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excessive use of tiie street-dirt of Paris, tlie vine-growers of Sureiie 

 have destroyed the reputation of their wine, which was formerly in high 

 esteem. 



But the enterprising vine-dresser will find admirable manures in 

 the vegetable kmgdom, by ploughing under plants in flower, to ferment 

 and decompose in the soil ; and beside the economy of this method, it 

 does not injure the wine. On the splendid hills of Damazan, ( Lot 

 and Garonne ) where the Vines form broad luxuriant screens, and 

 produce a coloured wine that has an agreeable perfume and much de- 

 licacy, they have a custom of sowing the lupin. This plant is in flower 

 during the time of tilling ; they turn it under, and it forms, wthout 

 the expense of transportation, a manure that is evidently strong and 

 profitable, from the abundance of their grapes and the fertility of 

 the soil, the greater portion of which is sandy. Buckwheat also is 

 recommended, sown just after the Vintage, and ploughed in by the 

 first whiter tillage. Brambles, briars, heaths also ameliorate the soil ; 

 but the most likely application is the clippings of the Vine, buried 

 around the stock as soon as cut ; many vme-dressers consider this 

 the best. Others prefer the use of the green Vine leaves. They easily 

 decompose, and cannot alter the flavour of the wane. Lucerne and 

 clover also restore to the earth more principles of fertility than they 

 have abstracted from it. In the environs of Toulouse, in Vine-yards 

 which are situated on heights, and where the soil is stiff", clayey and sub- 

 ject to be carried off" by the rains, they sow sanfoin every ten years. 

 While it is growing the only care they take of the Vines is to prune 

 them, and they yield scarcely any thing ; but v/hen the sanfoin has 

 stood two or three years, they plough it under in the third or fourth 

 season ; the soil is re-invigorated and the vintage is abundant. 



Wrack and sea-weed are used in some Vme-yards near the sea shore ;. 

 but they have to be mixed with other manures, and employed in mo- 

 deration. The grape takes a taste like the rankness of the sea- weed ; 

 "the wine also receives a large addition of soda from tliis manure, 

 and is never fit for any thing but the making of brandy. But of all 

 the manures, a compost of diff"erent earths is the most acceptable to 

 the Vine; earth, for instance, raised from meadows, woods, &c. and 

 of quaUties diff"erent from the soil of the plantation; that is, if hght 

 and open , a close compact loam should be added ; if on the contrary^ 

 heavy and hard, light dry kinds of earths should be used. This mixture 

 produces the happiest effects. 



~ There are several ways of applymg new earths on the Vine-yard ; 

 a scuttle-shaped basket is very convenient where the Vines are on a 

 slope ; the wheel-barrow and dung-cart are more economical ; but 

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