PRUNING AND TRAINING THE VINE. 203 



■witliiu a foot of the base. From each of these many branches 

 will shoot; but you have to rub off, while young, all but 

 those you desire to form your bush, and throw all the 

 strength into these. Perhaps two from some, and three from 

 others, may enable you to form a good head that year ; if so, 

 you cut off all side-shoots to a single eye, leave the ends to 

 grow longer, and repeat this pruning every winter. Goose- 

 berry may be trained as standards, by encouraging the upright 

 growth of the first shoot, and cutting off all side-shoots close 

 to the wood, until the main stem is as tall as wanted, when, 

 by pinching out the top, a head will be formed in two 

 seasons, the same rules being observed as to pruning as if it 

 were on the ground. The stems have to be supported by 

 sticks. Both gooseberry and currant-trees may be trained as 

 espaliers, and also on walls, the pruning being precisely the 

 same ; but in the training, the lower branches must be hori- 

 zontal, as nearly as possible, and the sooner tliis can be 

 followed up with the rest of the tree the better. In this 

 case, only three shoots are wanted on the young tree, one to 

 grow each way, in a horizontal line, the other upwards, to 

 produce other branches. The upright shoot may be cut back 

 to eight or ten inches. The upper eye will do for the next 

 year's upper shoot ; the next eye on each side will form two 

 more branches to train next year, and all below ought to be 

 rubbed off. K the branches are thus laid horizontally, seven 

 or eight inches from each other, they will bear fruit the 

 whole length that they are trained, all but on the present 

 year's wood, which does not bear till a year old. On walls 

 the training is the same ; but as the fan form is much easier 

 to some people, and covers a wall quicker, you have only to 

 lay the branches of your skeleton tree so as to cover well, but 

 out of each other's way ; and every winter, or early in spring, 

 cut every side-shoot back to a single eye. 



The Vine. — The vine bears its fruit on the last year's wood; 

 and the great object of the cultivator is to get that wood well 

 ripened, for on that depends a good deal, if not everything. 

 The quantity of ripened wood of the last year to be left on a 

 vine should be so regulated, that it may be distributed over 

 the surface of the wall, roof, or house occupied by the vine, 

 at such distances as will insure a good scope ; and this may 

 be done two different ways : it may be by leaving shoots to 

 go up the whole length of the front, or space, at proper dis- 



