58 TREATMENT OF YOUNG VINES. 



to its sjDreading and matting. In some regions of 

 country this is done by walking over the patch a 

 short time after planting, and if the wiry grass has 

 made its appearance^ pnlling it up. If this stuff is kept 

 down and out of the way, in the first year the vines 

 will give encouragement to the cultivator. In manag- 

 ing the young vines, it is deemed necessary to attend 

 to them in this way for the first three years, when 

 after that period they require less attention and labor ; 

 but it will always be well to do a little every year by 

 way of keeping down any foul stuff which may have 

 made its appearance. 



In some localities, it is customary to go over the 

 patch in the spring of the year, and to pull up any 

 briers, or the roots of wild grass which may be met with. 

 In well-established yards more labor than this is sel- 

 dom called for. For a large yard a day is sufficient. 



Hoeing is resorted to by some cultivators. Where 

 the vines are planted two feet apart this is necessary, 

 or may be resorted to with safety for the first two years. 

 In that time, the heavy or thick tufts of weed can 

 be killed, and the soil, thus lightened, will prove 

 a benefit to the vines, as it is thereby rendered more 

 porous. After that period it will be hazardous to hoe, 

 as it can hardly be done without cutting and destroy- 

 ing some of the vines. Should the weeds threaten to 

 become troublesome after this, they can be removed by 



