Page:A Treatise on the Culture of the Vine and, and the Art of Making Wine.pdf/122

 sound, and without blemish or bruise. Their qualities should never be left to chance, but after the kinds of vines to be propagated are determined upon, the vineyards should be examined in autumn, just before the vintage, and those which are most healthy and vigorous, marked with a thread, or a twig of osier. From these only, the cuttings should be taken, when the wood is perfectly ripened, which it generally is, after the leaf has fallen. It is necessary that they should be of such a length, that, after having part of their upper extremity cut off, they may be put from nine to fifteen inches into the ground.

If the vineyard is to consist of several varieties, care must be taken to place each in the most favourable circumstances.

First, there should be one grand division of white and coloured varieties; the coloured varieties generally ripen ten or twelve days earlier than the white; they should, therefore, be planted in the lowest part of the vineyard. The great object is, to have every variety ripe at the same time and, therefore, those varieties which differ considerably in the period of their maturity, should not be planted together; and as far as situation will effect it, the others should be so placed, that the forward may be restrained, and the tardy accelerated. Those which ripen with the greatest