554 THE VINEYARD, [NOV. 



Old fruit trees having scaly, rough bark, should in this month, if 

 not done in the former, be brushed over with a mixture of cow-dung 

 and urine, as directed in page 521. 



THE VINEYARD. 



Pruning of Vims. 



THE pruning of grape-vines at this season, will answer extremely- 

 well in the southern states, and ought to be duly attended to ; but 

 the severity of the frosts in the middle and eastern states, renders 

 it more prudent to defer this work to the latter end of February, or 

 if the season proves late, the first week in March ; but upon no ac- 

 count should you delay it longer : indeed upon the whole, the late 

 February pruning will be the safest. In the city and neighbourhood 

 of Philadelphia, vines that were pruned on the first and second days 

 of March, 1805, wept copiously a few days after, but some cold 

 weather ensuing, they stopped bleeding; this shews the necessity 

 of pruning in February, especially in warm situations or exposures. 



Those who prefer pruning their vines at this time, as well as 

 those who from the temperateness of their climate sought to do it, 

 will find the necessary instructions in page 139, Sec. 



Winter Dressing of Vines. 



You should now plough between the rows of vines in your vine- 

 yard, where practicable, having first tied up all the trailing runners 

 to the stakes ; observing to lay up the earth as much as possible to 

 the stems of the vines : to effect this the better, the ground must 

 be cross-ploughed. The one and two year old plants, will particularly 

 require this earthing ; and after the ploughing is finished, the earth 

 should be drawn up round them with a hoe, the better to preserve 

 the lower parts of the stems with the buds from alternate freezing 

 and thawing, which is much more injurious to them than a continued 

 frost. In this state they are to remain till the proper time for pru- 

 ning in spring, when the earth is to be drawn from around them, 

 and the plants dressed as directed in page 139. 



When the ground does not admit of this culture with the plough, 

 it should be given with the spade and hoe, as it is of considerable 

 importance, not only to protect the plants, but to destroy weeds, and 

 meliorate the soil, by throwing it up loosely to the influence of the 

 frost and weather. A dressing of manure, where wanted, should be 

 given previous to the ploughing, &c. 



This is a very proper period to manure, trench, or plough the 

 ground which you intend to plant with grape-vines next spring, as 

 observed in page 236 ; leaving it as rough and high as possible. 



In the Southern states, vineyards may now be planted, vines 

 pruned and propagated by layers and cuttings, and every thing else 

 done in that way, as directed in March for the middle and eastern 

 states. 



