Chap. XII. O F T H E V I N E. 405 



therefore lefs coll; and the vine-dreiTers meeting with no hinderances 

 or obftruftions between the vines planted reguk'-ly in rows, will do 

 more work, in a day, and that much better, than in the old way. 

 There will alfo be lefs occafion for many things neceffary to the vine, 

 fuch as propping, tying up, dunging, &c. Confequently this new 

 culture will prove a confiderable faving. 



It is well known how much vines are hurt when too great a quan- 

 tity of water is retained in the ground. It chills them too much, 

 their juices become lefs exalted, numbers of weeds fpring up, &c. 

 Thefe inconveniences will be remedied in a great meafure by means 

 of the alleys, by cutting with the plough, as I have done, towards the 

 beginning of winter, a furrow along the fides of the bed. The wa- 

 ter will drain off into that furrow, and the bed will retain only the 

 degree of moifture neceffary for the vines. 



III. Of the means of rendering the culture of the •uine more beneficial 



to the plant and its fruit. 



T Shall fpeak only of the two principal parts of the culture of the 

 •^ vine, wc;. th'^ pruning of it, and the fdning of the ground; and 

 at what time each of thefe ought to be performed. 



Before I began to execute the alterations I liad thoughts of making 

 in this culture, I had end-ivour-jd to make myfelf fofar mafter of it, 

 as to be the lefs in danger of mifcarrying in my experiment. 



The cuftom of this country is, to prune the vine during and after 

 winter; frequently beginning that work about the end of January. 

 I always thought liiat a v^rong feafon ; and judged that it would be 

 much better to prune the vine before vvinter, immediately after the 

 vintage is ended. Experience has lince fhewed me that I was right. 



In November "^"J^jO, I pruned above fifty vines with my own 

 hands : none of them fuffered in the lead: by the winter's frofts : 

 they made ftrong and vigorous llioots, and produced a greater quan- 

 tity of grapes than any of the neighbouring vines. 



The next year, and in the fame month, I pruned the fame vines 

 again. This pruning had the fame effetft as the year before. En« 

 couraged by this repeated experience, I determined to make the bed 

 I mentioned before, in my old vineyard. The vines have continued 

 to be pruned before winter, always with fuccefs, and without any 

 fort of inconvenience. 



Satisfifed 



