THE GRAPE. 125 



ical, is so philosophical and rational, that we have 

 copied it into our manual. He says, " The native 

 grapes are very luxuriant growers ; they make 

 every season of life to themselves a great mass 

 of foliage ; and the almost universal practice is 

 to cut off, when the grapes are about the size of 

 peas, every shoot, two or three joints beyond 

 the outermost bunch of grapes. This is done 

 under the impression, first, that to leave so much 

 young wood and foliage is to rob the growing 

 fruit of its fair supply of food ; and second, that 

 every bunch should be well exposed to the sun, 

 in order to assist it in coming to full maturity. 

 We ourselves practised this mode of summer 

 pruning for several years, even after we had 

 doubts of its propriety, and were frequently dis- 

 posed to lay to its charge the diminished size of 

 the grapes, of which we are now confident it was 

 the cause." 



"In 1843 our attention was attracted by an 

 article, from the able pen of Dr. Lindley, on this 

 subject. It began with the following proposi- 

 tions : 



" (1.) If all the leaves which a tree will na- 

 turally form, are exposed to favorable influences, 

 and receive the light of a brilliant sun, all the 

 fruit which such a plant may produce, will ripen 

 perfectly in a summer that is long enough. 



" (2.) If all the leaves of a tree are exposed 

 to such influences, all its fruit will advance as far 

 towards ripening as the length of the summer 

 will admit of; it may be sour and colorless, but 

 that condition will be perfect of its kind. 



" (3.) But if all the fruit which a healthy tree 

 will show is allowed to set, and a large part of 

 11* 



