Annual Cultivation of the Soil. 221 



in large vineyards, as it is only in such large undertak- 

 ings that the teams can be made use of in other work 

 than that of plowing the vine lands. The objection 

 seems well founded ; nevertheless, we think that this 

 mode of cultivation might be employed in small vine- 

 yards, by contractors, who could easily find employment 

 for their teams, during the interval of the two dressings 

 of the vine. It must also be taken into consideration 

 that this work only requires one horse, and that the 

 vine-grower will seldom be at a loss how to employ it 

 in other work. 



Second Dressings.— These dressings are of a far 

 more superficial kind than the two plowings already de- 

 scribed. They do not exceed two inches in depth. 

 Their object is chiefly to destroy hurtful weeds. They 

 also prevent the soil from drying to any great depth, 

 during the great heat of summer. 



The number of these dressings must be in proportion 

 to the rapidity with which the soil becomes covered 

 with weeds. They should be more frequent in rather 

 cool soils, in wet years, and in northern regions, than in 

 dry soils, and hot years, or in the climate of the South. 

 At least two of these dressings should be performed each 

 year, in the course of summer. More frequently, only 

 one dressing is given, either through motives of econ- 

 omy, or because, as in vines without props, the shoots, 

 which spread out on every side, do not allow easy ac- 

 cess through the vineyard. 



The principal aim of these dressings being the re- 

 moval of weeds, it follows that their performance is 

 easier and more effectual during warm and dry weather, 

 in order that these weeds, when rooted up by the im- 



