94 MY VINEYARD. 



of any kind, either liquid or solid, shall go to waste. My 

 methods of composting are essentially the same as those 

 described in the works on agriculture, and in the agricul- 

 tural and horticultural publications. The quantity I col- 

 lect is sufficient to afford a rich feeding to my vegetables, 

 fruits and flowers, besides a liberal supply for the lawn 

 and orchard. 



I have not as yet found it necessary to use manure in 

 the vineyard ; but it is hardly to be supposed that it can 

 yield its annual tribute of fruit without an ultimate ex- 

 haustion of the soil. But I apprehend the grape is one of 

 the least exhaustive of crops. The chemical constituents 

 of the fruit, which is made up largely of sugar and water, 

 are almost entirely found in the atmosphere. . The soil is, 

 therefore, lightly drawn upon in the production of fruit. 

 With ordinary farm crops the- case is different. AYheat, 

 corn, and meal, abound largely in phosphates, which the 

 soil can alone furnish. Hence these crops are rapidly ex- 

 haustive, and frequent manuring is necessary to maintain 

 the fertility of tlie soil. 



The soil of the vineyard, however, must furnisli all the 

 inorganic constituents of the wood* of the vine. If this 

 wood be taken away, and no return made, the soil must 

 from this cause be gradually exhausted. This explains 

 the reasons for the benefits which are said to arise from 

 manuring the vineyard with chopped trimmings and cut- 



