PRUNING GRAPE VINES. 149 



being pruned the fourth season, the sides being 

 reversed. 



With this alternation of pruning, the system has 

 been continued to the present time, and may con- 

 tinue as long as it shall be desirable to have the house 

 in bearing. 



During the last four years, I have stopped the 

 bearing branches at the bunch, instead of the next 

 joint above it, which is the usual practice ; for I 

 found that the fruit did equally well and it divested 

 the branch of an incumbrance, while it allowed a 

 much larger portion of light to come into the house, 

 together with a more free circulation of air among 

 the fruit and young wood. 



1 blind all the eyes on each fruit spur as soon as 

 they push, except the uppermost, which I retain to 

 draw up the sap to nourish the fruit. I never suffer 

 them to push above a joint or two, before I pinch 

 them back, always cautiously retaining an eye. By 

 constant stopping, the eyes soon increase to a large 

 cluster, when I frequently find it expedient to pinch 

 out a great part of them with my finger nails, unless 

 I see danger of its exciting my next year's fruiting 

 eyes to burst prematurely. I am particularly cau- 

 tious that nothing shall happen to injure the leaf that 

 accompanies the bunch, for if that is lost, the fruit, of 

 course, will come to nothing. 



