24 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



shall have a soil that will "bring any kind of 

 plants to their highest state of excellence. 



TrencJi plowing is much less expensive than 

 spade trenching, and but little inferior to it, 

 when well done, putting the ground in fine 

 condition for growing grapes as well as other 

 crops. In trench plowing, oxen are to be pre- 

 ferred to horses, their draught being steadier as 

 well as more powerful. There is no plow in 

 use at present specially adapted to this work, 

 and we must therefore take the best we can 

 get. The cylinder plow, on account of its easy 

 draught, is perhaps one of the best. Two 

 plows and two yokes of oxen are used; the 

 work will be better done, however, if two 

 yokes of oxen are attached to the second or 

 following plow. The first plow opens a furrow 

 as deep as the plow can be driven. The second 

 plow follows immediately in the same furrow, 

 and deepens it to the full capacity of the team. 

 There must be no balks or jumps; the plow 

 must be plunged in to the beam, and kept there. 

 Men with spades should follow the second plow, 

 to remove the stones, and keep the furrow open. 

 The lot may be plowed round, or in lands ; but 

 we prefer to return without a furrow, so that 



