108 OPEN AIR GRAPE CULTURE. 



whole stem that no injury can result. "No practical 

 objections that we are aware of exist to this method. 

 Before bending down the stem, the vine should be 

 pruned. This consists in cutting off the long shoots 

 to a length of four feet (the first season), and the 

 alternate short ones to the lowest good bud. The vine 

 so pruned is shown in Fig. 18. Then the stem, 

 having been bent down, it will be easy to fold the 

 flexible young canes so as to lie compactly to- 

 gether, as shown in Fig. 19, when they may be 



n 



il n 



Fig. 19. 



covered with earth. The soil for this purpose must 

 foe light and sandy, and should be so disposed that 

 ivater will not penetrate to the vines. If light soil 

 (cannot be had, the vines may be pegged down and 

 ^covered with the branches of evergreens, though it 

 iis improbable that these could be obtained in suffi- 

 cient quantity to protect a large vineyard. Leaves 

 or straw would answer, though they might harbor 

 mice, which would soon destroy the vines. 



The vines should be left covered as long as possible, 

 but must be exposed before the buds begin to push 

 in the spring. No particular day of the month can 



