VINE. 



frofts, by applj'ing the boughs of trees, particularly thofe 

 of the evergreen kind. The grapes too, it is obferved, 

 would be greatly benefited by the refleftion from the foil of 

 the ground underneath them. 



It is fuggelled, that when vines are intended to be planted 

 on the fteeps of hills, and on the fides of rocks, the ground 

 ihould be prepared and formed in the manner of fteps, 

 which it is particularly neceflary fhould be lower at the inner 

 angles, as without this the vine-plants would lofe the ad- 

 vantage of fuch i-ains as fall haftily and perpendicularly. It 

 is eafy to conceive that much advantage would be gained 

 from a fituation thus formed, as the back would be nearly 

 equal to a wall. And the expence attending the formation 

 of the ground could not be very confiderable. The work 

 fliould be begun at the top, and the foil taken out be thrown 

 down the hill. It would likewife be further beneficial to 

 have a httle good foil or earth put in at the angles, before 

 the vines are planted. 



In refped to the plants, they may be provided either by 

 feeds, cuttings, or layers, but the two laft are moftly the 

 beft methods. When they are raifed from feed, after they 

 have had a year's growth, they (hould be planted out, about 

 the latter end of March, or beginning of the following 

 month, againft the poles or treilhs to which they are to he 

 trained, if from feeds ripened in this country ; but when 

 from fuch as are imported from the vine countries, too many 

 (hould not be planted till their value be known. When they 

 have been thus planted, they (hould be cut at the third eye, 

 if ftrong, but at the fecond, if weakly ; at the fame time 

 rubbing o(F the lower end with the finger and thumb. 



When by cuttings, they (hould be chofen from (hoots that 

 are beft ripened, and have the (horteft joints ; always having 

 one or two joints of the laft year's wood to them, cutting 

 each perfe&ly fmooth, and a little rounding at the lower 

 end, and as near to a joint of the old wood as pofiible. 

 The upper end too (hould be cut fmooth, and (loping to- 

 wards the treillis or poles. They (hould afterwards be trained 

 as circumftances may direct. It has been advifed too by 

 fome, that choice (liould be made of cuttings after a warm 

 and dry feafon, when the wood ripens well ; each cutting 

 having two inches of the old wood with one eye of the 

 new. When the old vines are pruned, there is moftly great 

 choice, they (hould therefore be then felefted of a middhng 

 fire, and the wood round. 



In raifing vines for this purpofe in the layer mannei', a 

 method very ufually made ufe of is to lay the ftools down 

 in an open fituation, in the fame mode as for foreft-trees and 

 (hrubs ; though the beft way, in the opinion of fome, is to 

 take layers from fuch vines as have been trained. 



They (hould be cut fo as to leave one or two ftrong eyes 

 on each, and when the (hoots begin to run, be trained to the 

 treilhs or poles. Thofe which have the ftrongeft and moft 

 ▼igorous (hoots (hould be feleftcd and prcferved for this pur- 

 pofe. They (hould afterwards be carefully trained and 

 pruned, as circumftances may require, always confidering 

 that much of the goodnefs of the grapes in thefe cafes 

 depends upon the Uving wood being ftrong and well 

 ripened. 



In planting the grounds, the vines may be fet in rows at 

 fuitable diftanccs, according to the foil, fituation, and mode 

 of training wliich is to be praftifcd, but moftly about throe 

 or four feet diftant in tlic rows, and five, fix, or more from 

 row to row. The intervals between the rows are to be 

 kept quite clean and free from weeds, by frequent hoeing 

 and digging them over. After the vines have been thus 

 raifed, and carefully pruned and trained for three years, 

 they moftly produce crops of fruit, which, when for wine. 



(hould be well ripened before it is ufed, efpecially in this 

 country. 



TJie mode of the culture of vines in Madeira may pro- 

 bably fuggeft fome hints for their growth in the open 

 grounds in this country. It is ftated, that the beft feafon 

 for planting them there, is from the middle of the month of 

 November to the end of February ; that the (lips or cuttings 

 are made from a foot and a half to two feet and a half in 

 length ; they are fet two feet in the ground, about three 

 feet diftant, in ftraight rows or ti-enches, about four or five 

 feet afunder. After one trench is opened, and the earth 

 taken out and laid on one fide of it, fo as to form a bank, 

 the butt ends of the vines are put into the bottom of the 

 trench, and the fmall ends extended (loping up the bank ; 

 the trench is then filled with earth dug from the found land 

 the depth of it, breaking the clods, taking out tlie ftones, 

 bawling all the earth towards the vines, and thus making a 

 fecond trench, at the diftance noticed above, from the firft ; 

 proceeding to plant the whole vineyard or ground in the 

 fame manner. By this means the ground is lightened all 

 over, as well as where it touches the vines, arid is cleared 

 of ftones, the roots of trees, plants, fhrubs, and grafs, 

 which are all carefully picked out. A vineyard or ground 

 planted in this manner will, it is faid, laft there fifty or fixty 

 years. 



Afterwards the young vines are not pruned until they 

 have been two or three years planted. The feafon for 

 pruning is nearly as above ; in doing which, no part of the 

 vine is cut but the new (hoots, which are cut o(f every 

 year at the end of every fecond or third jouit. The largeil 

 of thefe cuttings are faved for planting, and will keep for 

 feveral weeks above ground ; but if cut early, and not 

 planted till late, it is better to cover the butt-end witli 

 earth. 



The fupporting of the vines, and other fuch matters, is 

 done to the height of three or four feet, by fticking ftakes 

 in the ground from end to end of the rows, then lafhing 

 long (lender poles near the heads of them ; and acrofs the 

 poles are laid, both ways, reeds or canes, at the diftance of 

 two or two and a half feet, which are tied to one another, 

 and to the poles where they crofs, with fplit-willow twigs : 

 thefe, if full grown and hard, will laft two or three years. 

 In the fecond or third year after planting, the' vines are 

 raifed and faftened to the ftakes and poles by means of 

 twigs, and the branches fpread open, and loofcly tied to the 

 poles or canes, fo that they may not be too thick in fome 

 places and too thin in others. 



In the third year after the vines have been planted out, 

 they commonly produce a pretty good crop of grapes fit 

 for making wine. In which cafes, when they are almoll 

 come to their full fize, they are gradually expofed to the 

 fun, by frequently thinning the leaves till every br.inch lies 

 open to the fun fome part of the day. But if this (hould be 

 done while the fruit is green, or, all at once, when nearly 

 ripe, it would wither the grapes, and the juice would never 

 be rich. The grapes are here to hang until they are very 

 ripe, and many, on almoft every branch, begin to turn to 

 raifins, othcrwife the wine will be weak, har(h, and rougli, 

 and without much flavour ; hence it is evident the grapes 

 (hould not be promifcuoudy gathered all at once, but two 

 or three gatherings made, taking only what are ripe each 

 time. 



It is likewife found, that in foils which are hot, dry, and 

 poor in quahty, the culture of vines in this country in the 

 open ground may be conveniently accomplilhed in another 

 manner ; as by their growth being greatly limited and 

 rcftridcd in fuch cafes, their tendency to fruiting is con. 

 C c 2 fiderablc 



