SECRETARY'S REPORT. 231 



-carefully from time to time, pinching in the laterals at one bud, and 

 ■stop the main shoots as early as the first of September, to enable 

 them better to ripen their wood. If these shoots get ten or twelve 

 feet growth this year, they may be shortened in the fall to six feet, 

 and then be laid down and covered again for the winter. Next 

 spring these two shoots are to be tied out horizontally, and four 

 shoots allowed to grow upright from them, each four feet from the 

 other. Let nothing else grow, rubbing ofi" all others which start, 

 "besides these four, and pinch in the laterals as before, and stop the 

 main shoots by the last of August, in order to ripen their wood. 

 In the fall these maybe shortened to two feet each. Next year 

 they may be allowed to bear fruit — not more than a bunch on each 

 shoot which proceeds from the buds on last year's wood : the 

 upper shoot to be trained upright and allowed to grow three or 

 four feet. When the side shoots have grown two feet, pinch their 

 ends and keep the laterals pinched in also — thus will the whole 

 space be filled and no undue crowding of foliage be allowed. Next 

 fall, and each year after, all the pruning necessary is to cut back 

 the bearing shoots to one good bud, thus leaving a spur for fruit- 

 ing the succeeding year. The upright shoots may be extended one 

 or two feet each year until as high as the wall or trellis, or as high 

 as wanted, and in after years, if needful or advisable, the vine may 

 be extended in width by training shoots from the ends horizontally, 

 and taking other upright -ones from them in the same manner as at 

 first. A very little cutting properly done, a little labor bestowed 

 'Ut the right time in rubbing off useless shoots, tying up such as are 

 to be saved, pinching in such as have grown enough, or are robbing 

 other portions of the strength due them, &c., will cause a vine to 

 be a thing of beauty and a joy constantly ; but neglect it in its 

 nearly years, and, like an untrained child, it may not be expected to 

 become what it might with fitting treatment. 



Another mode of pruning called the renewal system is practised 

 with tolerable success. It differs from the above only in that, after 

 the third year, new upright canes are annually substituted for those 

 which, as above stated, are spur pruned arid left to remain perma- 

 nently. The following cuts wiU illustrate both plans: 



