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ought to be. Neither should you disturb it, when 
the vine is blossoming. The reason of which will 
appear on reflection. Your vineyard also should be 
well fenced, to guard again'st the depredations of 
boys and base men, so that you may have as few 
obstacles as possible to your successful cultivation 
of the first of plants. 
Before the subject is dismissed, I would call 
your attention to the advantages which may be ex¬ 
pected from this elegant branch of husbandry. 
These arise from the great longevity of the vine, 
and the large profits^ which its successful cultiva¬ 
tion ensures. 
Though the vine appear but a feeble plant, and 
for support must depend upon some friendly aid ; 
yet, in strength and duration, it sometimes rivals 
the venerable monarch of the woods. Speechly 
quotes a passage from Evelyn^s Sylva, where men¬ 
tion is made of a vine, which v/as grown to that 
bulk and woodiness as to make a statue of Jupiter, 
and columns in Juno’s temples ; and where it is far¬ 
ther added, that the great doors of the cathedral at 
Ravenna, are made of vine-tree planks, some of 
which are 12 feet long and 15 inches broad—that 
Strabo speaks of a vine 12 feet in circumference ; 
and that Oliarus affirms, that he found many vines 
near the Caspian sea, the trunks of which were as 
big about as a man. Speechly^ p. 235, 
