FRUIT GARDEN. 265 



and compact, round and short-jointed, and that the 

 eyes or buds be large and prominent.* Cut in the 

 autumn, they must be carefully buried until the en- 

 suing spring, when they may be taken up and plant- 

 ed where it is intended they shall permanently re- 

 main. 



Many appearances indicate that the vine is indif- 

 ferent to the nature of the soil in which it grows, 

 as it is found to live and thrive in limestone clay, 

 in chalk, in gravel, in granite, in schist, in earths 

 charged with the oxyde of iron, in the rubbish of old 

 foundations, and even in the midst of brick pave- 

 ments and castle walls. f Nor, judging from a first 

 and cursory view, should we suppose it to be more 

 nice with regard to exposition, as it may be found 

 growing under many different aspects, and on every 

 possible variety of surface. Still these appearan- 

 ces are deceptive, and yield to the evidence of many 

 facts, carefully collected by horticulturists, which 

 prove that, notwithstanding this general power of 

 adaptation, the vine is particularly sensible to the 

 influences of soil and exposure, and that, under even 

 slight changes or modifications of these, it becomes 

 more or less fertile, and gives its products earlier 

 or later, or with juices more or less abundant, sac- 

 charine, and well-flavoured. In strong, rich soils, 

 its growth in wood and foliage is vigorous ; but the 

 fruit ripens slowly, and is comparatively tasteless. f 



* The soils which in France are most generally assigned to 

 vineyards are, 1st, limestone clay ; 2d, gravelly clay, as at Nis- 

 mes, Montpelier, and Bourdeanx ; 3d, granitic soil, which gives 

 the wines called Cotes Rotds, Hermitage, and Taville, &c. ; and, 

 4th, chalk, as in Champagne. 



f See Treatise on Fruit-trees by Hitt, and Laurence on the 

 Fruit Garden. Rozier paved his vineyard at Bezieres. The 

 vine mentioned by Hitt grew in the foundations of Belvoir Cas- 

 tle, and that spoken of by Laurence grew out of the wall of an 

 old castle twenty feet from the ground. 



^ The Clovego estate, famous for the finest description of 

 Burgundy wine, changed masters during the revolution, and 

 was, out of mistaken kindness, or from a desire of doubling the 



z 



