FRUIT-GARDENING. 101 



BEST VARIETIES FOR WINE. 



The best vfine in Italy and Spain is also made from Grapes 

 of tins description ; but in both comitries many of the larger- 

 berried sorts are grown on account of their producing more 

 liquor. The sweet wines, as the Malmsey, Madeira, Constau 

 tia, Tolcay, etc., are made from sweet-berried Grapes, allowed 

 to remain on the plants till dead-ripe. That wine is the 

 strongest, and has most flavor, in which both the skins 

 and stones are bruised and fermented. The same thing is 

 true in making cider ; but in both processes bruising the stones 

 or kernels is neglected. The vine was fonnerly extensively 

 cultivated in Britain for the wine-press, but its culture is now 

 confined to the garden as a dessert fruit; and they have in 

 that country not only the best varieties, but they grow the 

 fruit to a larger size, and of a higher flavor, than is done any- 

 where else in the world. This is owing to the perfection of 

 their artificial climates, and the great attention paid to soil and 

 subsoil, and other points of culture. The fruit is produced in 

 some vineries during every month in the year ; and in the Lon- 

 don markets (generally) it is to be had in the highest degree 

 of perfection from March to January. 



SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. 



The vine will thrive in any soil that has a dry bottom ; and 

 in such as are rich and deep it will grow luxuriantly, and pro- 

 duce abundance of large fruit. In shallow, dry, chalky, or 

 gravelly soils, it will produce less fruit, but of better flavor. 

 Speechly recommends dung reduced to a black mould, the dust 

 and dirt of roads, the offal of animals or butchers' manure, 

 horn shavings, old rags, shavings of leather, bone dust, dung 

 of deer and sheep, human excrement, when duly meliorated 

 by time, a winter's frost, and repeatedly turning over. Abcr- 

 crombie says that dung out of a cow-house, well rotted, is a 

 fine manure for the vine. He recommends drainings from 

 dunghills to be used over the ground once in ten or fourteen 



