42 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



dition of one half of good loam to the compost, doubtless 

 would do well. In the damp clhnate of England, this com- 

 post would probably retain sufficient moisture, and never 

 become dry, as Mr. Hoare says ; but, in the severe droughts 

 of the United States, in most situations, the plants would die. 



In preparing a suitable soil for fruit trees in general, De la 

 Quintiney says : " The best earth for this use is a sort of rich 

 sandy loam, which may be taken from near the surface of 

 some rich pasture-ground, where cattle have been fed or foth- 

 ered, or of some rich sheep-walk, where there is a depth of 

 earth, and if it is mixed with a little old mellow earth, or the 

 like, it may do well ; or cow or horse dung may likewise do 

 well, if it is quite rotten, so as to be like earth ; but of this a 

 small quantity, as one part in four or five, and thoroughly 

 rotted." page 9. 



New earths he also recommends as suitable for trees, &c. ; 

 these he defines as being " such as have never served for the 

 nourishment of any plant, or else have been a long time built 

 upon, &c. ; likewise, earth from some rich pasture-ground, of 

 a sandy, loamy nature, Avhere cattle have been a long 

 time fed, is of excellent use for most sorts of plants ; es- 

 pecially if it has been thrown up in heaps to meliorate, 

 and has taken the -winter frosts, it will be so much the 

 better." p. 17. 



" Now since the great defects of earth are too much moist- 

 ure, coldness, and heaviness, also lightness, and an inclination 

 to parching, so amongst dungs, some are fat and cooling, as 

 that of oxen and cows ; others, hot and light, as that of sheep, 

 horses, pigeons, &c. And whereas the remedy must have 

 virtue contrary to the distemper it is to cure, therefore, hot 

 and dry dungs must be used in cold, moist, heavy earths, 

 and oxen and cow dung in clean, dry, light earths, to make 

 them fatter and closer. Not that these two sorts, though the 

 principal, are the only materials for the amendment of earth ; 

 for, upon farm lands, all sorts of stuffs, linen, flesh, skin, 

 bones, nails, hoofs of animals, dirt, urine, excrements, wood, 



