V I 



the Rows : And others, who think 

 they have been full liberal in this 

 Article, have only planted their 

 Vines at fix Feet Diftance every 

 Way i but neither of thefe have 

 adlow'd a proper Diftance to them, 

 as I fliall fhew : For in the firft 

 Place, where the Rows are plac'd 

 too clofe, there will not be Room 

 for the Sun and Air to pafs in be- 

 tween them to dry up the Moi- 

 fture, which being detain'd amongft 

 the Vines, muft produce very ill 

 Effedls. And fecondly, where the 

 Vines are plac'd in exadl Squares, 

 fo near together as fix Feet, there 

 can be no Room for the Current 

 of Air to pafs between them, when 

 their Branches are extended on each 

 Side, and fo confequently the Damps 

 in Autumn will be entangled and 

 detain'd amongft the Vine^^ to the 

 great Prejudice of their Fruit. For 

 fince the Autumns in England are 

 often attended with Rains, cold 

 Dews, or Fogs, fo all proper Care 

 fhould be taken to remove every 

 thing which may obftruci the dry- 

 ing up the Damps which arife 

 from the Ground. 



The skilful Vignerons abroad are 

 alfo fenfible how much it contri- 

 butes to the Goodnefs of their 

 Vines to allow a large Space be- 

 tween the Rows J and therefore 

 where the Quality of the Wine is 

 more regarded than the Quantity, 

 there they never plant their Vines 

 at lefs than ten Feet Row from 

 Rov,', and fome do allow twelve. 

 It was an Obiervation ot Belloniusy 

 almoft two hundred Years fince, 

 that in thoie lilands of ihcylrchipe- 

 Jago, where the Rov/s of Vines 

 were plac'd at a great Diftance, the 

 Wine was much preferable to thoie 

 which were clofe planted; and 

 'his he pofitively affirms to be the 

 -Cafe in moft Countries where he 



V I 



had traveird. Indeed, we need not 

 have Recourfe to Antiquity for the 

 Truth of fuch Fa£ts, when we are 

 daily convinc'd of this Truth in all 

 clofe Plantations of any kind of 

 Fruit, where it is conftantly ob- 

 ferv'd, that the Fruits in fuch Pla- 

 ces are never ib well coloured, ib 

 early ripe, nor near fo well fla- 

 vour'd as thofe produc'd on I'rees, 

 where the Air can freely circulate 

 about them, and the Rays of the 

 Sun have free Accefs to the Branches, 

 whereby their Juices are better pre- 

 par'd before they enter the Fruit. 



Having thus confider'd the Di- 

 ftance which is neceflary to be al- 

 low'd to thefe Plants, we come 

 next to the Planting: But in order 

 to this, the proper Sorts of Grapes 

 fhould be judicioufly chofen i and 

 in this Particular we have egregi- 

 oufly erred mZnglandy all the Vine^ 

 yards at prefent planted here, are of 

 the fweeteft and beft Sort of Grapes 

 for Eating, which is contrary to 

 the general Prad:ice of the Vigne^ 

 rons abroad, who always obfervc 

 that fuch Grapes do never make 

 good Wine, and therefore, from 

 Experience, do make Choice of 

 thofe Sorts ot Grapes, whofe Juice, 

 after Fermenting, affords a noble, 

 rich Liquor j which Grapes are al- 

 ways obferv'd to be auftere, and 

 not by any means palatable. This 

 is alfo agreeable to the conftant 

 Pradicc of our Cyder-makers in 

 Englatul, who always obferve, that 

 the beft Eating Apples make but 

 poor Cyder ; whereas the more 

 rough and auftere Sorts, after being 

 prefs'd and icrmented, do afford a 

 ftrong vinous Liquor. And I be- 

 lieve it will be found true in ali 

 Fruits, that where the natural Heat 

 of the Sun ripens and prepares 

 their juices, fo as to render theni 

 palaiabie, whatever Degree of Heat 



ihciJJ 



