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seen, is necessary for the aeration of the soil. It is, therefore, best to 

 mulch with soil, or in other words, to thoroughly cultivate the surface, 

 unless in the case mentioned in the previous chapter, where the vines 

 are allowed to grow wild during the summer, and where the large 

 number of leaves protecting the surface of the soil and keeping it 

 cool prevent excessive evaporation. 



In all other cases thorough cultivation must be resorted to. More 

 especially is this the case if vines be irrigated. As with other plants, 

 a thorough surface cultivation must follow every application of water, 

 without which no good results can follow from it. 



The summer cultivations should always be executed with scarifiers, 

 grubbers, or cultivators, of which there are an immense variety of 

 types, some more suitable than others for certain descriptions of soils. 

 It is unnecessary for us here to describe any of these implements; 

 those which break the ground most thoroughly and leave it in the 

 finest state of division are the best. As the summer cultivations 

 only require to be superficial not exceeding 3 inches or so in depth 

 the implements should be chosen accordingly. 



The first of these cultivations should take place early in the spring, 

 before the buds begin to burst, and should level all the ridges caused 

 by the winter ploughing. If the vines are not trellised, but planted 

 either on the square or quincunx system more than 5 feet apart, a 

 very simple way of levelling will be to run a light single-furrow 

 plough without a wheel at right angles (or at 60 if it be the quincunx 

 system) to the direction of the winter ploughing; this furrow, in the 

 centre of the row, will allow the wheel and front tooth of the scarifier 

 to pass evenly along, whilst the other teeth tear and level the soil 

 completely in all directions. 



If the vines are trained on wires, it will be advisable to level the soil 

 to some extent with a couple of furrows in each row, run in whichever 

 direction may be required before proceeding to employ the scarifier. 

 Of course the baud of soil along the wires must be broken up by hand 

 labour, either with spade or hoe, the latter being preferable. The 

 number of summer cultivations necessary is very variable, and, as a 

 rule, is regulated to a great extent by the growth of weeds; the 

 amount of cultivation required to keep these down is usually more 

 than would be absolutely necessary for the maintenance of the sur- 

 face in a proper state. Persons who are so fortunate as not to be 



