V I 



Very good Accoants left. Whate- 

 ver might be the Caufe of this to- 

 tal Neglect in cultivating Vi/2es in 

 Zngland, I won't pretend to deter- 

 mine j but fuch was the Prejudice 

 nioft People conceiv'd to any At- 

 tempts of producing Wme in Eng- 

 land, that, for fome Ages paft, e- 

 very Trial of that kind has been ri- 

 diculed by the Generality of Peo- 

 ple 5 and at this Day very few Per- 

 sons will believe it polTible to be 

 cfFe£ted. 



Indeed if we jadge only by the 

 Succefs of fome modern Eflays 

 made near London, where Imall 

 Vineyards have been planted a fev/ 

 Years pafl, there would be no great 

 Incouragcment to begin a Work of 

 this kind, bccaufe the Produce ot 

 very few of thefe Vineyards has 

 been fo kindly as were to be 

 wifh'd . But however this fhould 

 not deter others from making far- 

 ther Trials, efpecially when they 

 coniider the many Diladvantages 

 which moft or all of thefe Planta- 

 tions are attended with: For iirft, 

 there is fcarce one of them p'ac'd 

 upon a proper Soil and Situation 

 for this Purpofe j and fecondly, 

 there is not one which is rightiy 

 planted and managed, as I fhail 

 piefently fhew : And how can we 

 expcd: Succefs from Vineyards un- 

 der theie Difadvantages, when e- 

 ven in France or Italy they would 

 iiicceed httle better, if their Ma- 

 nagement were not directed whh 

 more judgment? I l"hall therefore 

 humbly ofler my Opinion, which 

 is founded upon fome Trials I have 

 fcen made, and from the Inftrufti- 

 ons which I have received from fe- 

 veral curious Perfbns abroad, who 

 cultivate Vineyards for their own 

 Uie and that of their Friends, and 

 who have been very cxa6t in obfer- 

 ving the Icveral Methods in Pra- 



VI 



€t*ice amongft the Vignerons of thofe 

 Countries ; trom whence it is hop'd, 

 that the Prejudice v^hich mod Peo- 

 ple have againft a Project of this 

 kind, will either be remov'd, or at 

 leaft fufpended, until Trials have 

 been judicioufly made of this Af- 

 fair. 



The firft and great Thing to be 

 conlider'd in planting Vineyards is, 

 the Choice of Soils and Situations ; 

 which, if not rightly chofen, there 

 will be lirtle Hopes of Succefs j for 

 upon this the whole Aftair greatly 

 depends. The beft Soil for a Vine- 

 yard in England, is fuch whofe 

 Surface is a light, fandy Loam, and 

 not above a Foot deep above the 

 Gravel or Chalk, either of which 

 Bottoms are equally good for Vines: 

 But if the Soil h deep, or the Bot- 

 tom cither Clay or a ftrong Loam, 

 it is by no means proper for this 

 Purpofe; for altho' the Vines may 

 flioot vigoroully, and produce a 

 great Quantity of Grapes, yet thefe 

 will be later ripe, fuller of Moi- 

 frure, and fo confequently their 

 juice not mature nor well digeft- 

 ed, but will abound with Crudity, 

 which in Fermenting will render 

 the Wine four and ill-tafted i which 

 is the comm.on Complaint of thofc 

 who have made Wine in England. 



Nor is a very rich, light, deep 

 Soil, fuch as is commonly found 

 near London, proper for this Pur- 

 pofe, becaufe the Roots of theie 

 Vines will be inticed down too 

 deep to receive the Influences of 

 Sun and Air, and hereby will take 

 in much crude Nourilhment, 

 whereby the Fruit will be render'd 

 iefs valuable, and be later ripe, 

 which is ■ of ill Confequence to 

 theie Fruits, which are known to 

 imbibe a great Share of their Nou- 

 rilhment from the Air, which if 

 replete with Moiftuie (as is com^ 



nionly 



