PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 21 



wMcli is left in tlie trench, having crumbled from, the 

 spade, must then be carefully scraped into the first 

 trench, and then the twelve inches, of subsoil must 

 again be similarly spaded up and thrown upon the 

 previously spaded up surface soil, and so on, each 

 twelve inches to the depth required. And the loose soil 

 left in the bottom, must also again be carefully shoveled 

 up and thrown upon the other ground. Thus trench 

 after trench will be regularly formed, until the whole 

 allotted piece is finished. Let the reader bear in mind, 

 as the sine qua non of a good vineyard, that it is not a 

 mixture of the surface with the subsoil that's wanted ; 

 but that the subsoil cover, for twelve inches at least, 

 and twenty to thirty if possible, the original surface 

 soU, and the deeper this is done (always in reason) the 

 better. It is far better, view it in whatever light we 

 may, to have a small, good vineyard, than a large, 

 poor one. 



The ground thus spaded up shoL^ld be permitted to 

 settle well, before the vines are planted. One or two 

 good rains will generally accomplish this. The best 

 method is, however, to trench in the fall, and plant in 

 the spring. 



There are other methods of preparing the ground. 

 One is to make large holes, throwing the surface soil 

 ixndemeath and planting the vines therein. 



Deep ploughing and subsoiling is also frequently 



