HOW TO CULTIVATE THE SOIL. 71 



Never put a "Spur" above the " Bearing Wood," 

 or " BoWj" or, as the European vintners have it, "Never 

 put the apprentice above the master," a saying in which 

 lies the whole idea of so trimming as to have the proper 

 number of apprentices ready below, to become subse- 

 quent masters. The thighs should never be shorter 

 than eight or ten inches, nor longer than four feet ; nor 

 should the bows have more than ten to twelve buds, 

 nor the spurs more than two or three buds. No vine 

 should have more than three thighs — ^two is enough ; 

 nor any one thigh more than one bow, and two spurs, 

 (one will generally be enough.) Should it be intended 

 to get " Layers/' it is best to train ground shoots for 

 the purpose. 



HOW TO CULTIVATE THE • SOIL OF A VINEYARD. 



Before any cultivation of the ground, the vineyard 

 should be cleared of all offals from the previous trim- 

 ming. These offals should be packed down in those 

 spots in the vineyard which have a tendency to wash. 

 They may be used for these purposes in other locali- 

 ties. In Germany, they are gathered up for firewood, 

 as was the old custom in Judea. I have found them 

 most excellent in smoking hams and meat generally, 

 and fancied they gave to meat a better flavor. 



