[ 146 3 
slioulcl be covered with chalF and short straw mlxed^ 
or with bog hay, or salt hay, or with horse litter 
tha.t is free from dung^ for the lieat of the dung, in 
warm rains or muggy weather, will mould and rot 
the vine. The cooler and dryer it is kept, the bet¬ 
ter. Upon these principles, the branch as well as 
the head of the vine would be preserved better, un¬ 
der the last mentioned substances, than under 
ground, however light and mellow. Careful ex¬ 
periment will be the best teacher. 
We have thus seen, what management the vine 
requires the first year. Similar must be the subset 
quent management. A few particular directions 
however shall be added. 
The second year’s growth should exhibit only 
two branches trained. When the mild weather of 
spring sets in, you uncover the vine. The good 
eyes will all shoot forth. Let them ail grow to the 
length of about eight inches before you select the 
two most proper and promising for training. Thus 
you will have an opportunity of making a choice 
from among several. If any one branch among the 
whole number, appears much more thrifty than the s 
rest, you may perhaps be tempted to save it ; but | 
let not your eye spare it : it will prove a mere thief | 
and robber. It will draw to itself the chief nour¬ 
ishment of the vine, it will starve its fellow branch, ! 
1-1 
and after all will bear but little fruit. You will re- 
member the universal rule, to keep the vine hum- j 
