AND WINE MAKING. 247 



out the soil with the spade to the depth you wish to 

 plant, then place the cutting down in the hole, throw 

 in fine soil, and firm it well to the base of the cutting 

 with the foot, letting the upper end come out at the stake, 

 leaving one or two eyes above the surface ; then fill up 

 the hole to the top, leaving a small mound around the 

 upper bud. 



CHAPTER L. 



THE VINEYARD. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 



As remarked before, I would not ran the risk of 

 planting a vineyard with varieties of the Vinifera, even 

 in districts not as yet affected by phylloxera. This 

 scourge, sooner or later, will be carried all over the 

 State, and make itself felt everywhere, except perhaps 

 in those districts which have a sandy soil, or which can 

 be inundated. But even on such soils, I firmly believe 

 that the little additional cost of the plants of resistant 

 stocks and the grafting will be doubly repaid by the 

 increased vigor of the vines and their greater produc- 

 tiveness, a fact which is already well established in 

 France. 



But whether you plant Vinifera cuttings or resistant 

 stocks for grafting afterwards, or for immediate bearing, 

 plant and graft none but the best varieties, those which 

 will make such wines, or yield such raisins or fruit as 

 will find a ready and remunerative market. Our motto 

 should be " Excelsior !" We can make good wines, 

 wines that will rank with any of the world's best pro- 

 ducts, if we have the suitable material and manage it 

 properly and skilfully. The depression in the markets 

 only a few short years ago, was caused mainly by the 



