THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



March to retain. As a rule, one lateral for every foot of main 

 I~I5 rod will sufBce, and they should be alternate on opposite 

 sides. The laterals form from buds on spurs close to the 

 main rod, and it is when more shoots break than are 

 required to provide the specified allowance that thinning 

 out, or "disbudding" as it is termed, is called for. 

 Shoots from the bottom of the rod are technically 

 faulty, even if they are strong, because they are badly 

 placed, and will be troublesome to tie down later on. 



These should al- 

 ways be dispensed 

 with if possible. 

 Careful attention 

 should be devoted 

 to the ventilation 

 of early vineries. 

 The houses are not 

 half full of foliage 

 yet, and a cold 

 wind cutting 

 through them 

 would cause con- 

 siderable injury, 

 especially after the temperature has been run up by an 

 outburst of hot sunshine. Do not open ventilators on 

 the windward side in rough weather, and those on the 

 other side need not remain open long. The house 

 should be closed when the sun leaves it, but in any case 

 by 2 P.M. Stop fruiting shoots (see Fig. 33). 



Peaches and Nectarines, — Houses in which the trees 

 are in bloom should be ventilated if possible, and kept 

 somewhat dry, as this favours the maturation and dis- 

 persion of the pollen. The latter process will be facili- 

 tated by shaking the wires to which the shoots are tied. 

 136 



Fig. 33.— Stopping Vines, 



The fruit-bearing shoot stopped three leaves 



beyond the bunch, h. 

 Lateral growth stopped at the first leaf. 



