THE GENESEE FARMER. 



61 



rithout leaves, that its dry, withered, wiry stem, 

 buld produce elegantly-formed expansive leaves 

 nd beautiful bunches of fruit of large size and 

 jreight, suspended as they are from the most frail- 

 oking tendrils ; but, notwithstanding its shrivelled 

 Ispect, the vine is a plant exceedingly susceptible 

 external influences. Color, size, form, taste, 

 roma, productiveness, vary in a remarkable de- 

 ree with a change of soil, position, and tempera- 

 ure. It is, therefore, no matter of surprise that 

 he grapes of the sunny side of Johannisberg should 

 ')e very superior in flavor to those of the north- 

 iacing slopes on the opposite bank of the Rhine." 



fal The practice of concealing the bunches of grapes 

 'rom the direct rays of the sun, behind screens 

 bi-med of growing leaves, and at the same time 

 eaving them open to light, was quite common. 

 The dii-ect rays of the sun foster by their heat the 

 icid principle of the grapes by increasing the 

 imount of tartaric acid ; and it does so more de- 

 cidedly in the red than the white grape, because 

 ho dark color absorbs the heat more readily; 

 .vhile the light of the sun, passing easily through 

 :he white skin, evolves the saccharine principle in 

 the white grape in a greater degree than in the 

 red, and thus brings each kind ripe nearer at the 

 same time — an important point in wine-making. 

 Protection from the direct rays of the sun also 

 improves the flavor of the fruit. 



Fetid manures exercise a very prejudicial influ- 

 ence on the odor of the wine; while such as are 

 inodorous and decay slowly, such as wool, horn, 

 and bone-black, conduce very much to enhance its 

 fragi'ance. 



" The leaves of the vine, which contain a con- 

 siderable quantity of alkali, constitute an excellent 

 manure for the plant. At the vintage, only the 

 fruit is removed from the vineyard ; and when the 

 kaves fall to the ground, their constituents neces- 

 sarily compose the best manure for future vine 

 leaves. Only in this manner can the fact be ex- 

 plained that the vine requires little inorganic 

 manure, and often contents itself with substances 

 which it obtains principally from the weather- 

 beaten rocks on whose slopes it is planted." 



"We believe it is now conceded that grave vines 

 are not particularly benefited by the application of 

 inorganic manures, such as potash, soda, etc. It is 

 only one of many facts going to show that the 

 composition of any particular plant is no certain 

 indication of the kind of manure most needed for 

 its growth. Potash enters largely into the compo- 

 sition of the wood, leaves, and fruit of the grape ; 

 and therefore it has been supposed that its cultiva- 

 tion would soon exhaust the soil of potash. But 

 while it is true that nearly one half of the ash of 

 the entire grave vine is potash, yet the growth of 

 grapes does not remove from an acre of soil so 



much potash as many of our farm crops. Potatoes, 

 turnips, etc., remove nearly double the quantity 

 that grapes do, and yet even these plants are not 

 particularly benefited by the application of potash 

 as a manure. Manures rich in ammonia and phos- 

 phoric acid appear to be best suited for the growth 

 of grapes. 



" The full ripening of the fruit by the action of 

 the sun is of the greatest importance in order to 

 secure good wine. On this account the vines are 

 not allowed to grow high, but the nearer they are 

 kept to the ground the better, in order that the 

 heat of the sun may be reflected back upon them 

 from the ground, and the process of ripening is 

 then carried through the evenings and nights by 

 the warmth which is radiated from the earth. The 

 vines are not kept short to obtain a greater quan- 

 tity of grape-juice, for those which are allowed to 

 grow six feet and upward yield a larger quantity 

 of juice, but their wine is worse than from the 

 short vines in the same place." 



The Ageioulttjee of the Rhineland, says the 

 same writer, has improved amazingly of late. 



" A few years ago, the land was generally in a 

 very foul state with weeds ; now it is much clean- 

 er, and now also the manure is applied in large 

 quantities. The manure is all from the farm-yard, 

 the stock being constantly kept in the homestead. 

 The crops are mostly of rye and oats, the rye 

 afl:brding the ordinary food to the population, and 

 the oats to both man and beast. Wheat is now 

 raised in increasing quantities, and so is barley. 

 Red clover is cultivated with success as a forage 

 plant. The peculiar crops are mangel wurzel, kohl 

 rabi, scarlet clover, and Indian corn, all of which 

 grow luxuriantly. Potatoes are largely cultivated, 

 and ruta baga may frequently be seen. But the 

 most striking feature in the change of Rhineland 

 agriculture is the great extension of the cultivation 

 of fruit trees. These are not planted in masses 

 like our orchards, but along the highways, and at 

 stated distances in rows in the cultivated land. 

 The ordinary fruits cultivated are apples and pears, 

 both for eating, though the old apple trees had 

 been planted for the purpose of making cider. 

 Cherry trees are common, and so are walnut ; but 

 the increasing culture in fruit is in plums, and of 

 these the Mirabelle seems the favorite. This is a 

 small, somewhat oblong, yellow- colored plum, 

 sweet to the taste, and capable of being eaten ripe, 

 or preserved for comp6tes. The trees are pruned 

 so as to allow the plowing under the lowest 

 trenches. A new orchard of Miralelle plums, con- 

 sisting of five thousand trees, has lately been plant- 

 ed in the neighborhood of Kronthal ; and on sur- 

 veying the country from the heights, it is fast being 

 covered over with fruit-trees, which, in addition to 

 the forests which are raised for fuel, will ere long 

 give it a wooded aspect. 



Plants breathe. The respiratory organs are in 

 the leaves — the upper side inhaling and the under 

 side exhaling. This can be seen by applying a cab- 

 bage leaf to a blister. Place the upper side nest tq 

 the blister, and it will draw ; place the under side 

 next to it, and no effect is produced. 



