GRAPE-VINE. 89 



flour of sulphur may be added to the water with which the 

 syringing is effected. Four gallons of boiling water 

 may be poured over five pounds of the sulphur, and 

 after it has been well stirred and allowed to settle, a 

 gallon of this water may be added to that commonly 

 made use of in syringing. Never allow cold draughts 

 of air through open doors, &c, to pass immediately 

 among the vines. After stopping syringing, the roots 

 shonld be watered every week. 



Pruning. — Most of the pruning required in summer 

 may be performed without a knife, the shoots being so ten- 

 der as to be readily pinched off by the fingers. Select the 

 shoots which are to be trained for the next year's crop, 

 and others necessary for filling the trellis from the bottom. 

 These shoots should be generally from twelve to fifteen 

 inches apart. All those between, and having no clusters, 

 are to be removed ; and those left, and having clusters, 

 are to be shortened so as to leave one joint above the 

 uppermost cluster. To effect this properly, the vines, 

 when first showing their fruit, should be gone over every 

 three or four days till all the shoots have shown their 

 clusters. 



Thinning and spreading. — Those who desire to have 

 the very largest and best fruit that can be raised from the 

 vine, must resort to the practice of thinning out a portion, 

 whilst yet green and about the size of garden peas. This 

 is done by cutting off with narrow-pointed scissors, from 

 one-fourth to a third of the berries. The grapes left will 

 thus have room to swell freely, and though reduced in 

 numbers, will be the same in weight, as if all had been left 

 on. The bunches of the large-growing kinds will be pro- 

 tected from the effects of damp, or mouldiness, by having 

 their shoulders spread out and suspended to the trellis or 



