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 

 done 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 



