150 PLANTING AND MANAGING 



countries must be added the important fact, that in 

 the latter country there is a much greater disparity be- 

 twixt the summer and winter temperature than in the 

 former. And it is this disparity that operates so pre- 

 judicially in the early forcing of the vine, which, if it 

 be commenced in the winter, will place the branches 

 in the enjoyment of a temperature of at least 70<^, 

 while that of the soil in which the roots are planted 

 will probably not exceed 35^ ! Nor does the soil be- 

 come but little warmer till a late period in the spring, 

 until after the crop of grapes will have been matured, 

 and when it is, therefore, too late for the fruit to de- 

 rive anj benefit from the increased warmth. These 

 disadvantages, with many others that flow from them, 

 acting in combination together, require the utmost 

 skill of the cultivator to parry them off and counteract 

 their injurious effects. 



But great as the disparity, however, is, that usually 

 exists betwixt the temperature of the branches and 

 the roots of early forced vines, it is considerably in- 

 creased by the prevalent practice of making rich and 

 highly manured borders for the roots to grow in. 



Previously, however, to any remarks on this head, 

 it may be opportunely observed, that the vegetative 

 power of the vine is wholly distinct from its matura- 

 live power. The latter, which is the power of pro- 

 ducing and perfecting its fruit, cannot exist without 

 the former ; but the former, which is the power of pro- 

 ducing shoots and leaves, can and does exist without 

 the latter. 



In the native country of the vine, these two powers 

 are by nature equally balanced, but this balance is 

 destroyed in progressing towards the equator on the 

 other hand. Within the tropics the light and heat 

 are too intense for the vegetative power, which cannot 

 therefore exist in sufficient strength to support the 

 maturative power; consequently, grapes cannot be 

 grown there without artificial means being used to 

 reduce and circumscribe the too powerful eftects of 

 the sun. On the other hand, in receding northward 



