CULTIVATION or the VINE. 



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Thefe branches being thus trimmed remaui whole and 

 at full length 'till the next April, which in the northern 

 colonies, is the bcft time for planting. They fliould be 

 i'eparated from the mother plant, fometime in September, 

 or as foon as the vintage is over, that being the beft time 

 for the trimming of vines, becaufe the wounds which the 

 mothers receive are healed up, and fecurely clofed from 

 the fevcrity of the winter feafon. If this work be left 

 *till February or March, the parent fuffers by her frefh 

 wounds in long rains, fleets and frofls that follow; or if 

 the weather be favourable, flie grows faint and exhaufted 

 by excefs of bleeding, and her eyes are drowned in her 

 own blood. 



The beft way I have found for preferving the cuttings 

 through the winter, and which I therefore recommend for 

 a general pradice, is as folio vvs. At or near the north 

 weft corner of your vineyard or garden, the fence being 



o 



;ood and clofe, let a fmall trench be dug five or fix inches 

 deep and wide, and fo long as may contain all your 

 branches. In this plant them thick and clofe with the but 



ends down, and fill up the trench, as you go, with the 

 ground, that came out of it, and prefs it down well with 

 your hand, all about the bottom of your branches; let 

 the dirt rife two or three inches above the furface of the 

 ground, to prevent the water from fettling about the vines, 

 which would rot them. Between every fort, drive down 

 two ftakes and fix a label to one of them to diftinguilh the 

 vines from each other by their proper names. Before you 

 plant your vines in this manner, drive down two or more 

 crotches, according to the quantity of vines, at about 

 three feet from the trench, and parallel with it, upon which 

 poles are laid, to fupport the upper part of the branches 

 about twelve or fifteen inches from the ground. Thus 

 they all lie floping without touching the ground, which 

 preferves them from growing mouldy and from „ rotting. 

 The vines then are covered with firaw, laid lengthways 

 upon them up and down a little beyond the trench, fo 



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