V I T 
V I T 
Nothing being more common than for the vignerons to 
plant three or four forts of Grapes in the fame vine- 
yard* and at the time of vintage to mix them all to- 
gether * which renders their wines lefs delicate, than 
in fuch places where they have only this one fort of 
Grape. And here I would caution every one againft 
mixing the juice of feveral Grapes together, which 
will caufe the wine to ferment at different times, and 
in different manners. 
The cuttings being thus provided (fori would always 
prefer thefe to layers, or rooted plants, for the reafons 
given at the beginning of the article Vitis) about 
the beginning of April is the belt feafon for planting, 
when it will be proper to put the lower ends of the 
cuttings in water about three inches, fetting them up- 
right for fix or eight hours before they are ufed; then 
at the center of every crofs mark already made by a 
line, to the diftance the Vines are defigned, fbould be 
a hole made with a fpade, or other inltrument, about 
a foot deep, into each of which fhould be put one 
ftrong cutting, placing it a little (loping * then the 
hole (hould be filled up with earth, preffmg it gently 
with the feet to the cutting, and raifing a little hill to 
each about three inches, fo as juft to cover the up- 
permok t or bud, which will prevent the wiqd and 
fun from drying any part of the cuttings, and this 
upper eye only will (hoot * the under ones mod of 
them will pufii out roots, fo that this (hoot will be 
very ftrong and vigorous. 
After they are thus planted, they will require no 
other care until they (hoot, except to keep the ground 
clear from weeds, which (hould be conftandy ob- 
ferved-, but as the diftance between the rows of Vines 
is very great, fo the ground between them may be 
fown or planted with any kind of efculent plants, 
which do not grow tall, provided there is proper dif- 
tance left from the Vines, and care taken that the 
Vines are not injured by the crops, or in the gather- 
ing, and carrying them off the ground •, and this 
hufbandry may be continued three or four years, till 
the Vines come to bearing * after which time, there 
(hould be no fort of crop put between them in fum- 
mer, becaufe the cleaner the ground is kept between 
the Vines from weeds or plants, the more heat will 
be reflefted to the Grapes ; but after the Grapes are 
gathered, there may be a crop of Coleworts for fpring 
ufe planted between the rows of Vines, and the cul- 
tivating of thefe will be of ufe to the Vines, by (tar- 
ring of the ground •, but as to watering, or any other 
trouble, there will be no occafion for it, notwith- 
ftanding what fome people have diredted, for in Eng- 
land there is no danger of their mifcarrying by drought. 
When the cuttings begin to (hoot, there (hould be a 
fmail ftick of about three feet long (luck down by 
each, to which the (hoot (hould be fattened, to pre- 
vent their breaking or lying on the ground ; fo that 
as the (hoots advance, the fattening (hould be renew- 
ed, and all fmail lateral (hoots (if there are any fuch 
produced) (hould be conftandy difplaced, and the 
ground between the Vines always kept clean. This 
is the whole management which is required the firft 
fummer. 
But at Michaelmas, when the Vines have done (hoot- 
ing, they (hould be pruned ; for if they are left un- 
pruned till fpring, their (hoots being tender (efpecially 
toward their upper parts) will be in danger of differ- 
ing if the winter fhould prove fevere. 
This pruning is only to cut down the (hoots to two 
eyes * and if, after this is done, the earth be drawn up 
in a hill about each plant, it will (bill be a greater de- 
fence againft froft. 
At the beginning of March the ground between the 
Vines fhould be well dug to loofen it, and render it 
clean ; but you (hould be careful not to dig deep clofe 
to the Vines, left thereby their roots lhould be cut or 
bruifed, and at the fame time the earth (hould be 
again laid up in a hill about each plant * but there 
muft be care taken, not to bury the two young eyes of 
the ioi mer year s (hoot which were left to produce 
new wood. 
At the beginning of May, when the Vines are (IhooG 
ing, there (hould be two (lakes fixed down to the fide 
of each plant, which muft be fomewhat taller and 
(tronger than thofe of the former year •, to thefe the 
two (hoots (if fo many are produced) (hould be fatten- 
ed, and all the fmail trailing or lateral (hoots (hould 
be conftandy difplaced, that the other (hoots may be 
ftronger, and the ground (hould alfo be kept very 
clear from weeds as before. 
The autumn following thefe Vines (hould be primed 
again in the following manner * thofe of them which 
have produced two ftrong (hoots of equal vigour, 
mutt be cut down to three eyes each * but in fuch 
as have one ftrong (hoot and a weak one, the ftrong 
one muft be (hortened to three eyes, and the weak 
one to two -,(and fuch Vines as have produced but one 
ftrong (hoot, (hould be (hortened down to two eyes 
alfo, in order to obtain more wood againft the fuc- 
ceeding year. A 
In the fpring, about the beginning of March, the 
ground between the Vines (hould again be dug, as 
before, and two (lakes (hould be placed down by the 
fide of all fuch Vines as have two (hoots, at fuch 
diftance on each fide of the plant as the (hoots will 
admit to be faftened thereto, and the (hoots (hould be 
drawn out on each fide to the (lakes, fo as to make 
an angle of about forty-five degrees with the ftem 5 
but by no means (hould they be bent down horizon- 
tally, as is by fome pradifed, for the branches lying 
too near the earth, are generally injured by the damps 
which arife from thence, but efpecially when they 
have fruit, which is never fo well tailed, nor fo early- 
ripe upon thofe branches, as when they are a little 
more elevated. 
In May, when the Vines begin to (hoot, they muft 
be carefully looked over, and all the weak dangling 
(hoots (hould be rubbed off as they are produced, and 
thofe (hoots which are produced from ftrong eyes, 
fhould be faftened to the (lakes to prevent their being 
broken off by the wind. 
This management (hould be repeated at lead every 
three weeks, from the beginning of May to the end 
of July * by which means the lhoots which are train- ' 
ed up for the fucceeding year will not only be ftrong- 
er, but alfo better ripened and prepared for bearing, 
becaufe they will have the advantage of fun and air, 
which is abfolutely neceffary to prepare their juices ; 
whereas if theyarecroudedbya number of fmail dang- 
ling weak branches, they will (hade and exclude the 
rays of the fun from the other (hoots * and fo by de- 
taining the moifture a longer time amongft the 
branches, occafion the veffels of the young wood to. 
be of a larger dimenfion * and hereby the crude juice 
finds an eafy paffage through them * fo that the 
(hoots in autumn feem to be moftly pith, and are of 
a greenifh immature nature, and wherever this is ob- 
ferved, it is a lure fign of a bad quality in the Vines. 
The foil alfo (hould be conftandy kept clean, becaufe 
if there are any vegetables (either v/eeds or plants of 
other kinds) growing between the Vines, it will de- 
tain the dews longer, and by their perfpiration, oc- 
cafion a greater moifture than would be, if the 
ground were entirely clear * fo that thofe who plant 
other things between their rows of Vines, are guilty 
of a great error. 
In autumn the Vines (hould be pruned, which feafon 
1 approve of rather than the fpring (for reafons before 
given 0 and this being the third year from planting, 
the Vines will now be ftrong enough to produce fruit, 
therefore they muft be pruned accordingly. Now 
fuppofe the two (hoots of the former year, which 
were (hortened to three eyes, have each of them pro- 
duced two ftrong branches the fummer pad, then the 
uppermoft of thefe (hoots upon each branch (hould 
be (hortened down to three good eyes (never includ- 
ing the lower eye, which is fituate juft above the 
former year’s wood, which feldom produces any thing, 
except a weak dangling (hoot j) and the lower (hoots 
(hould be (hortened down to two good eyes each, 
thefe being defigned to produce vigorous (hoots for 
the 
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