372 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



the vines, dug in, are found to be beneficial; but leaf 

 mould, well rotted, with the addition of lime and ashes, is 

 the best application. Vines highly manured and allowed 

 to grow rampant, covering a large space, will produce a 

 weak and worthless vine, and continue in bearing but two 

 or three seasons." We have only copied the foregoing 

 remarks for the purpose of giving a system for the benefit 

 of amateurs and those desirous of experimenting, and not 

 as our own views, as we tried all methods with the 

 Northern varieties, and found all to fail, in the prevention 

 of rot and mildew. 



If vines are protected by a coping of boards, so as to 

 protect them from the rain and dew, a few varieties suc- 

 ceed very well for two or three years. Vines planted by 

 the side of a building, so as to be partially protected by 

 the projecting roof, ripen perfectly for a few years, while 

 those exposed decay. 



Wine. — There is no more art or mystery in making 

 wine than in making cider. The grapes are crushed 

 between wooden rollers, which run sufficiently near each 

 other to crush the grapes, but not the seeds. 



To make red wine, the crushed grapes should stand 

 about twenty-four hours, before pressing, so as to extract 

 a portion of the coloring matter from the skins, when they 

 may be pressed by means of an ordinary screw press. To 

 each gallon of juice, one and a half pound of good clari- 

 fied sugar must be added; if made from the pure juice 

 of the grape, the wine will be thin, weak, poor, acid,' and 

 astringent stuff, not better than hard cider. All the best 

 foreign wines have a large portion of brandy added ; such 

 as the Madeira and Sherry have near twenty per cent. In 

 February or March following, the wine should be racked 

 off into clean casks, if intended for still wine, or bottled, 

 if for foaming wine ; at the time of bottling, a table- 

 spoonful of No. 1 clarified sugar must be put into each 



