PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 19 



PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 



This matter embraces the foundation of the whole 

 subject of vine culture, and herein nearly every vine- 

 yard 3^et planted in America is defective. Labor is so 

 extremely high here, as to make it seem to us almost 

 impossible to start a vineyard as it should be. Our 

 very best vineyards are spaded up but two feet, while 

 in many parts of Europe they spade up the ground 

 to the depth of three and four, and even five feet. 

 "We never prepare the ground itself, during the preced- 

 ing year, while in Europe it is sowed down in clover, 

 for a few years previous, and well covered mth good 

 coatings of gypsum and manure. We trust to the vir- 

 gin richness of our soil, and in our confidence are apt 

 to forget that spading up the ground for several feet is 

 done for other reasons besides mere fertilizing ; and 

 that among these, for us especially, muist be a sinking 

 below the subsoil the present surface or upper soil, 

 which being full of decomposed vegetable matter, is 

 the hot-bed of all manner of insects. The spadino- 

 up and turning of the surface soil beneath its present 

 subsoil, is of the greatest importance, because thereby 

 the " Foot Boots" may penetrate downwardly, and thus 

 give to the whole grapevine not only its vigor, but 

 also its great safeguard against too sudden atmospheric 

 changes, or long-continued droughts. And I may in 



