Field-Culture of the Grape in Massachusetts. 203 



llich soil and all resources of the gardener, may be, and often must be, 

 applied to such grapes. We leave them out of the argument, because they 

 can never be made profitable in the vineyard ; and proceed to those vigor- 

 ous and hardy grapes which are sure to succeed, the number of which, I 

 may add, will undoubtedly be increased by others equally hardy, and suited 

 to field-culture 



I have already hinted at the fact that excessive growth is necessarily 

 immature, and the unripe wood unfit to carry a crop of grapes to perfection, 

 and that this is one of the results of high-feeding. Let me add to this the 

 fact, well understood in wine countries, that it impairs the quality of the 

 fruit for either wine or table ; a fact which has been verified in my own 

 experience. 



I have a piece of land at the top of a steep slope, which was planted 

 with the Concord grape in 1857. At the time of planting, the soil was 

 manured with peat compost at the rate of forty loads (equal to ten cords) 

 to the acre, to promote the formation of roots in the young vines. 



This ground has had no feeding since, — not even ashes. The fruit from 

 this vineyard is so superior to that grown on vines of the same kind, in rich 

 soil, about the house (planted in 1852), that it has been taken by experts 

 even for another and better grape. They are not so large in bunch or 

 berry ; but the quality of the fruit is so much better as to be full compensa- 

 tion for the less crop. 



The "Chateau Margaux" — a vineyard which has made famous the 

 whole district now called by that name — is a case in point. According 

 to Haraszthy, the chemical composition of the soil of this celebrated 

 vineyard is as follows : — 



Oxide of iron 3-341 



Alumina i-590 



Magnesia 0.263 



Soluble silicates 0.380 



Phosphoric acid 0.147 



Potash 1. 291 



Carbonate of lime 0.891 



Organic matter 6.670 



Insoluble residue 85.427 



This analysis shows the large proportion of more than three and one- 



