50 MY VINEYAEP. 



this time, I had scarcely seen any thing of grape-growing. 

 In my native place there were but few vines, and these 

 were not successful enough to attract attention. There 

 was hardly any branch of horticulture or agriculture to 

 which I was so little fitted by my studies, experience, or 

 observation. 



When my fall's work was finished, and the long v^dntoi- 

 evenings had arrived, I took down my files of papers, and 

 commenced my w^ork. Running my eyes over tlie index, 

 I turned at once to those articles which had any thing to 

 say on the subject of grapes. My books (some of them 

 were old English ones) were also consulted in the same 

 way. The result, it must be confessed, did not leave in 

 my mind a knowledge of the subject particularly remark- 

 able for its clearness. So far as I knew there were not, 

 at that time, any reputable works on Grape Culture. 

 Some have since appeared, and particularly a most excel- 

 lent one, by A. S. Fuller. 



PLANTING A VINE. 



Early in the succeeding spring my first experiment 

 was made in grape-growing. The place chosen was in 

 the fruit-garden. The border ran east and west, the west 

 end butting up against the division fence, between the 

 garden and woods. The soil was, for the most part, 

 lighter than in any other portion of the farm. Towards 



