who are in the ])ractice of spending 

 their summers at the north among the abolition- 



ists, with whom ihey leave all the money liiey 

 can spare, and sometimes even a little more. 

 Send liiem up the country to establish vineyards, 

 and gain strength, vigor, and health, together 

 with wine, which they niay warrant to be genu- 

 une. liy way of encouragement, I must tell you 

 that I have this very day ierminated my vintaire, 

 except a few odd gra|>es, which I shall gather 

 next week, which will add 50 or 60 gallons of 

 wine to that already made. I made at my farm 

 750 gallons, and in my garden 528 gallons. This 

 last is a most enormous crop; for the vines that 

 produced that quantity are on one sixth part of an 

 acre. This is, iherelbre, at the rate of 3168 gal- 

 lons to the acre, which is perhaps a greater crop 

 than ever was made any where; at least, I never 

 have seen any account of any one more than 

 2000 gallons, and ihat is exceeding rare. I have, 

 moreover, reasons to believe that the wine will be 

 of a very good quality. The produce of two 

 of the vines in my garden is so great, that if I 

 had not the most respectable witnesses of the (act 

 I should hesitate to name it. They produced 130 

 gallons of wine, and even more. After this, and 

 my paper being lull, I have only to assure you 

 that 1 am, very respectliilly, sir. 



Your obed't setv't. 



N. Herbemont. 



From Stepliens' Irrigator and Drainer. 



STRATGHTEXING WATER-COURSES, PROTECT- 

 IJVG RIVER BANKS, AKD BANKING HAPGH?- 

 LANDS [or low-grounds.] 



This is a subject of the greatest importance and' 

 of the highest interest to landed proprietors. 



The natural licence of mountainous streams is 

 not only destructive to landed |)roperty, but fre- 

 quently to lands of the best quality; and is ofien- 

 the cause of disputes, and not unli'equently of le-- 

 gal contentions between neighboring projirietors. 



A river is the most unlbrtunafe boundary line of 

 an estate, unless where the water is unlbrdable ; 

 but a river or a rapid stream which is liable to high, 

 floods is continually making devastations. 



Yet this subject, so important and interesling~to' 

 landholders in ijeneral, has had less attention paid 

 to it, and is certainly less understood than any oth- 

 er branch of equal importance within the circle of 

 rural economy. It has never, I believe, been 

 treated of in detail as a distinct subject as it ought 

 to have been ; and in jiraclice, I have too jrener- 

 ally found it in the hands of men who have not 

 paid that attention to it which they ought to have 

 done, or have left it to ignorant workmen, whose 

 aim, lor the most part, is to get through the work 

 in the easiest way, without considering the conse- 

 quences. 



The great mischief which is constantly going 

 on, and the very expensive attempts that are inef- 

 liictually made lo apply a remedy, are equally to 

 be lamented.* 



* To prove this assertion, I could produce several in- 

 stances which have come within my knowledge with- 

 in these lew years, but need only mention two. The 

 one happened in draining some bogs near Peebles, 

 where a considerable sum of money was thrown away 

 on account of one rivulet being carried into another at 

 right angles, instead of being carried obliquely into it 

 further down the stiTani, which every engineer ac- 

 quainted with the impetuosity of mountain streams 

 would have done. 



