166 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



roots is governed by the growth of the branches, and by curtailing the 

 superfluous wood we obtain an extra supply of nourishment for the fruit 

 or for new wood, as the case may be. If a branch is topped off it does 

 not increase the amount of sap in a tree, because each part has its cer- 

 tain quantity, and there is no more absorbed by the roots than what the 

 lungs — id est, the leaves — can elaborate or bring in contact with the air. 



If the soil contains only the amount of fertility needful to develop a 

 thrifty growth of the plant, very little pruning will be necessary, as at 

 a certain stage the growth of wood is checked, and the fruit absorbs all 

 the prepared sap ; but even in those happy cases, art has to assist nature 

 whenever her children are by civilization pampered. We have to check 

 its fecundity by removing a large proportion of fruit, for the benefit of 

 the remainder. We must curtail the luxuriance of the outgrowing 

 branches by pruning, to keep them within our reach. We must exer- 

 cise a redoubled care when the fertility of the soil or the peculiarities of 

 growth of certain plants like the vine cause them to run wild in the for- 

 mation of wood, when our desire is to obtain fruit. We notice that 

 vines growing luxuriantly long after the season for ripening the fruit is 

 past will not pay — there is abundance of foliage and wood, but the grapes 

 are scattered on the bunches, of all sizes, green and ripe intermixed. 

 All such vines must be pruned with the most assiduous care. We should 

 begin the pinching process in time, and reduce the number of canes, 

 that the vine may have an open head, with the fruit accessible to light 

 and heat. If it still outgrows the pinching, check the rampant growth 

 with the knife, by pruning above the topmost a fully groAvn leaf. Fol- 

 low the same with the laterals, and in due season, if the soil is not stiff 

 and clayey, and unsuited for a vineyard, our labor will be repaid with 

 good fruit. 



We have been at length in discussing the points of summer pruning, 

 because the renewal mode of spur pruning is especially adapted for vine- 

 yard culture in California, and this requires, particularly, persistent 

 summer pruning. It should commence by pinching the topmost bud as 

 soon as the canes have grown two leaves above the topmost raceme or 

 blossom. This will strengthen and develop the wood at the base of the 

 cane, and prevent their breakage by heavy wind. This is the time to 

 remove all suckers, leaving only the desired number of the strongest 

 canes. With the advancing growth the process is again repeated on the 

 new topmost shoots; then the laterals will expand. These should be 

 shortened above the third leaf. As in vinej 7 ard culture it is almost im- 

 practicable to perform the work in the exact necessary time, the over- 

 grown cane tops can be rapidly shortened in with a knife, with the pre- 

 caution to spare three or four leaves above the fruit, which will leave 

 the length of canes about three feet. The process will have to be re- 

 peated when the new growth requires it, but with this caution, not to 

 destroy the old, fully grown leaves, and each new shoot to be cut above 

 the topmost grown leaf. 



The culture of the soil has been above referred to. It remains only 

 to mention that after the winter pruning the ground around the vines, 

 at least twelve inches, should be carefully scraped off to the depth of 

 two inches, to facilitate the further culture, and to kill insects or their 

 larva;, which select these places as their winter dormitory. 



To prevent the exhaustion of the soil, all the refuse winter primings 

 should be chopped in pieces of ten or twelve inches in length, scattered 

 evenly over the ground ; and as soon as the vegetation starts a few inches 

 with the advent of the rainy season, it should be turned under with a 



