PRUNING GKAPE VINES. 149 



being pruned the fourth season, the sides being 

 reversed. 



TTith 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. 



