SHAPE. 299 



November, they are laid on the ground at full length,fastened 

 down with pins, and covered lightly with earth ; in this 

 state they lie all the Winter. In April, as soon as the wea* 

 ther will permit, they are uncovered, and left lying on the 

 ground ten or twelve days : by the first of May, the Vines 

 are trained to stakes or poles of the length of ten feet and 

 upwards; and by the middle of June, the stakes are entirely, 

 covered by new shoots of the Vine, and with plenty of fruit, 

 which ripens in September. Mr. \V says, that until he 

 pursued his present course, his fruit was frequently blasted 

 and mildewed, _but that he has now Vines twenty or thirty 

 feet long, which run up the fruit trees adjoining; others, 

 being carried up eight or ten feet, are stretched horizontally. 

 It is seldom he gathers fruit within three or four feet of the 

 ground, and he has never any blasted or infected with 

 mildew; he keeps the ground cultivated by frequent 

 hoeing and raking ; but he says he has used no manure for 

 ten years, or more. 



Edward H. Bonsall, Esq., has a vineyard of American 

 Grapes at Germantown, Pa., in a high state of cultivation. 

 In page 331 of Prince's Treatise on the Vine, is a letter to 

 the author, containing some valuable information, from 

 which the following is extracted as appropriate to our 

 subject. 



Mr. Bonsall's vineyard is situated between the Schuylkill 

 and Delaware Rivers, four miles from the former, and eight 

 from the latter, at an elevation of 300 feet above their level, 

 has an aspect facing S. S. E., with a substratum of light 

 isinglass soil, and seems well suited to the purpose. He 

 says, " from my experience, both on my premises, and at 

 other places, it is my opinion that we should reject almost 

 all the foreign varieties, especially where our object in culti- 

 vating them is to make wine." He has upwards of thirty 

 varieties of American Vines under cultivation ; he recom- 

 mends preparing the ground by ploughing with two ploughs 

 with strong teams, one immediately behind the other, in the 

 same furrow, each of them set deep ; and after the plough- 

 ing is completed, to be harrowed thoroughly. Then in the 

 direction the rows are intended to be planted, parallel 



