PREPARING THE GROUND. 



47 



chapter on Flooding.) Having disposed of the turf, the 

 next step is to take out all sound stumps and live roots, 

 as described for clearing swamps, after which the surface 

 may need some leveling ; for instance, a pond, A, fig. T, 

 containing muck may be in proximity to a ridge, B, of 

 sterile sand ; if so, the knoll must be cut down, and the 

 sand used for covering the muck ; this will make the gen- 

 ral surface more level, and require less water to flood it. 

 It will be quite important, however, to return some of the 

 muck to the poor soil on the ridge, where it should be 

 thickly spread about, and plowed under. 



But if the deposit of nmck in the pond is not deep 

 enough to require sanding, in most cases it will not pay 

 to level the ground, for the reason that the sand, if spread 

 too thickly in the pond, would injure it, and the knoll 

 from whence the sand was taken be left too poor to pro- 

 duce fruit. 



In all these operations good judgment and skill are re- 

 quii-ed to bring the meadow into the best possible condi- 

 tion for the vines. 



In some instances, clay or loam is found underlying a 

 thin stratum of muck. Where this occurs, the subsoil 

 shouLl not be brought to the surface; but if sand is not 

 convenient for covering it, plant the vines upon the 

 cleanly raked surface of the muck without plowing. 

 When this is done, the meadow must be flooded in winter 

 to prevent heaving. 



We recently visited a savanna where the vines had 

 been planted upon an inch or two of muck; they were 

 exposed to the weather, and were badly thrown out by 

 the action of frost. When only a thin covering of muck 

 rests upon a bed of sand, it is best either not to plow at 

 all, or very slightly, turning up only an inch of the sand. 



After plowing savannas, it is necessary to give the 

 ground a thorough harrowing, to level any irregularities 



