24 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
Now a difficulty will present itself to the novice, in 
this way. If I prune this lateral, leaving two or three 
eyes this season, where shall I be next year from the 
leader? Well, you see, here is a base-eye left. Now, 
as soon as the fruit is formed, and you have selected 
the best developed bunch of the two or three upon the 
second or third eye (and it can be easily distinguished 
which will be the finest bunch as soon as they are in 
flower), divest the spur of all after-growth as soon as 
the flowering is over, and leave none upon the spur 
but what are really wanted for the following season, 
and encourage the base-bud growth as much as possible. 
Do not stop it till it is a foot in length, then this will 
be just in the same position to give fruit spurs as was 
the one preceding it and which is bearing fruit, and so 
it goes on successively year after year. It will always 
be found that the first bud or eye is less prominent 
than the one above it, and that the third one will be 
even more developed than either of the other two. 
This one and those above it are the best fruit eyes. 
The time for pruning the vine is a matter of im- 
portance. It may be done as soon as the leaf turns 
yellow and begins to fall, but no pruning should be 
cone to a vine in a house much after Christmas; while 
for vines which have to be forced, the pruning must be 
done before that time. In all vine-pruning the weak 
spray stuff should be cut out clean, or to one eye if 
necessary, to reserve that one for a supply of wood for 
the coming season. Never allow too much young growth 
to remain on young vines to fruit at one time; judg- 
ment must be exercised, and an acquaintance with the 
constitution of the vine is necessary to understand this. 
I have known young vines ruined by allowing too much 
