318 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



Mr. Bonsall has a large number of American vines 

 growing in liis vineyard near Philadelphia, and it is 

 his opinion, after much experience, that we must rely 

 upon them in preference to foreign varieties, so far 

 as the making of wine is concerned. Mr. Bonsall's 

 mode of training is peculiar, but succeeds well. 

 Posts are set in the earth seven feet in height along 

 the rows of vines, and ten feet from each other. 

 Three nails are then driven into each post, to within 

 half an inch of their heads, the first two and a half 

 feet from the ground, one at the top, and the other 

 midway between. Around these nails No. 11 iron 

 wire is secured by a single turn, and continued from 

 one to the other. Around the wires the tendrils cling 

 easily, and the vines are fully supported, Avhile the 

 air and sun penetrate easily evecy part. Mr. Bonsall 

 trains his vines to produce fifty clusters each, and, 

 when fresh pruned, they will not at any age be more 

 than four or five feet high. 



To protect European varieties, it is necessary to 

 lay them down and cover them with earth. To do 

 this, prune them in autumn, disengage them from the 

 trellis, bend them to the earth, and, after placing some 

 flat stones upon them to keep them in a proper po- 

 sition, cover them with at least three inches of earth. 

 The European kinds require renewal every few 

 years in our climate, or the fruit mildews in such a 

 manner as to be worthless. In its native climate the 

 vine lives to a great age, as is proved by the vine- 

 yards of Italy and France, some of which are known 

 to be several hundred years old ; and by the great 

 age attained by our native vines. 



Those who think of cultivating the vine for wine, 

 will doubtless make themselves acquainted with the 

 works that treat on that subject fully; while those 

 who wish to cultivate for the market or their own 

 tables, and all should di the last, will find little diffi- 

 culty in succeeding. 



