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^35 



CULTIVATION of the VINE, 



for any culture v/hatcver. I fay, that the ground will not 

 want ftirring again till rain comes, unlefs by the help of 

 reat dcA'S the weeds fhould appear, it muft then be bar- 

 rov/ed with a fharp iron tooth harrow; which the fame 

 man, boy and horfe can manage; the man if careful and 

 diliL'ent, can with eafe harrow three acres a day, and if 

 this be repeated three, four or five days, after every rain, 

 or upon the firft appearance of weeds, they may with great 

 eafe be kept down: All then that is to be done with the 

 hoe is, to keep the rovv^s between the ploughings free from 

 grafs and weeds, which are foon run over and the ground 

 kept loofe and light, fo as to let in the air, which is of 

 great fervicc to vines; and the more mellow your ground the 

 better itftandsa drouc'ht; when the vines ftand too near, 



the work muft be done altogether by hand; this requires 

 many more hands, which is very expenfive, the work is 

 tedious and almoft endlefs; the carelefs hard working man 

 often ftrikes too deep and wounds or cuts off the roots, the 

 lazy and indolent will not ftrike deep enough, befides they 

 all muft trample down good part of what they dig, fo that 

 the ground cannot be left fo loofe and light as by plough- 

 ing. Again, v/hen the rows are at a good diftance, the 

 vines will not interlock nor fliade one another, which is 

 very pernicious, the wind and air will pafs freely through 



them, which are very refrefhing, and greatly help forward 



the growth, ripenefs and fweetnefs of the fruit; then the 

 morning Sun, which is comforting and vivifying, will have 

 free acccfs to every plant, will warm tlie ground, which 

 grows cold by the abfence of the Sun, and by the night 

 air; all willlie fairly open to the more exalted meridian Sun 

 which by it.s heat brings forward tb.e fruit to full maturity. 

 Again, when the rows are at a proper diftance each u ay, 

 the roots of the vines will not (o greatly interfere with 

 each other; they will have more room to fpread and extend 

 themfelves, and collect more nouriftnnent and food for 

 themfelves and their offspring. Vines of four and five 

 years old extend their roots fix and eight feet from their 



ftocks; 



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