288 MANURING. 



years if the ground is fertile ; but every consideration recom- 

 mends us to plant it in poor soils, and these soon become ex- 

 hausted by it. It therefore requires frequent manuring in 

 order to support the abundance of its produce, although a 

 powerful motive opposes the use of it, which is that it injures 

 the quality of the wine, and even gives it a bad flavour. On 

 hill sides, the soil of vineyards becomes exhausted, and the 

 number as well as the size of the grapes finally diminishes, 

 which leads necessarily to a deterioration of the quality of the 

 wine, of which many old neglected vineyards furnish ample 

 proofs. At all periods the friends of good wine have been 

 opposed to animal manures, they being the only ones essentially 

 injurious. It is to the use of the filth of the city of Paris, 

 that is attributed in part the bad quality of the wines of its 

 vicinity. A moderate portion of manure will not do much 

 injury ; but as the crops are increased in proportion to the 

 quantity, sjuch quantities are often used even in some of the first 

 vineyards of France, as greatly to injure the wines. 



It is therefore recommended where the quality of the wines 

 is the main object, to manure but moderately, and to select 

 vegetable manures in all cases in preference to those produced 

 by animals where such can be obtained. The deposits on 

 the shores of rivers and creeks, the cleanings of ditches and 

 ponds, and earth from roads and yards are recommended as 

 proper for manuring and enriching the soil of vineyards. 

 Fresh earth may also be transported from grain fields and 

 meadows, or from woods. A suitable compost may likewise be 

 formed with the earth of the vineyard, the leaves of trees, dry 

 weeds, the parings of lawns, &c. 



But the course least practised, and yet deemed most bene- 

 ficial, is that of raising crops of particular plants every second 

 or third year, for the purpose of ploughing or digging in. 

 There are many annual plants that may be sown immediately 

 after the vintage, which could in most parts of the union, 

 attain a growth sufficient to be dug or ploughed in the same 

 season. Buckwheat is particularly recommended for this pur- 

 pose, being easily cultivated and ploughed in, and as producing 



