Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. II.

What soile and aire the vine doth most delight in.

THe vine groweth not but in certaine places that are fit and naturall for it, which is a thing to be accounted of by vs, so much the more excellent, because the speciall propertie of this plant is more commended by men than any other, in respect of the good it ministreth, which i•• that in such places as it groweth in, the men are found to be more strong and mightie by the vse of it, than other men are, which for want of it, are forced to vse other drinkes.

As concerning the soile to plant it in, there must two things be considered, the qualitie of the ground where it is to be planted, and the disposition and inclination of the aire which ruleth in that place. As concerning the qualitie of the ground, you shall chuse such a one as is not very churlish and close, neither yet very ligh•• and open, but yet of the two, more inclining vnto a small mould and open ground, nei∣ther leane nor very fat, & yet somewhat the rather inclining to the fat, not champion, nor a very plaine and flat, (and yet in such grounds there grow more wine) neither very stiffe and straight, but rather somewhat raised than otherwise, that so it may bee the better aided and succoured by the fauourable beames of the Sunne, neither dri•• nor moist and watrish (because that in such kind of ground the vine continueth not long, neither doth it bring forth good wine, but such as is quickely perished)

and yet indifferently serued with vvater: not such a one as hath any fresh springs or fountaines, either breaking out euen with the vppermost face of the earth, neither yet carried along within, in the depth of the earth below, but only in such sort, as that neere vnto them there may be water to moisten their rootes withall: and the same moisture must not be either bitter or salt, to the end that the tast and ••auor of the wine may not be spoiled. So that by this it appeareth that it is not meet to plant Vines in deepe and low valleyes, albeit they might, and would bring forth grapes in great a∣bundance, and that because they would not ripen in due time, and so there would be made of them no better than a green vvine of small value: adde hereunto, that Vines seated in low valleyes, are very much endangered by the Frosts of the Winter and Spring time, and are also subiect to haue their grapes to burst, and to runne out their iuice and to rot, vvhich vvould cause a mus••ie and foughtie taste in the vvine: and therewithall, vvhen the yeare is rainie, the kernels cleaue and burst out through the abundance of moisture; by reason vvhereof the grape being in this sort too much moistened, and nothing at all dried, the vvine becommeth vnsauorie and apt to grow sowre, and fall into many other faults. And if you happen to light on such a place, then chuse to plant there such plants, and yong shootes as may beare clusters, not too thicke set, but growing somewhat thin, that so the Sunne may pierce through them: much lesse may you plant those Vines vvhich haue their pith taken out, and bring forth a firme and solid grape, in cold and moist grounds: as neither yet in a hote and drie ground, such Vines as haue substance enough in them, and beare a grape some∣vvhat soft. But chiefly, if your place be so well appointed by nature, as that it con∣sist of and containe grounds that are fit and meet vpon the tops of great hills, toge∣ther vvith some low and small hills, then make choice of them to plant your Vines thereupon. It is true that it vvill hardly grow there at the first, but hauing once taken roote, it vvill yeeld a verie pleasant and noble vvine, such as the vvines of Ay, Hadre, Argentueil, Meudon, and Seurre be.

In generall, if you vvould plant a Vine vvhich may profite you in bringing forth abundant store of good fruit, you must see that the ground be gentle, easie, fine, and indifferent light to be stirred: not as though such a ground onely vvere good for Vines, but for that it is most kind, naturall, and best agreeing for Vines to be planted in sandie, stonie, grauelly, and flintie ground, as also such as consisteth of a Potters clay in the bottome, and couered ouer with earth is good, prouided, that they be intermingled with some fat earth, and that they be often refreshed by being digged euen to the veine of stones, or rocke. In a sandie, clayie, and churlish stubborne ground, the first digging and casting of it must be good & deepe: and such grounds also would be thrise digged or cast at the least. Such grounds bring forth strong and delicate vvines: but such grounds as haue of stones or flints great store vpon the vp∣permost face of the earth, are not fit for Vines, because in Summer they stand at a stay, by reason of the great heat of the Sunne, being beat back vpon them by the said stones: and they doe no better in Winter, because of the excessiue cold which in like manner then troubleth them. True it is, that if a Vine be planted in a grauelly, rockie and stonie ground, that then it will not be needfull to cast so deepe, because the roote is not so farre downe into the earth, as is the new planted Vineyard which is made in a sandie ••oile, and it is contented with twise digging for the most part. A soile stan∣ding vpon Walkers clay or marle, as loeg••y vpon Yonne, is verie good for Vines, but the ground standing vpon a Potters clay is not good. In like sort the grauelly ground is not altogether fit: for though it yeeld a daintie good wine, yet it yeeldeth but a ve∣••ie little: and there also the new planted Vineyard is very subiect vnto the hauing of his grapes washed away. The drie and burning earth doth yeeld leane Vines if it be not helped by the dunghill.

As concerning the power of the Sunne, and disposition of the ayre, the Vine de∣lighteth not to be planted vpon the tops of mountains, and much lesse in places lying open vnto the Northeast winde: but it delighteth in an ayre that is rather hote than colde, and faire rather than rainie: it cannot abide tempests and stormes: it reioice∣eth

in a small, gentle, and friendly winde, and would bee turned toward the East or South. It is true that generally in cold places vines must stand vpon the South, and in hot places vpon the North or East: prouided that they be sheltred at such time from the winds, as well of the South as of the East: if the place be subiect to Winds, it will be better that it should be to the Northerne or Westerne Windes than otherwise: in temperate places either vpon the East or West; but the best is towards the East.

Furthermore in as much as it is a very difficult thing to find all these commodi∣ties and good properties of ground and aire in euery countrie; the good workeman shall fit the plants of his vines vnto the nature of the places and countries: where∣fore in a fat and ••ertile ground he shall set the young plant of a small vine, and such a one as beareth but little, as the Morillion, the Melier and the Aubeine: and in a leane ground the plant that is very fruitfull, as that of Samoureau, Tresseau, Lom∣bard, Ouch, Muscadet, Beauuois, and Pulceau: in a thicke and close ground, the plant that is strong and putteth forth great store of wood and leaues, as that of Mo∣rillion, Morlou, Tresseau, and Pulceau: in a small mould and reasonable fat ground, the plant which putteth forth but a little wood, as that of Samoureau, Lombard, and Beaulnois: and by this meanes the defect and want, or the excesse and superfluitie of any qualitie in the young plant of the vine, shall be supplied or corrected by the nature of the ground, and that in such sort and manner as that of two excesses shall spring one meane and well tempered thing, which is a point to be wished and requi∣site in the growing of all sorts of plants. Furthermore he may not plant in moist pla∣ces the young plant which is giuen to beare tender and grosse grapes, as that of Sa∣moureau, Gouet, Mourlous, Pulceau, Cinquaine, and Tresseau. In places ••ossed with winds and stormes, he must prouide to plant such a kind of vine as is woont to bring forth hard grapes and sticking fast and close vnto the stalke: but on the con∣trarie, that which shall haue accustomed to beare tender grapes in places that are hot and giuen to be mild. In drie countries he must plant those vines, the fruit whereof is woont lightly either through raine or the dew to rot, as those be of samoureau, Gouet, Pinot, Blanke, and Beaunoies: and in a moist place, those which are woont to spoile and perish through drinesse. In countries which are troubled with haile, such as are of a hard and large leafe, for such are able the better to defend and couer the fruit.

Notes

• Two things to be considered in the planting of vines.
• ••hat aire is fit and requi••it for the Vine.