50 THE CULTUKE OF THE GRAPE. 



as the kind of manure, and the best time of applying it, 

 are of the utmost importance : — 



" My landlord told me, that he had an intimate ac- 

 quaintance, a vigneron, at Yerzenay, who was reckoned 

 one of the most careful managers in all the country, and 

 that he would give me a letter to him, requesting him to 

 give me all the information I desired. This [ readily 

 accepted, and proceeded to Verzenaj', where I inquired 

 for the vigneron the landlord at Ohalons had written to. 

 "We walked directly into his vineyard, which was dung- 

 ing, in trenches made for that purpose. The season for 

 this, most approved here, is directly after the vintage, 

 and to be finished before the winter sets in. It is all car- 

 ried in on the heads of women and children in baskets, 

 and they empty their baskets in trenches dug for that 

 purpose, which are doing at the same time, and others 

 spread it in the trenches, and cover it with mould imme- 

 diately. Sometimes the trenches are made along the 

 center of the intervals, at others, they are dug between 

 the plants. 



" The sort of dung they prefer most is cow dung, that 

 is, the cleanings of the cow-houses, which are well litter- 

 ed with straw or stubble for that purpose ; horse dung is 

 also used, but only on stiff soils. They reckon that five to 

 eight hundred baskets are necessary for an acre of vines. 

 The baskets, I reckon, hold about half a bushel, and this 

 manuring is repeated every four or five years. Making 

 dung is so much attended to throughout all the wine 

 country, that every means is used to ijicrease the quan- 

 tity. Much cattle are kept, especially cows, and housed 

 as much as possible. These are fed by every means that 



