Preparation of the Soil. 35 



be sufficiently near one another to be thrown into each 

 successive furrow opened by the plow. The plows 

 are then used as described above, to obtain the required 

 depth, according to the nature of the soil and climate 

 of the locality. As the furrows are opened to that 

 depth, the brush placed alongside of each one is thrown 

 into it ; thus buried, it will soon be reduced to com- 

 post, and will furnish the vine with rich and lasting 

 nourishment. 



[In referring to swamp lands, Mr. Du Breuil has given no 

 directions for the drainage which would be essential to them. 

 Indeed, we should not think of planting grapes in such soils 

 as we denominate swamp land, even if sufficiently dried by 

 drainage ; the peaty or mucky character of the soil would be a 

 bar to its use for grapes, as we find that vines, so situated, will 

 grow too much to wood, and seldom yield a paying crop of 

 fruit, because they are most subject to attacks of disease.] 



Steep, Hilly Lands, inaccessible to the Plow. For the 

 breaking up, or trenching of the lands just named, we 

 have advised the use of the plow, because it is the 

 cheapest process. But frequently it is advantageous to 

 locate vineyards on hill-sides so abrupt that it is, un- 

 unfortunately, impossible to use that implement. In 

 / such cases recourse must be had to manual labor to 

 prepare the soil. In other respects, operations must be 

 I so performed as to produce the foregoing results ; that 

 j is, the surface earth and brush must be placed at the 

 bottom of the trench, if the lands have been unculti- 

 vated. 



Breaking up in Strips or Ditches. This mode of pre- 

 paring the soil consists in opening a ditch of sixteen 



