26 . Vineyard Culture. 



yard in a soil of this nature, the first step is to drain 

 the land. On the Lower Rhine district, near Saverne, 

 we have seen a vineyard located on an abrupt hill-side, 

 composed of argilo-silicious soil, resting on quite imper- 

 vious clay. In consequence of the stagnant moisture 

 arising from this bad condition of the soil, the vines 

 languished, produced little fruit, which was of inferior 

 quality and ripened with difficulty. On this land, drains 

 have been made [A, Fig. 2] running with the slope, so 

 that each comes out at the base of the hill at B, on the 

 vertical cut formed at this point by the passage of a 

 vineyard road C. The upper ends of the drains ap- 

 peared on the surface of the land at D, on the hori- 

 zontal plane situated above the slope. This great 



[FIG. 2.] 



difference in the level of the two extremities of these 

 drains suggested the following observations : if, during 

 the heat of summer, a lighted candle is placed at each 

 extremity of one of these drains, the flame of the 

 lower candle will be carried, by the draft, into the 



