398 O F T H E C U L T U R E Part III. 



" The number of branches which the ItaHans generally agree to 

 ** leave upon a Itrong vine, are four; two of the ftrongeft have four 

 " eyes, and the two wealcer are fliortened down to two eyes each ; 

 " which is very different from the common practice in England, 

 ** where it is ufiial to fee fix or eight branches left upon each root, 

 " and thofe perhaps with fix or eight eyes to each ; fo that if 

 " thefe are fruitful, one root muft produce near four times the num- 

 ** her of bunches that the Italians do ever perjnit; and confe- 

 " quently the fruit will not be fo well nourifhed, and the roots will 

 ** alfo be greatly weakened; as is the cafe of all forts of fruit 

 ** trees, when a greacer quantity of fruit is left on, than the trees 

 *' can nourilh. 



" The next thing is, conflantly to keep the ground perfeftly clean- 

 *' between the vines, never permitting any fort of plants or weeds 

 *' to grow there. The ground fliould alio be carefully dug every 

 *' fpring, and eveiy third year have fome manure, which Ihould be 

 *' of different forts, according to the nature of the ground, or what 

 " can be moff conveniently procured. 



" If the land is ftiff, and inclinable to bind on the furface, then 

 *' fea fand, or fea coal aflies, are either of them very good manure 

 *' for it: but if the ground be loofe and dry, then a little lime mixed 

 '* with dung, is the beft manure. This muft be fpread thin ■ 

 ** upon the furface of the ground before it is dug, and in digging 

 '* fhould be buried equally in every part of the vineyard. Thefe 

 *' are themoft preferable of all manures, for vineyards; fo that it will 

 " be worth the expence to procure either of them : and as they re- 

 *' quire manuring but every third year, where the vineyard is large, 

 •< it may be divided into three equal parts, each of which may be 

 ** manured in its turn, whereby the expence will be but little 

 " every year; vv'hereas when the whole is manured together, it will 

 *• add to me expence, and in many places there cannot be a fuffi- 

 *' cient quantity procured to inanure a large vineyard in one year. 



" This digging and manuring fhould always be performed about 

 " the beginning of March, at which time all the fuperficial or day 

 '• roots, as they arc called, muft be cut off, but the larger roots muft 

 *' not be injured by the fpade, (^c. therefore the ground clofe to the 

 " ftem of the vines muft not be dug very deep. After this is done, 

 ** the ftakes fhould be placed down, one on each fide the vines, at 

 *' about lixteen inches from their ftems, to which the longeft bearing ■ 

 ** branches fhould be fuftencd ; and one ftake clofe to the ftem, to 



" whicU 



