Grape Culture in Vineyards and 

 Gardens. 



The following directions are intended for small or 

 large vineyards, or the garden culture of grapes on trel- 

 lises, for table use and wine. 



SOIL FOR THE GRAPE. 



The best soil for a vineyard is undoubtedly a good 

 sandy loam, resting upon a gravelly and but slightly 

 clayey sub-soil. If the soil contain a good deal of soft, 

 rotten rock, mica, and especially limestone, so much the 

 better. Soft rock and mica, by their gradual decompo- 

 sition, furnish potash, or silicate of potash, which, with 

 lime, constitute two of the most important inorganic 

 elements of the grape. A good supply of black, car- 

 bonaceous loam, is essential to the soil of a vineyard, 

 and if not present, must be added by sod and peat com- 

 posts, or plenty of well rotted manure and straw mulch- 

 ing. It is not necessary, under the method of culture 

 recommended in this work, that the soil should be 

 trenched three feet deep, or more, as is advised by some 



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