CULTIVATION OP THE VINE, 157 



the surface of the ground. If such should be 

 found to be the case, the superficial roots are in- 

 jurious to the plant and must be carefully cut. 

 This operation, when performed early in the 

 season, is attended with this advantage, that there 

 is not the same wasteful flow of sap from the dis- 

 membered roots, as must be the case where the 

 work is postponed till late in the spring. In the 

 performance of this operation, the superfluous 

 buttons should be carefully rubbed off, and at the 

 same time the branch should be so placed as to 

 range in uniformity, as to the height and line 

 with the circumjacent vines. 



ARTICLE IX. 



Stripping the vines of the superflux vegeta- 

 tion raising and tying the branches. 



THE first work of stripping or weeding the 

 vines, consists in detaching the useless shoots, or 

 extra branches. This should not be done till all 

 the grapes or fruit be fairly developed and plain- 

 ly perceived, at which time the extra foliage will 

 have put forth and formed, the shoots being 

 half a foot in length. The method of stripping 

 or weeding the vines at an early period of the 

 season, is greatly to be preferred to the loose 

 habit of the greater part of the vine dressers of 

 



