THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 155 



ference, and, for every half inch of increase, allowing the vine 

 to ripen five pounds additional of fruit, so that the highest 

 number will give a yield of seventy-five pounds. If this can 

 be done, and he tells us that he gives the result of his prac- 

 tice, it -would seem that the question was settled. But it 

 appears that there are those holding different opinions. In 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle of June 10th, 1847, is the following, 

 on an article relative to planting the banks of railways with 

 vines : — 



" We entertain no doubt that S07?ie of the traditions current 

 in tliis country, as to vineyards having once been profitable, 

 are true, although others are apocryphal ; but we altogether 

 disbeheve the statement that the wines of England were ever 

 of good, or even tolerable, quality. 



" Upon all such points, we have to depend upon assertions, 

 whose value cannot now be determined, and a question like 

 that of vineyard cultivation in England must be decided upon 

 better grounds than tradition, and the reports of persons 

 whose taste was wholly unlike our own. The fact evidently 

 is, that, where nations had very bad internal communications, 

 and slow and difficult commercial relations, it was necessary 

 that objects of general consumption should be made in every 

 possible place ; especially a commodity so heavy, bulky, and 

 difficult of transport as wine. This, we conceive, quite ac- 

 counts for the numerous attempts that were formerly made to 

 obtain wine in the north of Europe, and for what is called the 

 success attending such endeavors. But, as communications 

 between country and country became easy, such a necessity 

 ceased to exist ; people's taste, moreover, became refined, and, 

 by degrees, all such cultivation as that of the vine, in English 

 vineyards, was discontinued. If this was not the reason of 

 vineyards being abandoned, we are at a loss to know what it 

 could have been. It would hardly have been abandoned, if 

 profitable ; and, if it was unprofitable formerly, how much 

 more so must it be at the present day. 



" But it is alleged, that an ' improved climate, greater skill 



