382 OFTHECULTURE Part III. 



are apt to dry that part of the cutting which remains above ground, 

 which often prevents their buds from fhooting. 



" Having plac'd the cutting in the ground, you fhould fill up the 

 hole, gently preffing down the earth with your foot clofe about it, and 

 raile a little hill juft upon the top of the cutting, to cover the upper 

 eye quite over, which will prevent it from drying. This being done, 

 there is nothing more neceflary, but to keep the ground clear from 

 weeds, until the cuttings begin to flioot; at which time you fhould 

 look them over carefully, to rub off any fmall fhoots, if fich are 

 produced, leaving only one main fhoot to the wall; which fhould 

 be conftantly trained up, as it extends in length, to prevent its 

 breaking, or hanging down. You muft continue to look over thefe 

 once in about three weeks during the fummer feafon, conllantlv rub- 

 bing off all lateral Ihoots which are produced, leaving only the firfl 

 main fhoots : and be fure to keep the ground conftantly clear from 

 weeds, which, if fufl'ered to grow, will exhauft the goodnefs of the 

 foil, and ftarve the cuttings. 



*' The Michaelmas following, if your cuttings have produced flrong 

 fhoots, you fhould prune them down to two eyes, which, though by 

 fbme people may be thought too fhort, yet I am fatisfied, from fe- 

 veral experiments, to be the beft method. The reafon for advifmg 

 the pruning of vines at this feafon, rather than deferring it till fpring, 

 is, becaufe the tender parts of thofe young fhoots, if left on, are 

 fubjedl to decay in winter; for they are apt to grow late in the year ; 

 fo the tops of their fhoots are tender, and the early frofls will pinch 

 them, and then they are frequently killed down a confiderable 

 length, which weakens their roots : but if they are cut off early in 

 autumn, the wound will heal over before the bad weather, and 

 thereby the roots will be greatly ftrengthened. 



" In the fpring, after the cold weather is paft, you mufl gently dig 

 up the borders, to loofen the earth : but you muft be very careful in 

 doing this, not to injure the roots of your vines. You fhould alfo 

 raife the earth up to the ftems of the plants, fo as to cover the old 

 wood, but not fo deep as to cover either of the eyes of the lafl 

 year's wood. After this, they will require no farther care until they 

 begin to fhoot, when you fhould look over them carefully, to rub 

 off all weak dangling fhoots, leaving no more than the two fhoots, 

 which are produced from the two eyes of the lafl year's wood, which 

 fhould be faflened to the wall ; and fo from this, until the vines 

 have done fhooting, you Ihould look them over once in three weeks 



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