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CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



230 



ter the \vlieat and the rye will yield plenty of grafs. Par- 

 don this digrcffion, I hope it will not be altogether un- 

 profuabl'C, 



Grapes are deliclons fruit and very tempting to people 

 of every age and fex, the rude and unthinking fort will 

 take all advantages of your abfence or negled: at the time 

 of the fruit's beginning to grow ripe, to rob and pilfer; 

 fiich therefore mufl be carefully guarded againil, by a good 

 clofe high fence without, and a fmart watchful dog within, 

 and efpecially by the vigneron^s appearing now and then 

 with a gun in his hand walking about his vineyard in an 

 evening, particularly when there are idle people without; 

 this will effedually prevent any attempts, when they fee 

 what they apprehend to be fo very dangerous. 



But thcfe are not the only enemies w^e have to fear and 

 guard againft, there are others which appear lefs formida- 



e, and yet are full as deflrudive, namely birds: The 

 robins are very numerous, and devour abundance of grapes; 

 the bcft and moft efFediual method I ever difcovered to get 

 rid of thefe, was to deftroy their food, that ripens about 

 the time that the grapes do, which confifts of wild cherries 

 and poke-berries chiefly; there are other fmall berries 

 which robins feed upon, but they chiefly grow in fwamp 

 and wet places, which are uow generally cleared and de- 

 ftroyed. One year 1 cut down all the wild cherry trees on 



my plantation, and rooted up all the poke bufhcs, and not 

 a robin appeared near my vineyard till all my grapes were 

 ripe and gathered; more than that, in order to fave my 

 Englifh cherries, I made my boys go tlu'ough my orchard 

 twice when the robins had laid their eggs, and pull down 

 their nefts, by this means they hatched their young (o late, 

 at which time they take away the fruit, that I laved my 

 crop of cherries. The cat-bird and the thrufli are not fo 

 uinnerous, and therefore they are apt to be overlooked, 

 and efpecially as they give you a fine fong for your fruit; 

 but they are both fly, cunning and very artful thieves, and 

 devour grapes in great abundance, nothing that I have yet 



Vol. 1- 



Gg 



difcovered 





