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CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



V 



The froft or winter grape is known to everybody, both 

 the bunches and berries are Hnall, and yield but little juice, 

 but the richnefs of the wine may make up for the fmallnefs 

 of the quantity ; the tafte of the grape is auftere till pretty 

 hard frolls come, and then it takes a favourable turn and 

 becomes very fwcet and agreeable; this vine Ihqots forth 

 great numbers of flcnder branches, and might do very well 

 for the fouth and fouth-eaft fides of a fummer-houfe or 

 clofe walk, if all the ufelefs and barren branches were cut 



away. 



The vines of America are fit for (Irong high efpaliers, 



but if I miftake not, he mufl watdi them uarrowly, mull; 



take away every unneceflliry and unprofitable branch, and 



trim them fliarp and clofe, that means to keep them v/ith- 



in bounds. 



We fee that the vines of this country have a covering of 

 bark of fo clofe and firm a texture, that they (land all wea- 

 thers without injury, they fear nothing but a froft after 

 they put forth the tender bud: We fee that cold winds 

 and winter blafts have a great effe£l upon the human body, 

 they brace up and confirm all the foljds, harden and 

 ftrengthen the whole frame, and renders a man aftive, 

 briflc and lively in all his motions: They have likewifea 

 wonderful effed: upon the brute creation ; the covering of 



fheep, cattle and horfes, in hot countries, is very thin and 

 cool, remove them into a cold region, Ihcep foon acquire 



a covering of wool, horfes and cattle a thick coat of hain 

 Why then fhould not vines by being tranfplanted from a 

 warm into a cold region, acquire a firmnefs and coverin?>' 

 fuitable to their new fituation ? I believe by a proper ma- 

 nagment they may by degrees be inured to colder coun-^ 

 tries, but fuch a hardinefs muft not be fuppofed to be ac- 

 quired all at once, but by being winter after winter, a little 

 more and more expofed to the feverities of the weather, 

 they may in a fcvj years, in a great meafure, be reconciled 

 to fuch a climate as ours : But then I would have it re- 

 membered that, late ripe fruit will not do as yet to the 



northward 



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