VIN 



V I N 



which will mark out tlie places 

 where the plants i«hciild be placed'- 

 B'lt as we are favour ;d witlia drier 

 atmosphere, I should thirsk the rows 

 may as well be planted nearer to- 

 gether, as it will be a saving of 

 ground and labour. 



He adds, ' the proper kinds of 

 grapes should be chosen. The 

 Vignerons abroad always observe 

 that the grapes which are good for 

 eating never make good wine ; 

 and therefore make choice of those, 

 whose juice, after ferme:itin^, af- 

 fords a noble rich liquor. These 

 grapes are always austere, and not 

 so palatable.' He supposes the 

 sort most proper for vineyards in 

 England, is the Jluvernat. or true 

 Burgundy grape ; and thinks it best 

 that a vineyard should produce on- 

 ly one kind of grapes ; because t!)e 

 mixing of the juice of several toge- 

 ther, will cause the wine to fer- 

 ment at different times." 



After the cuttings are planted, 

 he recommends keeping them clean 

 from weeds ; and as the rows are 

 at a great distance from each other, 

 he allows (hat the spaces between 

 may be sown, or planted with any 

 kinds of esculent roots, which do 

 not grow tail, provided there is pro- 

 per distance left from the vines, 

 and care taken that the vines be 

 not injured by the crops, or in gath- 

 ering, or carrying them off the 

 ground. And this liusbandry mas 

 be continued till the vines come to 

 bearing; after which there should 

 be no sort of crop put between 

 them, because the cleaner tlie 

 ground is kept, the more heat will 

 be reflected to the ^^rapes. 



'• The ground should be yearly 



well dug or ploughed, and always 

 kept free from weeds ; because 

 tiie roots of the vnies will otht-r- 

 wise be robbed of their uouriah- 

 inent. 



" Wlien a vineyard is arrived to 

 a bearing state, it should be so 

 prunr'd, t!)af there fhould be never 

 too many branches ieff on a root, 

 nor tho«e too long ; for though there 

 ma) be a greater quaritity of fruit 

 produced, yet the juice will not be 

 so good as when tht^re is a moder- 

 ate quantity ; and the roots will be 

 weakened, which is found to be of 

 bad consecjuence. The number of 

 branches which the Italians leave 

 upon a strong vine are four; 

 two of the strongest have four 

 eyes ; and the two weaker are 

 short«Mied down to two eyes each. 

 Shoots that have borne fruit, are 

 either cut quite away, or reduced to 

 two eyes, 



•'The ground of a vineyard 

 should not only be constantly well 

 tilled, but a dressing of some good 

 manure applied to it every third 

 yea>*. in tba spring, and well mixed 

 with the soil. 



" When a vineyard is carefully 

 dressed, it will be as pleasing a 

 si^ht, as any plantation of trees or 

 shrubs whatever. If the rows be 

 regular, and the stakes exactly 

 placed, and the upright shoots 

 stopped to an equal height, there is 

 nothing in nature which will make 

 a more beautifufappear^mce. And 

 during the season that the vines are 

 in flower they emit a most grateful 

 scent, especially its the morning and 

 pvenring. And w!ien the grapes be- 

 gin to ripen there wi'i be fresh plea- 

 sure in viewing them." 



