AGRICULTURE OX THE KKiXE. 1S3 



is only possible to grow vines upon the steep slopes of 

 the mountains. Even in the valley of the Moselle it is 

 scarcely possible to use the ground which presents the 

 depth of soil that the vine requires, without losing too 

 much in reflected heat. The traveller finds some vine- 

 yards on the alluvial offsets of the hills soon after leaving 

 Coblenz, on a gentle slope near the village of Winnin- 

 gen; but their produce, notwithstanding the good qua- 

 lity of the soil, is not to be compared to those on the 

 steep a little farther on, where the hill-side forms an 

 angle of 45°, and was only made accessible a few years 

 back by an extensive blasting-operation conducted by 

 the engineers of Coblenz. The vineyards of Picsport, 

 Brauneberg, and Zclting vary in the angle thej^ present 

 to the surface of the river from 20° to 40°. In so moun- 

 tainous a district any site less steep than these would 

 assuredly prove unfit for the vine. 



Two peculiarities may be observed in the vinej^ards of 

 the Moselle that distinguish them from those of Nassau 

 and Rhenish Hesse, but which we shall again meet with 

 in the Palatinate. The first is the apj)arent neglect with 

 which the growers seem to treat the preparation of the 

 soil for planting. The young vines are planted in trenches 

 with some dung, but with far less care than is observed 

 on the Rhine. The land is not allowed to lie unused 

 for years previous to the planting, nor is a layer of turf 

 deemed necessary to receive the roots of the young plants. 

 This is explained by the rapid decomposition of the soft 

 clay-slate of which the hills are composed, and which 

 keeps up a constant supply of fresh soil, thar by turning 

 over is brought into contact with the plant. What this 

 regeneration of the soil imparts in the shape of nourish- 



