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CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



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in an open, clear, pure warm air, free from cold damps, fogs, 

 mifts, and from condenfed air, arifingfrom bogs, fwamps, 

 and wet clay grounds, and from large tradfs of neighbour- 



The north-weft winds, indeed arc rather ad- 



ing woods. 



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vantageous to a vineyard: For although in America, they 

 are extremely cold in winter, and occafion fevere frofts, 

 yet as the vines are then covered, they do them no harm. 

 Befides thofe winds are generally drying and feldom bring 

 wet; in the fpring and fummcr they are always cool, and 

 1 find by long experience that they are quite neceffary, to 

 brace up, harden and confirm the leaves and tender new 

 fhot branches of all trees and vegetables, which otherwife 



remain languid and weak. 



There are three feafons when careful and experienced 

 vignerons deny accefs to their vineyards, firft when the 

 around is wet, becaufe then the weight of a man prefles 

 down and packs the earth too clofe and hard upon the 

 roots of the vines. Secondly, when the vines are in blof- 

 fom, becaufe if they are then difturbed by handling, fhak- 

 ing or fubbing againft them, the farina or fine duft that 

 is formed on the blofTom, which impregnates or gives 

 life to the fruit, is fhaken off and the fruit mifcarries. 

 Thirdly, when the fruit grows ripe, becaufe the tempta- 

 tion is too ftrong to withftand, and people will^ pluck off 



the faireft ripeft grapes, which vignerons do fay is an inju- 

 ry to the whole bunch,; be that as it may, it certainly is a 



great injury to the owner, for the faireft ripeft grapes 

 make the richeft and fineft flavoured wines. 



I nowpafs on to the management of vines upon efpaliers: 

 But then you are to remember that, the training up of 

 vines to thefe frames, is only fit for the fouthern or warm- 

 er climates, where the winter frofts are not fo fevere, as 

 in our more northern regions; for as they are to ftand ex- 

 pofed to all weathers, the germ or bud, from which the 

 grapes do fpring, are apt to be chilled and deftroyed by the 

 feverity of a ftiarp feaf >n, and efpecially by moift ftick- 



ing fnows freezing hard on the branches. 



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