SECRETARY'S REPORT. 237 



notliing has so much prevented tlic planting of vineyards as tlie 

 belief in trenching, and other costly modes of culture, derived 

 from the practice of vine-growers in other countries, and the 

 teaching of the books on which we have too much relied in the 

 absence of experience of our own. 



We believe that trenching is not only unnecessary — except, 

 perhaps, for the purpose of draining wet lands — but really 

 injurious to the vine, the roots of which are thus invited into 

 the cold subsoil, which, in our short seasons does not get warm 

 enough to promote the healthy development of the vine, which 

 grows late, and is thus surprised by the winter with unripened 

 wood, which yields imperfect and unripened buds, to give 

 imperfect and late fruit the ensuing season, if, indeed, it does 

 not die outright. 



Trenching, in hot countries, saves the vine from the effects 

 of the severe droughts which prevail during their long and hot 

 summers, and is, in such localities, indispensable to success ; 

 but the fact that trenching varies according to the climate^ 

 being, in France, about twenty inches, in Spain, about thirty 

 inches, and in Italy four and sometimes five feet, shows that we 

 must adapt our culture to the conditions of climate, and our 

 experience leads us to the conclusion that twelve inches is quite 

 enough. 



One other difficulty lies in the way of tlie cultivation of the 

 grape — in the the large way, — and that is the almost universal 

 belief that protection is necessary to carry the vines, — even 

 those called hardy, safely through the winter. 



Your Committee have, in former reports, invited attention to 

 the misuse of this term, which should only be applied to such 

 grapes as are absolutely hardy — loitliout protection — under all 

 ordinary circumstances. It is quite common among grape- 

 growers to call any grape hardy which can be made to survive 

 the winter with aid of protection, but we believe that the term 

 applies properly only to those, which, like the apple, pear, &£., 

 survive all winters without protection, except unusually severe 

 and exceptional ones, against which no experience can shield 

 you. 



"We have such grapes, and it is the part of wisdom, at least on 

 the part of the novice, to begin with such as have been proved 

 to be adapted to field culture without protection. 



