PRUNING THE VINE. 25 
of the preceding year’s wood to remain on the leaders. 
If it is, say, three years old and has made vigorous 
growth, which is generally the case the first five or six 
years after planting, not more than three or four feet 
of young wood should be left to fruit on the leaders at 
a time, from two years after planting till the vine is five 
or six years old, or until it has been planted so long; 
and the laterals must be allowed to bear only one 
bunch of fruit each up to that age. In these days of 
advanced horticulture I find vines frequently trained 
just one half too thick in most houses. The conse- 
quence of this is premature or unripe wood, which 
results in a partial or complete failure of the crops, 
mildew, «&e. 
No vine leaders should be trained thicker or closer 
together than two feet and a half, then the ripening and 
oxidising influences of the sun and air can get at the 
young wood and ripen it to perfection. To know when 
this is the case, examine the cut when the winter prun- 
ing is done, and if the wood is matured and as it should 
be, to ensure a good crop of fruit next season, it will be 
solid and pithless; but if not properly ripened, it will 
then be brown in the centre and possess some pith. 
Always use a keen-edged, thin pruning-knife, and make 
the cut at right angles, or as nearly so as you can, and 
cut half an inch above the eye. 
SUMMER PRUNING THE VINE. 
This is frequently done in an indifferent manner, 
but Iam of opinion that success depends more upon 
the summer than upon the winter pruning ; for, if vines 
are not judiciously handled during the summer growth, 
