92 THE GRAPE CULTUEIST. 



crop twenty-five per cent. And certainly it is not reason- 

 able to suppose, nor do I think that any theorist will 

 maintain, that it is among the possibilities of chemical sci- 

 ence to detect even a trace of 100 pounds of a substance 

 in 3,484,800, yet plants will detect it. 



I make these remarks because I have seen men, when 

 ooking for a situation on which to plant a vineyard, who 

 were very particular to have the soil analyzed by some 

 celebrated chemist before they would purchase or plant. 

 I do not wish to depreciate the science of agricultural 

 chemistry, for it has been one of the powerful auxiliaries in 

 the advancement of agriculture, but I would warn those 

 who implicitly rely on all the theories advanced, that they 

 may ask too much of it, and thereby be led astray. 



PREPARING THE SOIL. 



The manner of preparing the ground for a vineyard de- 

 pends entirely upon the kind of soil and its natural condi- 

 tion. If it is heavy and compact, the first step will be to 

 underdrain it either with stone drains or tile. 



The number of drains required, and the depth to which 

 they should be laid, will also depend somewhat upon the 

 nature of the soil and the amount of water to be carried 

 off. If the land has springs in it, then the drains should be 

 placed so as to cut them off near their source and prevent, 

 as much as possible, the excess of water from spreading. 



But soils containing springs, except they be gravelly, 

 phould be avoided, as they are perhaps the most unsuitable 

 that could be selected. There are also many soils that are 

 called dry that should be underdrained, especially if they 

 are inclined to heavy loam or clay, not so much to carry 

 off the water, but to aerate the soil that is, allow the air tc 

 penetrate and circulate through it ; for air always carries 

 with it more or less heat and moisture, and if the mechan- 

 ical texture of the soil is such as to readily admit air, then 



