6 GRAPE. 



rub off all the others tnat have no clusters, and shorten those 

 that have, at one joint above the uppermost cluster. For 

 this purpose, go over the plants every three or four days 

 till all the shoots in fruit have shown their clusters, at the 

 same time rubbing off any water shoots that may rise from 

 the wood. 



Train in the shoots to be retained, as they advance. If 

 there be an under trellis, on which to train the summer 

 shoots, they may, when six or eight feet in length, or when 

 the Grapes are swelling, be let down to it, that the fruit may 

 enjoy the full air and light as it advances toward maturity. 

 Such of these shoots as issue from the bottom, and are to 

 be shortened in the winter pruning to a few eyes, merely for 

 the production of wood to fill the trellis, may be stopped 

 when they have grown to the length of four or five feet. 

 Others that are intended to be cut down to about two yards, 

 and which issue at different heights, may be stopped when 

 they have run three yards, or ten feet, less or more, accord- 

 ing to their strength. And those intended to be cut at or 

 near the top of the trellis, should be trained a yard or two 

 down the back, or a trellis may be placed so as to form an 

 arbour ; or they may be placed to run right or left a few feet 

 on the uppermost wire. 



The stubs or shoots on which the clusters are placed will 

 probably push again after being stopped, if the plants be 

 vigorous. If so, stop them again and again ; but after the 

 fruit are half grown, they will seldom spring. Observe to 

 divest the shoots, in training, of all laterals as they appear, 

 except the uppermost on each, in order to provide against 

 accidents, as hinted before, in training the newly-planted 

 vines. When these shoots are stopped, as directed above, 

 they will push again. Allow the lateral that pushes, to run 

 a few joints, and then shorten it back to one, and so on as it 

 pushes, until it stops entirely. When the proper shoots get 

 ripened nearly to the top, the whole may be cut back to the 

 originally shortened part, or to one joint above it, if there 



