MANUKE. 



221 



lioeing husbandry consisted simply in deep ploughing 

 and thorough pulverization of the soil. 



But while the mechanical condition of the soil 

 exerts a most important influence on the growth of 

 plants, there can be no doubt that unless all those 

 elements of which a plant is composed, exist in the 

 soil, or are derivable from other sources, healthy 

 vegetation is impossible. Tull's farm finally failed to 

 yield fair crops, notwithstanding large expenditures, 

 on the mechanical part of the process, and the same 

 result is said, to have attended the rigorous applica- 

 tion of his principles elsewhere. 



If the action of manures in general, is but imper- 

 fectly understood, still less does its influence upon 

 the vine and its products, seem to have been reduced 

 to known laws. In France the use of manure has 

 been productive of evils so great as to induce the 

 company of wine merchants, and vineyard proprie- 

 tors, to condemn the use of azotized manures entirely. 



On the other hand, the vine-dressers of Tliomery, 

 who produce the beautiful Chasselas de Fontainebleau 

 grapes, use rich manures in liberal quantities. In 

 general, it will be found in this, as in other cases, 

 that a middle course is best. If the border has been 

 purposely prepared in the first place, a vigorous 

 growth will have been secured, while it was necessary 

 that the vine should produce abundant wood, and 



