136 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



are planted promiscuously, whereas the almond-trees, of -which 

 many are raised, are planted in avenues. 



The vines are planted two vafras apart. They are kept low to 

 the ground, and are trimmed to one size. According to the thick- 

 ness and strength of the vine, it has four to eight shoots. The 

 vine is pruned every year to one eye, and forms a kind of knob 

 or head. The shoots are not staked, but left to run on the ground. 

 Afler the month of June the ground is gathered up around the 

 vine as we hill potatoes. This is done to permit the sun to fall 

 on the roots and draw the heat to the grapes. The vines are 

 thrifty, and the soil is red and gravelly. 



"We arrived at a packing-house ; the servant took our horses 

 and tied them separately. As I was taking notes I heard a ter- 

 rible stampede. Eunning out to see the cause, I found that one 

 of the horses had pulled off the bridle and "pitched into" the one 

 standing next him. The third one, also wishing to have a hand 

 in the matter, broke his bridle, and the fight went on lustily. 

 The third, being somewhat inferior, soon gave up, after receiving 

 several kicks and bites, but the others fought like tigers. We 

 tried to stop the fight, but no whip, stone, or pole could separate 

 the combatants. A score or more of men surrounded them, but 

 in vain. One of the men threw a stone at one of the horses, but 

 it missed its mark, and landed in the stomach of my son, almost 

 knocking him down. At last they were separated ; but what a 

 sight! They were bleeding every where, and the bridles and 

 saddles were all in pieces. I contemplated the scene before me, 

 and the figure of my landlord rose up before my vision like the 

 ghost in Hamlet. I saw in imagination a long paper with a fear- 

 ful column of figures, the sum total at the bottom being quite 

 too long to be read. 



After patching up our bridles and saddles, we remounted for 

 the city. I was hungry, having started without breakfast, but 

 my appetite was considerably decreased by the vision of the com- 

 ing bill. At last we arrived, and rode to the stable. I watched 

 my man. He looked at his horses, shook his head, told me he 

 must send for a veterinary surgeon, etc. This calmness foreboded 

 no good. It showed diplomacy, which I determined to meet with 

 the same. I went to our consul, Mr. Hancock, an excellent gen- 

 tleman, by the way. I told him my suspicions about breakers 

 ahead. The consul immediately sent his clerk to the Civil Regis- 

 ter's office to have our names registered ; this would make the 



