Nov.] THE VINEYARD. 56S 
Old fruit trees having scaly, rough bark, should in this month, if 
not done in the former, be brushed over with a mixture of cow-dung- 
and urine, as directed in page 530. 
THE VINEYARD. 
Pruning of Vines. 
The pruning of grape-vines at this season, will answer extremely" 
well in the southern states, and ought to be duly attended to; but 
the severity of the frosts in the middle and eastern states, renders 
it more prudent to defer this work to the latter end of February, or 
if the season proves late, the first week in March; but upon no ac- 
count should you delay it longer: indeed upon the whole, the late 
February pruning will be the safest. In the city and neighbourhood 
of Philadelphia, vines that were pruned on the first and second days 
of March, 1805, wept copiously a few days after, but some cold 
weather ensuing, they stopped bleeding; this shows the necessity of 
pruning in February, especially in warm situations or exposures. 
Those who prefer pruning their vines at this time, as well as those 
who from the temperateness of their climate ought to do it, will 
find the necessary instructions in page 147, &c. 
Winter dressing of Vines. 
You should now plough between the rows of vines in your vine- 
yard, where practicable^ having first tied up all the trailing runners 
to the stakes; observing to lay up the earth as much as possible to 
the stems of the vines: to effect this the better, the ground must 
be cross-ploughed. The one and two year old plants, will particularly 
require this earthing; and after the ploughing is finished, the earth 
should be drawn up round them with a hoe, the better to preserve 
the lower parts of the stems with the buds from alternate freezing 
and thawing, which is much more injurious to them than a continued 
frost. In this state they are to remain till the proper time for prun- 
ing in spring, when the earth is to be drawn from around them, 
and the plants dressed as directed in page 147. 
When the ground does not admit of this culture with the plough, 
it should be given with the spade and hoe, as it is of considerable 
importance, not only to protect the plants, but to destroy weeds, and 
meliorate the soil, by throwing it up loosely to the influence of the 
frost and weather. A dressing of manure, where wanted, should be 
given previous to the ploughing, &c. 
This is a very proper period to manure, trench, or plough the 
ground which you intend to plant with grape-vines next spring, as 
observed in page 244; leaving it as rough and high as possible. 
In the southern slates, vineyards may now be planted, vines 
pruned and propagated by layers and cuttings, and every thing else 
done in that way, as directed in March for the middle and eastern 
states. 
