pure and without smoake let it be made of Charcoale The difficulty of their winding may be mollified by sope put in the Basin or Caldron the old Cods or bottoms hardened by time will have the naturall Gumme which glues their threads dissolved and the silke come off much more easie Those bottomes of silke preserved for seed and pierced by the Butterflyes may be made of good use if washing them in water you throwe them into a Caldron ready to boyle with sope in it which must be dissolved before the bottomes are cast in thus let them boyle a quarter of an houre or thereabouts which done take them out wash them in cleane water and dâ—ye themâ— being dyed you must beat them with a round stâ—ffe of a good bignesse upon a stone or some block which is better which will make them become white and smooth as wooll The way to spinne them after is this They must with the fingers be pul'd one from one another and opened as wooll uses to be in such preparations let it then bee put on a Distaffe and spunne as small as you can or please Treatise of the Vine THat the use of the Vine is really intended by nature for VIRGINIA those infinite sâ—ore of Grapes which crowne the forehead of that happy Country are so many speaking testimonies But what fate hath hitheto diverted our English there inhabiting from the publick undertaking a Commodity of so inestimable benefit I doe not say for a publick Staple though it would bee as rich as any other one species of Traffick whatsoever but even from private Vineyards where they might sit under their owne Vine drinke of their owne Grapes satisfie even the most irregular desire of their voluptuous appetites and all this de suo without entring into the Merchants bookâ—s for Wines peradventure adulterate without paying the sweat of their browes for the exudation of the Grape I dare not determinately judge lest I might bee forced to ascribe it either to a strange nonchalency or sluggishnesse to their owne profâ—â— or which is worse an inveterate contempt of all other wayes of improvement of what ever returne in comparison of Fume of Tobacco But that they may not bee ignorant of the profit of the Vine they will bee pleased to know that the Vine requires once planted little more labour then the Hoppe To attend upon foure Acrees of Hops is the ordinary undertaking of one man in ENGLAND who besides this neglects not many other labours If one man in VIRGINIA bee not sufficient to doe as much as another in ENGLAND â— shall either imagine him to bee lame or idle nor let them oâ—jâ—ct to me the heat of the Countrey if the mid-dayes be hotter the mornings are much colder and the Labourer in VIRGINIA hath this advantage of being full of bread to â—atieâ—y whereas oftentimes the Hireling in ENGLAND having a family to feed and sometimes no imployment comes to worke with a famish'd body and courage lives meerly de die in diem with as little hopes of ever changing the copy of his fortune as renewing the lease of his Cottage with his Landlord those are but leane encouragements In VIRGINIA the meanest servant if he have any spirit is still in expectation of improving his condition and without any presumption may cherish his hopes which promise him his time expired a present happinesse and future possibility of a Fortune equall if not outgoing his Master the encouragement being greater the care lesse and his provisionall subsistence by much better why the Laborer in VIRGINIA should not â—e I do not say superiour but equall in strength of body and resolution of minde to the miserable day-Hireling in ENGLAND needs an OEDIPUS to unriddle By this I hope it granted that the VIRGINIAN may without any extraordinary efforts of sweat and spirits labour equally with those of ENGLAND and upon this accompt I shall assigne a Vignard of four Acres to his tillage an easie taske let us compute the profit with the labour and see what may be the proceed of this â—â—â—portion well husbanded That an acre of Vines in VIRGINIA when once growne to perfection will yield an equall increase to a common Acre of Vines in FRANCE there being as great a difference between the soyles as the Acres and much greater will I believe be denyed by none who pretend to modesâ—y or reason yet the Acre of Vines in FRANCE one with another very few excepted will yield yearely ten or twelve Muyds of Wine a measure containing seventy two gallons a very famous Frenchman LIEBAULT is my Author what the common Acre or Arpent is in FRANCE the same man informes us an Arpent the common Arpent or Acre of FRANCE is 100 Pole in the square the Pole being longer then ours by eighteen inches so that one French Acre yields three Tun of Wine and upwards Our Acre being near upon 50 Pole more we doubt not of profit equall The excellent VIRGINIA will pardon me if for dilucidation of an argument I make her pure and unexhausted browes descend to weare a Gyrlond of fertility equall to that laborious and over-teeming Mother the French Kingdome nay to her common Vineyards yet let us compute the profit arising from the foure acres being but one mans labour we shall finde the product even by that estimate to be twelve Tunne of Wine as the recompence of his particular toyle let us imagine this but at ten pounds the Tunne and the profits of this single person amounts to 120 pounds per annum Here they will object the dearenesse or difficulty of Caske but this objection must be made by those who know not VIRGINIA where there is such an excellent convenience and abundance of peculiarly proper Timber that the Winter will afford the other Labourers together with our Vigneron leasure to cleave Pipe-staves sufficient for private use of Caske and to sell to the publique one man during that little season being easily able to make foure thousand But our acre being a third part bigger the soyle ½ better why we may not promise to ouâ— selves this profit is an incredulity in ENGLAND wâ—rth a bâ—and of misunderstanding in SPAINE would deserve the Inquisition What soyle is most proper for the Vine HEE which will goe to pâ—ant the Vine without the twinne coâ—sideration of the qualyty of the soyle and the disposition of the aire hath much affinity with him who goes to Sea without Lead or Compasse the one seldome attaines his Port nor the other his Harvest The quality of the ground whereon the Vine thrives best is a fine small Moâ—ld of a subsistance rather inclining to a gentle lightnesse then a churlish stubbornesse they which would not have it to be very fat are ignorant that while the Vine is yong the soyle where you plant may be imployed to other tillage and by such expence of its native richnesse reduced to that which they commend so highly mediocrity But if the fitnesse of the ground
poure it â—ather into glasse Vessels or earthen pots which if they be made capacioâ—s are far more convenient then the pitcht retainers we formerly spoke of Accidents befalling Oyleâ— with their Remedies and first to recâ—ver frozen Oyle IF in the time of Winter Oyle doth freeze together with his Lees you must put into it twice boyled salt which dissolves and clears your Oyle from all further apprehension of danger nor need you entertaine a jealousie that it will be salt since unctuous matters and especially Oyle have seldome any relish of it To keepe Oyle from becommimg ranke VVHen the Oyle begins to change from his first purity of taste to a disposed rankenesse the râ—medy is to melt an equall proportion of wax and Oyle together to which you are to mingle salt fried in Oyle before this you must poure into the Vessel which composition above the prevention of it when beginning to grow ranke effects an entire restitution to its simple purenesse when already affected Anniseeds cast into the Vessell by a particular attraction performe the same operation To purifie troubled Oyle SOme are of advice that the applying it to the fire or Sun recleares it Others if the Vessell be strong caâ—t into it boyling water how these remedies agree with their former assertions wherein they declare heat so unnaturall to Oyle is beyond my reconciling I for my part should rather make an experiment of Vineger which being cast into the Oyle by degrees hath such a penetrating and inquirent faculty over all the parts that it would without doubt recompose it To recover Oyle corrupted in the Sent. TO performe this take green Olives pound them free them from their stones and cast them into the Oyle or else cast the crums of Barley bread mixed with corne salt otherwise infuse in your Oyle the flowers of Melilot or else hang in the Vessell a handfull of the herb Coriander and if you finde the putrifying quality yet unexpelled cast in divers times of the same herbe and which is better change his Vessell this ill odour others drive away thus They take Grapes pick out their Kernells stampe them and with Salt make them into a lumpe or lumpes which you must cast into the Vessell and after ten dayes faile not to change it Which must necessarily be done after the application of any remedy to Oyle growne ranke and putrified the Vessell still impairing what the remedy recovers Wee have done with the Oyle Olive after the manner of whose expression may bee extorted any unctuous matter of fruits plants or seedsâ— namely Walâ—uts Filberds Almonds both sweete and bitter Nutmegs the Kernells of Peaches Pine-Apples Abricots Cherries Plums Pistachâ—s the seede of Line Rape Cole Mustard Hempe Poppy Henbane the seeds or Pipins of Apples Pears Cucumbers Gourds Melons and other such like But that wee may give the Reader a more cleare dilucidation of the manner of preparation Wee shall briefely discover the method used in the expression of Oyle from Almond and Nutmegs which will easily make him apprehend all the rest the particuâ—ar reason which perswades mee to introduce the example of Almonds is bâ—causâ— I have purposed bâ—foâ—e I finish this concluding Treatise to discouâ—se particularly of the plaâ—â—â—ng the Almond Whose Oyle iâ—â—o bee taken inwaâ—ds is to bee thus expressed Pill the Almonds after they have steeped some time in warme water pound them in a Mortar of Stone or Marble with a wooden pestle make them up in little Lumpes or Loaves which you may kneâ—d with your hands against the vapour of warme water or put them in a glasse vesâ—ell of a large contentâ— for some foure or five houres let the seate and Glasse bee so contrived that it may rather bee above the water to receive the vapour on its sides and bottome then in it the Almond being thus mollified by the disposition of the moisture must bee put into a haire cloth or hempen bag and laid in a presse whose bottome must be wel heated hollow and bending downewards to give the better delabency for the Oyle thus expressed you may bake the drossy part of the Almonds under the Ashes which in time of necessity will serve for bread of plenty for a dainty and fatning food to your Poultry This Oyle is of soveraigne excellency to mitigate and remove the throwes and gripes of women newly delivered and to aswage the paines of the Colliâ—k or Reines taking it in two ounces of white Wine or one of Aqua vitâ— the Line Cole Rapeâ— Wallnut and other need not these curiouâ— preparations and their Cakes are of unmatchable nourishment to fatten Kine and other Cattle Oyle of Nutmegs OYle of Nutmeg which in the South part of VIRGINIA not subject to any inconveniences of cold would undoubtedly flourish is thus made bray them with a wooden stamper afterwards presse them out the plankes being very well heated to extract it more rich divide them into little heapes and steepe them three daâ—es in very good Wine after dry them in the shaddow of the Sunne two whole dayes then heate them reasonably in a frying pan upon the fire sprinkling them with Rose-waâ—er and presently presse them This I judge conveniently sufficient for Oyles Let us descend to the planting of the Almond-tree which as it hath a peculiar excellency so without dispute returnes as ample profit Of the Almond tree THough the Almond tree delight particularly in gravelly places of which VIRGINIA is too rich to afford a conveniency yet there is no dispute but if the Mould wherein you plant them bee mingled with Oyster-shels or â—â—ch like of which there is to bee found inexhaustible Quantities they will have a greater virtue then gravell to the quickning and ingerminating of this tree having the perplexed hardneâ—â—e of gravell and unctuousnesse of marle united The soyle thus prescribed let the seat of your Almond be in a hot place fully exposed to the South or South-West and it will not onely flourish to your expectation but its fruit will bee excellently qualified and in vast abundance it groweth very well of the stone which because it cannot bee procured new should be kept close in a Vessell of earth to be transported set iâ— as you would your Peach it thrives very well too of the branch oâ— scien which must bee cut from the top of the tree and planted as the Olive the earth rammed very hard about it and prepared as before both the stone and the scien should bee steeped for the space of twelve or foure and twenty houres in homed wâ—ter the best season to set or plant it in VIRGINIA is in October and November This tree will bee of admirable use there in regard that both that and the Olive will hinder no undergrowing Corne let neither this tree nor your Olive grow above ten foot in the stock and in this as in Olives if you see any branch aspiring higher then his neighbours represse such ambition by cutting him off oâ—herwise hee will
Quince is of a more wrinkled drye redolent Fâ—uit and golden colour then the Quincesse If you graft the Male upon the Female or E conversâ— the Quinces thence proceeding will be tender and may be eaten raw which without such an Hermaphroditisme must of necessity have beene prepared to which nature rather then to eate it crude hath deâ—igned it The use of Marmalade and its preparation is so publickly known that it is unnecessary to repeate it It is not enough to enjoy the delight of these fruits for the Summer onely The Winter too in reason should claime a part of our Summer contentments which cannot bee better expedited then by â—â—ying such fâ—uits as are capable of a refaction and agreeable when dryed the principall whereof are the Vine or Gâ—ape the Fig the Peach and Abricot How to dry Grapes that they may bee kept YOur Grapes being at their just ripenesse select the fairest out of your Vineyard for such quantity as you shall use let them lye thin spread while you prepare a Lye for them made of faire water and Ashes proceeding onely from the cuttings of the Vine without any other mixture of wood whatsoever seeth this lye till you have made a strong and cleaâ—e liquor then taking or straining away the Ashes put the liquor into a cleane Caldron set it againe over the fire till it bee ready to seeth then tying the stalkes of your Grapes with thread and fastening the thread to such sticks and in such order bunch by bunch as Chandlers use to dip their Candles which dip them into this lye foure or five severall times Which done let them dry in the Sunne either so hanging on their sticks oâ— which is better upon Lattices or Hurdles of Rods or the like untill they bee conveniently dry then barrell them pressing them very hard and flat in the Vessell others dry them upon such Lattices or Hurdles without steeping them even as they come from the Vine and peradventure more successefully How to drie â—igges LET them as the Grape bee gathered very ripe then lay and spread them upon Hurdles or Lattices of Reeds or Osier joyned together with rifts or vacancies betwixt the covering of those Osiers that the aire transpiring through those voyd spaces may assist the Sunne in the drying them but you must bee cautious that during their exposure to the open aire no Raine or Dew incommodate them When they are dry barrell with the same poise of pressure used to the Grapes Others take a bigge Reed or Cane of two or three foot in length boring little holes all the length of it through which they put little sticks of two foot extent being the small and â—harpe upon which they thread the Figs till they are very full of them and so hang the Cane in the Sunne which dryed they barrell up using the same course as before How to dry Peaches aâ—d Abricots of all sorts VVHen they are very ripe pare off the upper skin cleave them into foure quarters dry them as you did your Figs barrell them and keepe them for the Winter The manner how you shall prepare them to eate is this provide an earthen pot and after you have washed your Peaches in faire water put them into the pot with as much Wine as will cover the Peaches then seeth them halfe a quarter of an houre They may beâ— made ready without boyling thus let them infuse three or foâ—re dayes in Wine which way they are much better put to them beaten Cynamon and thus they will last a Moneth in the Wine eaten every morning they are very wholesome and provoke a good appetite The fittest seasons for sowing of seeds TO prescribe Rules according to our Climate to thaâ— of VIRGINIA may have much of affection but without all peradventures little of Wisdome Wee must therefore seeke for a nearer correspondence in parallells Having therefore seene some letters of an ancient date written by Frenchmen then employed in VIRGINIAâ— to their Intrusters wherein they confâ—ssâ— that of all the Provinces of FRANCE None came so neare to that noble Countrey as LANGâ—EDOCK and PROVENCâ— two of the Eyes of that Kinâ—dome abounding withall the dâ—lights and delicacy that ITALY can pretend to or SPAINE boast of I could not but apprehend that their times of sation and insition of planting and replanting might in some measure correspond with that place where the English are now seated and having seene a regular diâ—tribution of the moneths and seasons in the yeare for sowing graftingâ— and other offices belonging to the industrious Lovers of Agriculture I should both unsatisfie my owne conscienceâ— and disoblige that Countrey and its Christian Inhabitantsâ— if I did not publish it with the same resentment of affection I received it not that any should bee so pinioned to these Precepts that neither weather inconveniency or want of opportunity should make him recede from the punctuall observation of them But I speake it out of a very strong confidence that the observations of the seasons according to these prescriptions will sort well with VIRGINIA in generall and the Planters in particular to whom it is intended and indeed it is as exact a Directory as any yet published I am not ignorant that Criticks will laugh at this much good doe it them and why so many Moneths for the same seed Why so many Repetitions My Exceptionist forgets that wee not onely covet to have things early but their continuance Will it offend him that wee have Artichokes in May and July both Because wee may have Cabbage Lettuse in April shall wee bee forbidden to have any in May the principall scope of this directer was to show how long such and such seedes might bee continued to bee sowen and in what Moneth and Moone if hee apprehend it not I can send him to no Moneth but that of June nor Moone but that of Midsommer He that will sow seed must know that Some may be sowen at all times of the Moneth and Moone as Asparagus Colewort of all sorts Spinage Lettuse Parsnips Reddisâ— Otherâ— would be sowed in a certaine Moneth and Moone as there must bee sowen in February the Moone being New Spike Garlike Borage Bugloâ—se Cheruse Coriander Gourdâ— Water creâ—ses Mâ—jorane Palma Chriâ—â—iÌ„ Flower gentlâ— White Poppy Puâ—stane Radish Rocket Rosemary Sorrell Double Marigold Thyme Full Anise Violetâ— Blites Skirworts White Succory Fennell Parsley Old Holy Thistle Cole Cabbage White Cole Green Colâ— Cucumberâ— Harts-hornâ— Sampier Diers graine Spinage Cabbage-Lettuâ—â— Melonâ— Onionâ— Larkes-heelâ— Burnet Leâ—kesâ— Soâ— in March the Moone being New Garlick Borage Chervile Coriander Gourds Mâ—jorane White Poppy Purslâ—ine Radish Sorrâ—ll Double Marigold Thâ—me Violets Full Anise Bleets Skirworts Succory â—â—nnâ—ll Apples of Love Marvellous Apples Old Artichokeâ— Baâ—il Thiâ—â—leâ— Blâ—ssâ—d Thisâ—le Cole Cabâ—age White Cole Greene Cole Ciâ—rons Cuâ—uâ—bers Hartâ— horne Saâ—pire Dierâ— graine Spinage Gilly flowerâ— â—yâ—sop Caâ—â—age Letâ—use Melonâ— Onyonâ— Flâ—wer 〈◊〉 Burnet Leekeâ— Savory Soâ— in April the Moon being New
a ring of Lead wound about it this when you draw the Wine will hinder the Huskes or Grapes from comming out with the liquor Your Fat must not be full by halfe a foot or more that the Wine may have the more space to boyle or worke in Your Wine in vessel'd must not be filled up to the Bung nor the Bung closed that the Wine may have the greater liberty of despumation and rejecting whatever it findes reluctant to its owne nature Every day you must fill up what is expurged and something more till you â—inde the Wine throughly appeaâ—ed and discharged of whatever might be obstructive to its generosity nor must this Caske be in the Cellar but either in the open aire or in some Bâ—rne where it has a liberall respiration besides the defects in Caske cannot be so easily discovered when the Wine is in the Cellâ—r â—s in open places When it is so throughly settled that it hath given over all appetite or signe of boyling you may have it committed to your Cellar which should stand upon the North here in VIRGINIA upon the North-west as the coolest and driest Angle paved witâ— gravell or drye earth which is lesse subject to moysture or exâ—dations then Brick or especially stone absolutely remote and unmoâ—ested by any ill odours of Stables Sinkes Bathes Marshy places c. neither should it have any thing shut up or kept in it which have any sent of acrimony or harshnesse as Cheese Garlick Onions Oyles Trane Neatsfoot Linseed and others not the Salade-Oyle it being observed that nothing is more open or obnoxious to contagion then Wine especially when new Your Vessells must be so rank'd in order that they touch not one another by this meanes to leave a liberty of sight to foresee a misfortune or prevent it when happened They must be so close stopped in the Bung with Clay that not the least irreption of aire may be capable to taint it to which it is very subject To cause new wine to bee quickly purged put after this proportion in the rest to 15 quarts of new Wine halfe a pint of strong Vinegar and within the space of three dayes it will bee fined To preserve Must or new Wine all the yeare take that Vine which voluntary distilleth from the Grape before is suffer the presse and put it into a Vessell pitch'd within and without the same day let the Vessell be halfe full and very well stop'd with plaster above and thus the new Wine will continue a long while in his sweetnesse But to adde to this experiment and the continuance of the Wine you must hinder it from working which you may well doe if you put the Vessell into some Well or River there to remaine thirty dayes for not having boyled it will continue alwayes sweet and is preserved by the heat of the Pitch Others prefer the burying of this Vessell in moist gravell and which in my opinion is the best others cover the Vessell first with the drosse of the Wine presse then heap upon it moyst gravell by which meanes something interposing betwixt the extraordinary moysture and cold of the gravell which might have some influxe upon the Wine your Must preserved in an excellent meane of temper To know if there be any water in the Wine THE Malice of servants sometimes swallowing downe their Masters Wine and fearing to be discovered if the quantity be diminished or the basenesse of the Dealer to impose upon the Merchant makes both of them adulterate it with water which not being discernable to the eye may be made familiar to your knowledge by this experiment Take a withered Rush immerge it in the Wine after a small space draw it out againe if the Wine have been thus bastarded you shall perceive the water cleaving to it Otherwise take raw and wilde Peares cutting and cleansing them in the midst or in lieu of them Mulberries cast them into the Wine if they float the Wine is neat and cleare from such sophistication if they subside there is water in it Some doe anoint a Reed a piece of wood or paper hay or some other little bundle of herbs or strawes with Oyle which if they drye put into the Wineâ— and after draw them out if the Wine have been embased with water drops thereof will gather unto the Oylâ— Another sure tryall is to cast unâ—laked Lime into the Wine if there be any adulteration the Lime dissolves if the Wine be undevirginated the Lime collects thereby a harder cementation Others take of the Wine and inject it into a Frying-pan wherein there is boyling Oyle and the Wine if depured declares it with a loud noise and frequent Bubbles To make another tryall lay an Egge into the Wine the Egge descending manifests the abuse not descending the Wine is as the Grape bled it To seperate Wine from Water BUT as the miserable man in the pit desirâ—d his friend not to question how he fell in but to advise how he should get out We will not be satisfied that there is water in the Wine but how it may be sepeâ—ated from it which if we may believe the deliverers of it who have published it to the World in their names you must put into the Vessell of Wine melted Allum then stop the mouth of the Vessell with a spunge drenched in Oyle which done turne the mouth of the Vessell so stopped downewards and the water onely will come forth leaving the Wine pure the reason of this I cannot give and have onely read not seen the expeririment The way to correct â—ver much waterishnesse in Wine IF gluts of raine have made the yeare so unseasonable that the Grape hath contracted a watry quality to the diminution of his Winy goodnesse or if it fall ouâ— that after the time of gathering them there fall such store of raine that the Grapes instead of Dewes are too much wetted such is the profit of exposing the gathered clusters into the open aire for 48 houres the remedy is to tread them quickly and finding the Wine weake by tasting it after it hath been put into the Vessell and begun to boyle there it must presently be changed and drawne out into another Vessell for so the watrâ— parts that are in it will stay behinde in the bottome yet the Wine standing still charged will be totally corrected if you put to every fifteen quarts of Wine a pint and a halfe of Salt To make Wine of an acceptable odour IF you will perfume your Wine with a gratefull odour by which the braine may be strengthened as well as the heart exalted take a few Myrtle-berries dry bray them and put them into a little Barrell of Wine let it so rest close stopped ten dayes afterwards use it at pleasure The like effect will follow if you take the blossoms of the Grapes those especially which growe upon the shrubby Vines when the Vine is in flower and cast them into the Wine the brimmes of the Wine-vessell
transmit a rich and never-failing sap into the nascent Vine making it grow speedy and strongly if the Vine participate of this fatnesse which it may be they call grossenesse as desiring to have it more subtile there is small question to be made but that this Wine so imbodied and Fortified by nature must have extraordinary spirits to preserve it and that age will have resined all that grossenesse into more pure and noble spirits that if transported the Sea will contribute to its melioration whereas this Wine which they call subtile and delicate spirits if either preserved long or transported far will with so much applauded subtilty and delicacy lose all his spirits by age and evaporation Scruple therefore at the richnesse of your ground no more then at the ranknesse of your purse t is in your power to correct either if there were necessity let it have the qualities of gentle easie fine and light to be stirred seated if possible on the decline of a Hill not neare to any Marish ground nor having any springs gliding through it these Marish grounds you must avoyd as you would doe Levell in a Valley And the reason is that the Vine growing in these parts has a crude and â—ndigeâ—ted bloud quickly soures and has neither strength to commend or preserve it and the Frosts in the winter time sinking to his roâ—ts by the moyst passage of his scituation kills it the Grapes plumpe and breake and when as an additionall judgement to your injâ—dicious election a Rainy yeare comes to afflict the Kernells breake out the true juice of the Grape accompanying it and though it fall out that the Grape swell againe yet let not your expectation swell upon it for instead of good Wine proceeding from thence you will receive nothing but Viny water The gentle easie fine and light ground being the best does not so wholly arrogate all excellency as to deny an accession a neighbourhood of goodnesse to other soyles The gravelly ground yieldeth Wine of a great delicacy but a small quantity besides the infant Plants are in danger of being wash'd away in any extraordinary surfeit of raines such grounds being not able to give them a deep rooting The like may be said of sandy ground which notwithstanding in some places especially where it is of a nitrous substance will not yield the Palme to any ground oâ— whatever richnesse other grounds may have an enforced richnesse but because usually all such enfatning compost consists of Dung and Urine which spoyle the purity of the Vine If my advice were of any weight they should never be used for Vintage till necessity commanded my obedience For the disposition of the aire as particularly whether inclining to a Meridian or Oblique to the South South-East or South-West If we contemplate the nature of the Vine that it by instinct prefers places rather hot then cold drye then moyst that it â—areth stormes and tempests it affecteth a gentle breathing winde or a serene calme we may presently collect that it is neither to be placed open to the North North-Eastâ— nor in VIRGINIA especially to that Nursery of storms the North-West quarters nor upâ—n the tops of Hills where it lyes equally assailable to all the deare place then for the Vines imbraces is a Descent towards not in a Valley except never subject to inundationâ— that being sheltred fâ—om the more blustring Domineâ—rers in the aire it lye open to the South South-West South-East or any part of the East and West within the South quarter for such a gratefull mansion and acceptable soyle assigned him doubt not but he will returne you a rent which shall sâ—tisfie your most unbounded wishes But leâ—t the eye in the option of your Vineyard may impose upon you considering that every grâ—und hath some arcane qualiâ—y which the sight is not able to discover to make a most certaine experiment let me propose this way of Examen Make a pit in the ground where your intentions are to plant two foot deep take a clod of the earth so cast up powder it and infuse it in a glasse full of cleare Raine-water do your best to incorporate it with the water by frequent agitation and mixture let it repose till the subsided earth have made his perfect residence and settlement in the bottome and the water recovered her native clearenesse taste the water and arrest your judgement upon this that such a tast as the water delivers to your pallate will that earth transmit to your wine if of an inoffâ—nsive or acceptable relish you may confidently promise your selfe a Wine pure and consequently if the soyle be rich very noble nor is a salt taste an ill argument but if it be a bitter aluminous or suâ—hury gust this place is not fit for your planting you lose your Wine and your labour But VIRGINIA has a more certaine assurance God and nature have pointed them a soyle ouâ— with their owne finger let them therefore fix their eyes upon those places where either the Vine or Mulberry grow conjoyn'd or seperate and let them assure themselves of the excellency of the soyle a diffiâ—ence in this being an affront to Nature yet this caution is to be used that though Valleyes are Marshy placesâ— may sometime have them by nature yet their florescence would be much more excellent and healthfull if removed to such a ground as formerly we have made choice of To make election of Plants CUriosity about the choise of your Vine Plants will commend your Husbandry let the Vine therefore from whence you take your Plant be of as little Pith as may be such unpithy Vines being both fruitfull and fortified by nature bearing a remarkable abundance of substantiall Grapes and strongly resists the violence of the weather and of this fertility and firmenesse will your Plant also participate Let not the Vine you meane to plant from be above the middle of his strength or age and observe abâ—ut September thâ—se which are most laden with Grapes fullest of eyes in their branches and have been least wounded by the unseasonablenesse of Weather Take not a Vine growing on a South side to transplant him to a Northerne and set this downe for a principle in Nature that all plants removed to a better scituation and soyle answer your largest hopes by their fruitfulnesse but transplanted to a worse assure your selfe that without an extraordinary cultivation there cannot be the least probability of its thriving Let your Plant if you may with conveniency immediatly be planted after its seperation from its originall for while it yet retaines any vitall vigour it will the sooner apply it selfe to the desire of life and nourishment If your necessity will not admit of this festination wrap it tenderly in its owne earth and when your leisure will permit you to plant it let it soake some foure or five dayes in water and if possible running water this immerging is a very strong preparative to its sudden taking root If you apprehend
a necessity of keeping him long or transporting him imagine it the Cyprian or Calabrian Grape thus to bee transportable into Virginia put him into a close Barrell fil'd up with earth and that no aire may mortifie him let both ends of the Plant be put into Onions or Garlick or which is better made up with wax and now and then watred but not more then to keep the earth from resolving into a dry dust for too much moysture might instead of preserving him make him fructifie and your Plant would become all root Wee have already spoken how we must chuse but not what we must make choice of Let your Plants therefore be of those which grow between the highest and lowest the lowest having too much of earthy juice and the highâ—st too little let them bee round smooth and firmeâ— having many eyes and about one foot and a halfe of old wood cut off with the new The manner and way to â—lanâ— Vines HUman curiosity plungeth us in so many unnecessary toils that it would almost take a person off from necessary labour Look into Columella the Countrey Farme the Duâ—ch Husbandry and all those supercilious Writerâ— and you shall see them stand upon such impertinent Puntillos one while the dependance upon starres benights a man another while the ground which should produce this or that must be cast after this forme or else it will be barren in spight of the bounty of the Divine Providence Not enumerating therefore all their wayes of Planting I dare lay my life that if the Vine were but set on foot in VIRGINIA the ground prepared for it as they doe their Tobacco there by a right line holes made instead of their Hillocks but larger deeper and at greater distance that there might something grow betwixt them which might be inoffensive to it by nature and cleare it from being choak'd with weedes or something drawing a contrary juice peradventure Onions and Garlick or something requiring small nourishment as Lupins which turn'd into the earth againe distance of five foot being left for a Plough with caution not to come too neare the Roots which must be bared with a stowe the Plough running first the length and then the traverse of those rowes which therefore must bee lineally straight would both fatten the earth and cultivate the Vine all at one moment Yet submitting my selfe to judgements of greater experience then my modesty or natuâ—e can ever hope for I shall deliver the severall way of planting the Vine with as much brevity as the matter and my first resolution rather to contract then inlarge will permit mee The first preparing of the earth to receive the Vine must bee done in Spring or Summer where the ground you digge or cast must bee cleansed from all manner of superfluities whatsoever nâ—mely Roots Weedes Stones c. this digging must bee severall times repeated that the earth by alternate changing its place of top and bottome may bee throughly tempred the dry refreshed and the moyst qualified Thus cleansed cast in into many â—urrowes the sides whereof the French call Chevaliers or Guides because it should guide you in the planting the depth of eighteene inchâ—s or more let the mould cast up above bee so disposed that â—t may answer to the depth below Note that these furrowes in a sandy 〈◊〉 or wet ground must not bee so hollow as in that which is rough and crabbed In the bottome of the first you may put stones about the bignesâ—e of an ordinary brick but round not bigger which in the heate of Summer refreshes in violence of Raine opens a passage to the water that it dwell not at the root to rot it The best season for planting of Vines is in October the Moone increasing the Furrowes must bee made in August that the exposed earth may have time of digestive preparation If your plant have Roots you must when you plant it cut them ofâ— all except it bee newly gathered if it bee a slip or cut which though it bee not so swift of growth the first yeare yet is of much longer continuance you must soake it in water if it bee possible in running water five or six dayes Hee which plants the Vine the ground thus prepared and haveing a line with him that hee may observe a just evennesse and streightnesse both in the Row and to the opposite Plant that so every foure may make a regular quadrangle must bow his plant the bigger end forward one foot into the earth of the Ditch letting first some of the Mould from the sides fall into it let him tread upon the Mould the better to fixe the plant and with his hand the foot still pressing upon that part of the plant which is inearthed gently raise or bow the top of the plant that it may grow erect this done let him cast some more Mould on it to the thicknesse of six inches and cut the top of the Plant so as not to leave above three knots or joynts above the earth Let him proceede in planting of the rest observing the prescribed order some set two plants together in this order that if one shouâ—d faile the other might recompence the default If you will have your Vine to grow without stakes or props cut it so that you let it no increase above two or three joynts in the yeare which will make it to stand firme against all stormes iâ— but naturally violent It will bee extreame ill husbandry to plant Vines of different kindes or qualities together such diversity there is in their season of ripenesse some preventing your expectation by the suddainenesse of their maturity others deceiving it by their late ripenesse Wee have spoken of the planting let us now handle the culture and dresse of it that his fertility may in some measure requiâ—e the labour of his implâ—nting The manner of dressing the Vine MId May will bee a season which will best informe you whether your Plants have taken so good root that it expresses a verdure and germination in his Branches when therefore the shoot is able to indure dressing let it bee cut within two or three knots of the old Wood and if any other slips spring from the Root cut them away with care however that it wound not the Root or the maine stock which are wonderfully offended by the too neare approach of any toole that is edged that the whole strength of the Vine may unite into one common stock or pillar to support and convey the sap into the permitted branches of which you may not let any flourish the first yeare of its growth It is observed that to cut the Vine in the decrease of the Moone makes the fleshy part of the Grape of a more substantiall grossenesse and feeding and is a peculiar remedy for those Vines which are given to bee over-ranke with wood Let it bee the care of the Vigneron to remoove all obstructions of Weedes which uninvited participate of the Vines nourishment