310 ON SOIL. 
planted the same or even the following season. Soils glutted 
with instant enriching manures are destructive to the vine. 
The surface of the border should have a gentle descent from 
the wall or fence : never crop your vine borders, and be 
careful of treading much upon them ; a board trellis should 
be laid for walking upon when the operation of pruning, 
tying;, &c, takes place, which is almost daily during summer. 
The border, after it has been once made, ought never to be 
stirred, except at intervals, to keep it from becoming hard 
and impervious to heat or moisture ; and, when necessary, it 
should only be forked up about two inches deep, at all times 
taking care not to injure the roots. 
In dry sandy soils all that is wanted for the full perfection 
of the grape is to take out about one foot of the poorest of 
the ground, and replace it by turf from a meadow, adding 
thereto a portion of well-decomposed manure. Sweepings 
from turnpike roads, where there is much travel, is an ex- 
cellent article for incorporating with such soils ; it is of an 
enriching quality, its component parts consisting chiefly of 
sand, pulverized stones, dung, and urine, which is of a more 
lasting nature than can be found in almost any other com- 
post; it ought to be thoroughly incorporated with the other 
soil soon after it has been collected from the road, as all its 
valuable qualities will then be entirely preserved. The fore- 
going remarks in the preparation of soil, if followed, will 
insure the luxuriant growth of vines and the yearly produc- 
tion of fine crops of grapes, and, when circumstances will 
permit, should be practically adopted at all times. But it 
must not be supposed that vines will not grow and mature 
fine crops unless thus encouraged in extra prepared soils. 
Such is not the fact, for vines will do well in any soil that 
is not adhesive and has a dry bottom ; but they grow finer, 
and bear greater crops of fruit within a given space of time, 
when planted in ground that has been properly prepared for 
their reception. For instance, if two cuttings be planted, 
the one in a soil fully prepared, and the other in that of the 
latter description, it will be found at the end of three years 
that the vine in the former - soil is double the size of the 
latter; consequently, the strong vine will produce two-thirds 
more fruit, and of a better quality, than the weak vine. 
This difference occurring every year, and even greater as 
the age increases, is sufficient to amply repay for all the 
