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214 



CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



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had four fuccelTive crops hanging on feveral of my vines 

 at one and the fame tune, one under another, which I 

 flicwcd to feveral gentlemen, who admired, and were fur- 

 prized at fuch a produdHon: But I took away all but the 

 firft crop, Icaft my vines might be too much weakened by 

 over bearing. I mention this to fhcw what nature will do 

 In a favourable year, under proper management. And, 

 here I muft remark, that the greater the vintage, the better 

 the wine, but a meagre thin crop produces thin weak 

 wines, which require dexterity and art to make them fit 

 for uCe; but this I ftiall inftrud you in, when I come to 

 the making of wine. 



In transplanting vines or trees of any kind, I have by 

 Ipng experience found, that removing them in the fall, 

 after the leaf is falleoj- is much furer and fafer, than doirig 

 it in the fpring. For if trees are well flaked, fo as to ftand 

 firm agalnft hard winds, the ground will be fo well pack- 

 ed about the roots, that they will grow in the fpring, as 

 if they had not been removed, and are in no clanger, if a 

 dry fcafon fliould happen, efpecially iffome horfe litter or 

 old hay be thrown round them in the fpring, fo as not to 

 touch the flem. Whereas if they are removed in the 

 fpring, and a drought fuccecds, before the ground be well 

 fettled about the roots, many of them will mifcarry. 



As vines are beft planted upon rifmg grounds to prevent 

 too much wet, and as it is neceffary to keep the foil Joofe 



and mellow, it thereby becomes the more liable to wafting 

 away by hard rains, which muft be a great injury to a 

 vineyard; now if by any means fo great an inconveniency 

 might be avoided, it would be a great point gained, and 

 therefore it very well deferves our attention: For it is no 

 fmall coft and labour to renew the foil, that is fometimes 

 carried off by fudden floods of rain. I have tried feveral 

 ways to prevent this evil, fo as neither to injure the vines, 

 nor hurt the crop. The following method, where a per- 

 fon has the conveniency, I find to be the moft effed:uaL 

 Lay, broad flat ftones, not exceeding two inches in thick- 



nefs, 





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