26 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
the wood will not mature itself, as I have before re- 
marked, and then, let the winter pruning be what it may, 
and let it be done ever so well, the results will be 
either a partial or an entire failure in what might have 
been a prime crop of well-grown fruit. 
As soon as the fruit shows itself sufficiently to 
select the bunches for ripening, divest the vine of all 
the laterals, and stop such as are left on for fruiting, 
at one eye above the bunch; but never stop the 
leaders till they have advanced to the limits of the 
house, nor even then if it can be possibly avoided. It 
is bad policy in Grape growing to stop the young wood 
too soon, and also to allow it to grow too thick. A vine 
should be one leaf thick above the fruit and no more. 
This is all that is required for a shade to the fruit, and 
no more must be allowed if you want well matured 
wood for fruiting next year. | 
All laterals arising after the first stopping should 
be frequently removed, and no young wood allowed to 
remain but what is absolutely useful for the ensuing 
season for fruiting. It is far better to remove old 
leaders after the third season than to let them remain, 
and to substitute a new leader. In cases where the 
vines are strong a new leader can be well trained inter- 
mediately, in two seasons, the whole length of a roof 
sixteen or twenty feet upwards. A leader will do this 
in one season if the vine is strong; it is not how- 
ever advisable to allow it to remain the whole length 
made in one season, but to cut it back one half at 
least, and the next season it may remain the whole 
length of the roof, when the old leader may be cut 
out clean to the bottom. 
