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early as even the latter part of January. In this 

 case, however, great care must be taken not to 

 cut the branch near the bud, because the frosts 

 which generally succeed at that period, will have 

 a tendency to injure, and destroy the embryo, or 

 branch entirely. Those who, from want of 

 knowledge, do not avail of the proper moment to 

 perform the work; that is, who prune early the 

 vines that, from peculiar circumstances, call for 

 the operation rather late in the season, commit a 

 great error; so also do they when the case is re- 

 versed. The first, particularly if the branch be 

 cut too near the bud, inflict an injury, because 

 should the pruning be succeeded by frosty wea- 

 ther, such buttons seldom vegetate, consequently, 

 there succeeds not only the loss of the fruit fop 

 that season, but probably the branch best calcu- 

 lated for the fruit bearing wood of the succeed- 

 ing season. The latter, who prune when an 

 active circulation is in motion through the plant, 

 cause a severe hemorrhage, which is not only 

 ruinous to the plant, exhausting its powers and 

 vigor, but the flow of the sap, which for several 

 days trickles drop by drop from the wounded 

 surface, courses along the bark, -and stagnates 

 around the base or foot of the bud, by which it 

 becomes enfeebled and unfit for vegetation. There 

 are nevertheless occasional instances, where such 

 a late pruning has been attended with beneficial ef- 

 fects, that is, where unfortunately, at an advanced 

 period of the season, when the vine has already 

 pushed into leaf, a severe freezing, succeeds. In 

 such cases the vine that has had late pruning, 

 is consequently backward, and of course escapes 



