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, &c. . 



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 I am 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, 



