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atop. Into this should be worked at least twenty-five cords per acre of compost, con 

 sistinc' of at least fifty per cent stable manure. The most complete preparation would 

 be seventy-five or eighty cords per acre of good surface soil from an adjoining field/ 

 with half or all of tlie compost before named. If this addition of soil is made, the 

 previous working may have a proportionate diminution of depth. 



When ground receives such addition, it is advantageous often to have the added 

 soil of a different character. If the original field is too compact, add such as is more 

 sandy and open, or the contrary, or a large amount of leaf-mold, vegetable decay, 

 or muck. The practical cultivator needs no direction to bear in mind our inten- 

 tion of getting a good corn soil of at least double the ordinary depth, that is to say, 

 at least eighteen inches, which may be considered very good. In all of this, we have 

 had in mind growing grapes for the table, for which large bunches as well as large 

 3rops, and beautiful in appearance, are such a desideratum as to be regarded indis- 

 pensable to. profit. Luscious grapes of best quality for table use are not necessarily 

 best for wine. High flavor is always required for making good wine, but not neces- 

 sarily the delicacy that constitutes a great element of excellence for the dessert. 

 Among foreign varieties, the Chasselas may be considered excellent for eating, but 

 ijuite worthless for wine ; the Frontignans, most excellent for wine, and far letter 

 for dessert than the Chasselas ; but the Frontignans may be so grown by excessive 

 enrichment, as to give only poor wine, yet still the highest satisfaction for the table. 



Tastes, whose powers of discrimination have been well trained, and subjected to 

 comparison by good standards, can speak confidently of the ability of a grape to 

 make good wine, but the ability to make excellent, or most excellent, can be learned only 

 by actual experiment. And it must be borne in mind that the perception to take 

 cognizance of the best wine, or the ability to take particular enjoyment from it, are 

 neither of rapid growth nor the result of little practical knowledge. The palate per- 

 forms only the porter's or janitor's ofiice, which is merely to judge of and admit such 

 applicants as the lord of the mansion shall find fit guests, and should be, of course, 

 always acting in subjection to his lordship's commands. If the mean and trivial are 

 allowed to get possession, the mansion will be debased. If such as bring strength, 

 elevation, and inspiration, it will be ennobled. 



The subject of wines is one that can not be profitably engaged upon with a little 

 preparatory knowledge, and we will not proceed with it at present. 



The preparation of a vineyard for the production of the best of wine should be as 

 carefully and as thoroughly done as for the production of fruit for the table ; but for 

 this purpose so large crops are not supposed to be obtainable with due regard to qual- 

 ity. The ground must be at least as deeply worked, and a suflicient degree of enrich- 

 ment evenly diffused through the soil, which the roots are to occupy to maintain a 

 good degree of vigor and productiveness. Superficial working of the ground as a 

 preparation, and mulching with weeds, we may admit in a general way to be both new 

 and strange in theory, but every one who is at all conversant with vine-growing, 

 knows that it is not only very old, but that it has always proved very disastrous in 

 practice. That those who are ill-naturedly called nostrum-venders, are able with 

 much certainty to pour health directly into a diseased man, we may not be quite 

 ready to allow ; but we can not, on the first view of the matter, positively deny it, 

 for his conformation does not much violence to the idea, particularly when his head 

 is thrown back, and his mouth wide open with wonder; but that plants M'hich have 

 never by any lapse acquired a false appetite, should take with avidity and advantage 

 that whose touch destroys their tender mouths, we are not ready to believe on any 

 evidence that has yet been offered. Nor does a pretty extended observation in con- 

 nection with numerous experiments, afford any ground for faith in " specifics," except 

 such as may go into this compost-heap for its reduction, and lose their specific charao 

 ter before corning in contact with the roots of plants. 



