Preparation of the Soil* 25 



practiced by one of our most successful and intelligent vine- 

 planters, and it is improved upon in a way that is worthy to 

 be presented to the reader. Mr. Robert Buchanan,* of Cin- 

 cinnati, O., provides shallow water-courses between all the 

 "squares," or subdivisions of his vineyard; these are wide, 

 and serve him also as roads. They are cheaply prepared 

 with the plow, and the loose earth is distributed among the 

 adjoining vines, or used in grading, so that there shall be a reg- 

 ular and easy fall with the road-way. In the first laying out 

 of the vineyard, a proper grade for the roads was secured. 



The crowning merit of these shallow ditch-roads, however, 

 is, that they are laid down to grass, so as to prevent washing. 

 They receive the surplus water that escapes from between the 

 rows, and quickly convey it out of the vineyard. They give 

 easy access to all parts of the ground; they act as turning rows 

 in cultivating with the horse ; they furnish an easy outlet for 

 surplus surface water, without washing into gullies, and they 

 admit the air freely to the vineyard ; besides all this, they 

 give a look of finish, at a very cheap rate. 



The grass should be kept cut short during the season, and 

 it may be fed to stock or thrown upon the soil as a mulch to 

 the vines.] 



III. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



I CALIFORNIA 



"P\RAiNAGE. One of the evils most i&^eJeared fora^ 

 vineyard is too much moisture in the soil. In such 

 a condition the roots of the vine will rot, its life will be 

 short, its produce limited, of inferior quality, and ripen- 

 ing slowly. If, therefore, it is intended to plant a vine- 



*Author of a Treatise on Grape Culture. 



4 



