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the rigors of the unseasonable frosts. I will cite 

 an example in point. 



A citizen of Lausanne, a cultivator of the vine 

 in the vicinity of that city, fearing the approach 

 of late frosts, experimented on his vineyards, by 

 leaving a small part, or corner of it, untouched 

 at the general pruning. He was ridiculed by 

 the vine dressers of his vicinity as a visionary, but 

 what was the result ? A severe, unexpected frost 

 succeeded, during which all the vines that had re- 

 ceived their spring pruning, at the proper season, 

 lost in toto their crop of fruit, whilst, on the con- 

 trary, those which had been left, and had not 

 pushed into leaf, were unscathed, and produced 

 that year a crop as large as the aggregate pro- 

 duct of ten ordinary seasons. 



Notwithstanding this, I should not advise any 

 vigneron to follow this example, but where cir- 

 cumstances admit, to prune in the manner before 

 recommended, and which is the general practice 

 of this Canton ; because should he even by some 

 such as I have cited, and which is to be consider- 

 ed, as an extraordinary case, gain by so doing, he 

 will probably lose in another year, and find, in a 

 series of seasons, a heavy balance against him. 



Let us, therefore, consider the proper season 

 and method of pruning the vine. There are 

 among us vinedressers having the reputation of 

 long experience, who prune their vines almost 

 without slope. This is a pernicious practice, be- 

 cause the sap which issues from the wound, not 

 finding on the cut surface sufficient descent, does 

 not flow from it easily, but trickles drop by drop 

 as it accumulates^ causing frequently the perish- 



