II 



increases its warmth, helps it to hold elements of plant food and 

 to convert fertilizers into a form assimilable by the plants. A 

 good root run with plenty of food and drink at hand, will not 

 only give you a healthy, fruitful vine, but will keep it so. Badly 

 nurtured vines are exposed to numberless perils from both insect 

 pests and disease, which healthy vines escape." 



Mr. W. J. Thompson, writes: — "Before or after the watering 

 recommended [after pruning in the spring], the border should have 

 a dressing of a few inches in thickness of stable manure. This 

 will prevent excessive evaporation and help to keep the roots in 

 good condition." 



DISBUDDING AND STOPPING SHOOTS. 



Mr. W. J. Thompson writes to the following effect : — "As soon 

 as the vine begins to send out its shoots, care must be taken to 

 rub off all buds that are not required. When the shoots are about 

 three inches in length they will show fruit if there is going to be 

 any on the first growths. Most eyes that break will produce two 

 or three growths, and the weakest one at each eye should be 

 rubbed off. But if there are only two growths, and of about the 

 same strength, then remove the one furthest from the old wood 

 so as to avoid forming a long spur. After all the growths that 

 are not required have been rubbed off, care should be taken not 

 to allow any more growths to spring from the bases of the first 

 side growths. Do not allow growths to remain too close together; 

 twelve to fifteen inches apart is a good distance to allow, rubbing 

 off all intermediate growths as they appear. It will be prudent, 

 however, not to thin out the last superfluous growths until it is 

 seen what fruit there is going to be. If there are no signs of 

 fruit when the shoots are about six inches long it may be taken 

 that there will not be any unless it is produced on the laterals, 

 and this is often the case with black grapes. 



" When disbudding is finished, the side shoots that are al lowed 

 to remain will soon attain a length of about eighteen inches. At 

 this stage all the growths, except the leaders, should be stopped 

 by having the growing points pinched off. The growths with 

 fruit should each have the point taken off at the third leaf beyond 

 the bunch, and the side growths without fruit may be stopped at 

 about the same distance. Soon after the points of the laterals 

 have been pinched off, sub-laterals will begin to appear; these 

 should be allowed to grow until they have made five or six leaves 

 and should then be cut back to one leaf, and as they keep grow- 

 ing, this process must be repeated. 



"It is not wise to allow any fruit to remain on the leading 

 growths, and if any clusters appear they should be pinched off at 

 once. 



"Unless the vine is several years old, has a good main stem, and 

 is in good health, it should not be allowed to retain all the 

 bunches that will appear ; ten good bunches are better than thirty 



