64 ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS. 



give a height of twenty-two feet for the wall. It is 

 seldom that a mere wall reaches this height; hut what- 

 ever height a wall may be, if the width of the coping 

 correspond to these proportions, the advantages de- 

 rived therefrom will be as great as can be obtained in 

 these aspects, without, in an injurious degree, exclud- 

 ing the solar rays. It may be remarked also, that a 

 projection of ^ess than /owr inches in width on a vine 

 wall is calculated to do more harm than good, as the 

 drip will fall on the fruit, which, in any stage of its 

 growth, will greatly injure it. 



Moveable icooden cojnngs may be used with great 

 advantage, as they produce all the benefit of fixed 

 copings without any of their disadvantages. Copings 

 of this description may project a little more than the 

 proportions above-mentioned, those being intended to 

 apply to fixed copings only. If temporary copings be 

 used, the proper periods of the year for their applica- 

 tion will be as follows : Jirst, from the twenty-first of 

 March to the middle of May; to protect the young 

 shoots from the injurious efllects of late frosts, and from 

 descending cold; — seco7idly ^ irom. the first expanding 

 of the blossoms, until the berries are well set; — and, 

 tMrdly. from the period of the berries becoming trans- 

 parent, and showing symptoms of ripening, until the 

 fruit be all cut from the vines. During this last-men- 

 tioned period, the coping will prove of the greatest 

 advantage in keeping the fruit dry^ for it may be 

 remarked, that as soon as grapes begin to make their 

 last swell, which is indicated by their becoming 

 transparent, not a drop of rain should ever be suffered 

 to fall upon them, if it can possibly be avoided. All 

 the moisture which they stand in need of they will 

 freely imbibe from the atmosphere. 



In concluding these observations on the construc- 

 tion of walls, it must be further observed, that, in 

 addition to the surface of a vine wall being as smooth 

 as possible, it ought also to be a true perpendicular, 

 and the wall itself to run in a straight line. These 

 qualities are necessary to ensure an equal distribution 



