112 FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



Every precaution should be taken to take up the 

 young plants without cutting the roots too near the 

 stem. The roots should be traced and left at least two 

 or three feet from the stem. When the plants are 

 thus carefully taken out of the ground, they should 

 be laid in a regular manner in the hole, about the 

 same depth in the ground as in the nursery. Having 

 planted the vines carefully, nothing more is required 

 but to remind the planter, that good culture is always 

 to be attended to, by digging, keeping the ground 

 clean, and good management. 



ART. 5. Summer Pruning of the Grape. 



The proper method of summer pruning the 

 grape vine, is simply to regulate the young wood 

 in such a manner that the sun and air has free access 

 to every part of the vine ; those parts of the vine 

 that are not so exposed, cannot obtain their proper 

 quality, as the leaves of vines are analogous to the 

 lungs of animals, and imbibe the air in a similar 

 manner, therefore the quality is more or less perfect 

 in proportion to its free exposure, and the young 

 wood is the same. This may be clearly seen by 

 examining a vine thickly covered with wood, the ex- 

 treme branches of which are always healthy, because 

 they have the benefit of the sun and air and every 

 thing congenial to them. But, those which are 

 thick and shaded are very weak, the leaves thin, turn 

 yellow and decay ; the wood is soft, green, and sap- 

 py, and perishes in the winter, and is therefore use- 

 less : the bunches of grapes that are under the 

 branches of the vine have small berries, and many 

 of them drop off after rain and moist weather, and 



