240 Vineyard Culture. 



The most economical way of putting this method 

 into practice is to open a sufficiently deep trench, along 

 the middle of each alley separating the rows of plants ; 

 this trench may be expeditiously opened by means of 

 the "hiller" [Fig. 95], constructed by M. Messager, 

 of Chanvre, and may be adapted to his plow, by means 

 of the iron rod A. In order to cut such a furrow deep 

 enough, by means of this " hiller," the two wings of 

 the latter should be drawn toward each other as much 

 as possible, by means of the rack B, so as to offer as 

 little resistance as may be to the horse drawing the 

 plow. M. Messager has given the right side of the 

 share of this " hiller" a direction parallel to the line of 

 draught, in order that the implement may be more easily 

 maintained in the proper position. This "hiller" will 

 open furrows over a surface of five acres a day. 



When the manure is laid in these furrows, the latter 

 are closed by means of a furrow on each side, with M. 

 Messager's large share [Fig. 92]. In this way three 

 and three-fourths acres may be manured in a day. 



[Top-Dressing. — It has become a very common custom in 

 this country, to apply the common manures upon the surface 

 — top-dressing, as it is called. The apprehensions that were 

 once felt about the wasting of the valuable portions, by such 

 exposure, are not now considered well founded, since the 

 wonderfully absorptive powers of the soil have been discov- 

 ered by the investigations of chemists. There seems to be a 

 peculiar affinity between earth and those volatile compounds, 

 which, escaping from decomposing organic matters, give us an 

 idea of their ammoniacal character by their odors. A very 

 small amount escaping into the atmosphere will be perceived, 

 but the greater portion is at once seized, and firmly held by 

 the soil, until needed by the roots of the plants. J 



