THE VINE. ] 503 



heading it back to stronger wood with well formed buds, 

 so that the weak buds at the trimmed end are often 

 sterile, and their development represents a waste of 

 energy for a plant which can ill spare it. Another tech- 

 nical defect consists in the way in which most growers 

 make the cut on the spur and on the fruiting cane. 

 These are cut generally just over the uppermost bud 

 which has been retained, with the result that the bud 

 is weakened by the exposure of the pith just above its 

 node. The cut should be made at least half way between 

 the bud which is retained and that which is severed, 

 or better across the bud next to that which is retained, 

 cutting off the bud without setting open the pith canal 

 below it. The thickened node end will also give a tirm 

 hold to a ligature without any inconvenience to the 

 growing wood, should it be necessary to tie together two 

 canes in order prop them up when they are in fruit. 

 When the vines are full grown, they are often allowed to 

 develop some wood, in order to have room for two or 

 more spurs and several canes or mother bearers, if there 

 is room for their development, or if the vines have been 

 originally planted too far apart, as the tillage in our 

 vineyards is almost always dene by hand, the stems 

 stretched on the ground cause little inconvenience if any. 

 The mother bearer which has fruited is always cut off 

 close to the old wood, so that no unsightly stumps or 

 heels are left to delay the healing process, except in the 

 case that the mother -bearer is required for layering to 

 replace a missing vine in the immediate neighbourhood. 



TRIMMING OR SUMMKR PRUNING. The operations of 

 trimming (It.=scacchiatura, rimondatura, cimatura, etc.) 

 are performed on the vine in the green or growing 

 condition, that is from April to June or later, and are 

 usually divided into three or at least two stages. The 

 first trimming is done in April, and consists in nipping 

 off or breaking off with the fingers those shoots which 



