CARE OF THE VINES DURING THE FIRST TEAK. 93 



as fast as it shows symptoms of leaning over.* The 



Fig. 10. 



base of the shoot which is retained (that is, the point 



* It is recommended by some respectable authorities, to allow the 

 young plants to remain untied during the first year, urging as a 

 reason that more vigorous stems will thus be obtained. But, although 

 the experiments of Knight have proved the advantage of bending and 

 motion to most young trees, yet the vine naturally seeks support 

 from surrounding objects, and will in most cases, receive more injury 

 from dirt, and abrasion by being blown about and rubbing upon the 

 ground than will balance the good derived from the motion imparted. 



But as we may observe that the vine is adapted to cling, not to the 

 thick and stout bodies of trees, but to slender branches, it is obvious 

 that nature provides fully for sustaining the plant beyond the reach of 

 injury, without interfering with the action of the wind in producing 

 motion. Hence, in the construction of trellises and the choice of stakes, 

 it will be well to select flexible material, always provided it is strong 

 enough to avoid all danger of being blown down ; stout rods or polea 

 are therefore to be preferred to sawed lumber, and we may add they are 

 also cheaper. From the above facts we may also gather the reason why 

 wires are to be preferred to wooden slats in the construction of trellises. 



