THE CULTUEE OF THE GRAPE. 249 



the vines. This is an important matter, and should not 

 be neglected, for, in addition to the benefit derived from 

 this protection, from the severity of the weather, the ad- 

 vantages from the juices of this covering being washed 

 down amongst the soil and roots, by the rains and melt- 

 ing snows of winter, (particularly where the border is 

 not of tke very richest kind,) must be very great. The 

 vines were planted, on an average, four and a half feet 

 apart, the length of the house being eighty-six feet, and 

 nineteen vines being the number planted. I should have 

 planted, in the same space, twenty-nine vines, or fifty 

 per cent, greater. And this difierence in the number of 

 the vines has a very important bearing upon the subject, 

 as the roots of the vine in his border have this per cent- 

 age more space to roam for nourishment. Allowing that 

 the vine, thus situated, does perfect a good crop of fine 

 fruit, still, by the plan of close planting, with a very rich 

 border, the difference in the product must be very much 

 in favor of the latter system. 



Mr. Hovey remarks, "All that is necessary, in our 

 opinion, to produce the very best grapes, is a good, rich, 

 loamy soil, well top-dressed, every year, with old stable 

 manure and guano." I agree with him perfectly, so far 

 as the soil is concerned, and go even further than he 

 does, for if this good, rich, loamy soil is had, you have 

 already everything that is wanted, so far as nourishing 

 matter is concerned, and there can be no necessity for 

 this yearly application of stable manure and guano, — 

 tills latter article the most concentrated and powerful 

 manure known. (I cannot see the propriety of recom- 

 mending the use of this, when the application of decom- 

 n* 



