32 THE AMERICAN VINE DRESSER'S GUIDE. 

 AFTER-TILLAGE, UNCOVERING, AND HILLING. 



A VINEYARD requires to be ploughed or 

 dug over as often as necessary to prevent 

 weeds from injuring the shrubs : this we call 

 after-tillage. A plantation must be ploughed 

 over four times, at least, in order thoroughly 

 to destroy the weeds. The following year the 

 first ploughing should be done at the end of 

 March, and then very close to the plant, with- 

 out hurting the roots ; after which the plant 

 is uncovered to a depth of some six inches, 

 care being taken to remove all the shoots that 

 are at the surface of the ground, as well as all 

 superfluous roots. You leave it thus exposed 

 to the air for ten or fifteen days. The hotter 

 the sun is, the shorter time the plant should 

 be left uncovered. You next give a working 

 with the plough, in such a manner as to throw 

 up the earth against the plant, and then finish 

 the hilling with the spade. You plough again 

 toward the tenth or fifteenth of May ; once 

 more toward the end of June, and, lastly, 



