72 THE vine-deesser's majstual. 



The soil of a vineyard should never be cultivated 

 except in dry, warm, weather. The drier and warmer, 

 the better. This should especially be the rule in the 

 spring, as ground broken up wet subjects the plants 

 near to injury from even the lightest foot-prints. The 

 rule for breaking ground, in the spring, is simply 

 this: Cultivate as soon as the ground is dry, and 

 warm weather sets in ; and don't cultivate, no matter 

 how late you have to wait, until fair weather does set 

 in, and the ground is dry. Don't be in too great a 

 hurry, but improve every fair opportunity. If you 

 delay too long, the buds will swell, and then they are 

 very apt to fall off on even slight shaking. 



Whether hoes, ploughs, or cultivators are proper 

 tools, must be determined by circumstances; and they 

 will guide every person having any idea of the cultiva- 

 tion of soil generally. The great point is thorough- 

 ness — ^that is, in turning over every part of the soil, 

 and the most carefal attention towards the destruction 

 of all weeds, particularly around the head of the Vine. 

 In the spring, the ground should be broken up at least 

 six inches deep, and the rougher the clods are left the 

 better, so that they are fully turned. Eain and warmth 

 will thus penetrate deeper ; the ground will wash less, 

 and the clods will be ready to fall entirely to pieces 

 when the second cultivation takes place. The two- 

 pronged hoe, {karsch, in German,) is, in my opinion, the 



