THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 205 



that the vines received begins now. I shall only notice 

 what relates to the manures. In former seasons, nothing is 

 said about manures, and we can only presume they were ap- 

 plied then as they were the year of the record, as this is 

 given as a guide for the management of vines generally : — 



" 3Iarch Ist. — Some of the vines have burst a few of 

 their eyes. 



" April 30i7i. — The border not yet having been dug, it was 

 manured with ten or fifteen pounds of guano, and spaded 

 about six inches deep. 



''^ June 9t7i. — The weather having been quite dry, the 

 border has been mulched with coarse manure, and abovit a 

 barrel of water given to each vine. 



" June VltJi. — Gave the border about ten barrels of water. 



" June 30^7i. — Since the refreshing rains of the 20th to 

 the 28th, the berries have swelled very fast. 



" Jul^ 12th. — Warm, with refreshing showers. 



" July 22d. — Was rainy, the 25th the rainy weather con- 

 tinues. 



" August 8th. — Light showers. 



" August 10th. — Showers. 



" August 15th. — The weather having been dry since the 

 10th, gave about a barrel of water to each vine. 



^^ August SI St. — The fruit all ripe, with the exception of 

 the Esperione and Black Prince." 



Mr. Hovey has omitted to state, that his border was cov- 

 ered with coarse manure and leaves in sufficient quantity to 

 prevent severe frosts from injuring the roots of the vines. 

 This is an important matter, and should not be neglected, 

 for, in addition to the benefit derived from this protection, 

 from the severity of the weather, the advantages from the 

 juices of this covering being washed down amongst the soil 

 and roots, by the rains and melting snows of winter, (par- 

 ticularly where the border is not of the very richest kind,) 

 must be very great. The vines Avere planted, on an average, 

 four and a half feet apart, the length of the house being 



