510 pliky's fatubal history. [Book XVII. 



wards towards the ground, and should be made as lightly as 

 possible, the edge of the knife being well-sharpened for the 

 purpose, so as to make a clean cut each time. Care should be 

 taken, too, to cut always between two buds, and that the eyes 

 are not injured in the operation. It is generally thought that 

 wherever the vine is black, all those parts may be cut off, the 

 healthy parts not being touched ; as no useful shoots can he 

 put forth by wood that is bad in itself. If a meagre vine has 

 not good stock-shoots, the best plan is to cut it down to the 

 ground, and then to train new ones. In clearing away the 

 leaves, too, those leaves should not be removed which accompany 

 the clusters, for by so doing the grapes are made to fall off, ex- 

 cept where the vine happens to be young. Those leaves are 

 regarded as useless which grow on the sides of the trunk and 

 not from an eye ; and so, too, are the bunches which shoot 

 from the hard, strong wood, and are only to be removed by the 

 aid of the knife. 



Some persons are of opinion that it is a better plan to fix 

 the stay midway between two vines ; and, indeed, by the adop- 

 tion of this method the roots are cleared with greater facility. 

 It is best, however, where the vine needs but a single cross- 

 rail, due care being taken that the rail is a strong one, and the 

 locality not exposed to high winds. In the case of those 

 vines which require trellissed cross-rails, the stay should be 

 placed as near as possible to the burden it has to support ; in 

 order, however, that there may be no impediment thrown in 

 the way of clearing the roots, it may be placed at the distance 

 of one cubit from the stock, but not more. It is generally 

 recommended to clear the roots before the pruning 48 is com- 

 menced. 



Cato 49 gives the following general precepts in relation to the 

 culture of the vine : — " Let the vine grow as high as possible, 

 and fasten it firmly, but not too tight. You should treat it in 

 the following manner. Clean the roots of the vine at seed- 

 time, and after pruning it dig about it, and then begin to 

 labour at the ground, by tracing with . the plough continuous 

 furrows every way. Plant the young vines in layers as early 

 as possible, and then break up the ground about them. If the 



48 The pruning should come first, in every case, Fee says. 



49 De Re Rust, c 33. The advice given by him, though good, is not 

 applicable to all vineyards. 



