WINTER MANAGEMENT. 353 



to the wire at about an angle of forty-five de- 

 grees before bending them horizontally. This 

 is the plan of Dr. May, shown in Fig. 87, p. 152. 



Where only a few vines are grown, they are 

 pegged down and covered with the spade. 

 Vines that are grown against walls and build- 

 ings receive from these generally as much pro- 

 tection as they need ; but if more is thought to 

 be necessary, as may sometimes be the case, 

 they can be bent down and covered with earth 

 or brush. For this purpose nothing is better 

 than branches of hemlock or cedar. The vines 

 are sometimes bedded in straw, which affords a 

 good protection; but there is this objection to 

 it, that 'it harbors mice, which often destroy the 

 vines. Manure litter is objectionable for the 

 same reason. If it should not be desirable or 

 convenient to lay the vines down, they may be 

 protected by laying straw mats against them 

 on the trellis. Buildings and walls, however, 

 present such favorable conditions for the growth 

 of the vine, that the wood becomes thoroughly 

 ripe and hardy, and hence, as a general rule, 

 needs no further protection than these afford. 



Figs. 140 and 141 show a good plan of pre- 

 paring the vines for covering, in which each 

 alternate vine is placed just beneath the sur- 



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