346 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



broken up, but left porous. The cultivator or 

 the coulter harrow should, therefore, be used in 

 the vineyard instead of the spike harrow. 



The operation that has just been described 

 combines so admirably the advantages of winter 

 covering and fall plowing, that it ought to be 

 universally adopted. The primary roots are 

 not cut and dragged to the surface, as they often 

 are, even within a foot of the stock ; on the con- 

 trary, they are not only not damaged in this 

 way, but an additional covering is placed over 

 them. The ground is mellowed and aerated, 

 and when reversed in the spring by deplowing, 

 is charged with ammonia and other erases, as 



O O / 



well as the liquid manure absorbed from the top 

 dressing, all of which are placed within reach 

 of the mouths of the plant ready for appropri- 

 ation, and the new growth starts with a healthy 

 vigor which it will maintain throughout the 

 season, unless checked by unusual atmospheric 

 conditions. These are great and substantial ad- 

 vantages, which should not be lightly esteemed. 

 Those, however, who plow in the fall very much 

 as if -the vine were not a thing of life, and sen- 

 sitive to the mangling of its vital parts, should 

 leave nature to take care of the roots during the 

 winter. When the vine is young and lusty 



