144 TREATISE ON THE 



ragraph, I shall endeavour to explain from my 

 observations of the culture of the Canton of 

 Vaud, what I believe to be the meaning of the 

 author in the directions thus given. I have seen 

 in that Canton many of the old vineyards so cut 

 down in the spring pruning, as to be divested of 

 every inch of the shoots or branches of the pre- 

 ceding year, thus leaving nothing but the stump 

 or old trunk, the top of which, from long annual 

 pruning in this manner, is terminated with a 

 round ball, from which, indurated as it appeared 

 to me, all the young shoots forming the heading 

 of that year, germinate. Although in the old 

 vineyards of Vaud, this method of pruning may 

 be considered general, there are nevertheless 

 many who have three or for buttons of vigorous 

 branches of the preceding year, from which the 

 fruit bearing heading of that season is formed ; 

 and it is this latter system which does not divest 

 the trunk, or old vine, of every particle of the 

 shoots of the preceding year, that I understand 

 the author to discourage.] 



In pruning always from the young shoot, you 

 tighten the horns of the trunk, thus forming a 

 round, or globular head, which is attended with 

 this inconvenience, that in a season of great 

 abundance, the bunches of grapes are often 

 brought into contact, not leaving between them, 

 the space necessary to allow the rays of the sun 

 to penetrate, the interior of the plant is also so 

 shaded that the fruit is shut up, and consequently 

 deprived of that degree of heat necessary to ma- 

 ture and ripen it. 



