CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 187 



snininer-pruning, and prevent injury to the fruit; there- 

 fore, do not leave more branches than are necessary to 

 lay in, eighteen inches apart, on the trellis, or furnish 

 two or three for the stakes, according to the mode of 

 training. A reference to former chaj)ters and cuts will 

 show what is here meant. Let these young shoots 

 acquire some woody fibre at the base before tying-in, 

 else they will be liable to break oif ; but do not delay 

 the operation longer than necessary. Some persons use 

 willow twigs and rye straw for this purpose ; the former, 

 however, are troublesome, and the latter very unsightly. 

 Good Russian bast will always be found more conven- 

 ient, much neater, and quite as economical. As soon 

 as blossoming is past, and the best bunches can be select- 

 ed, cut off all the superfluous and inferior ones. A 

 healthy and vigorous cane may be allowed to bear one 

 pound of grapes to each foot in length ; but on those of 

 weaker growth the weight should be correspondingly 

 less, if good quality is the object. Keep a sharp look- 

 out for insects, as they sometimes do much mischief at 

 this time. There are several kinds of beetles and cater 

 pillars which eat the young shoots, and likewise the 

 stalks of the bunches. These should be destroyed by 

 hand-picking early in the morning, when they are slug* 

 gish and easily caught. There is also a species of Aphis, 

 or small black fly, which congregate in great numbers 

 on the young growth, and, by sucking the juices, kill the 

 tops of the shoots if they are not destroyed. Syringing 

 with whale-oil soap dissolved in hot water, and after- 

 wards diluted to the proportions of one pound of the 

 8oap to three gallons of water, will be effectual ; or, 

 the next best substitute is common soap-suds, used in tho 

 same way. It is not best to apply these materials wliilo 

 the blo^isoms are expanding, but attack the insects by 



