94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of them back to a strong bud. Be sure to cut back to a strong 

 bud, for these arms are to be permanent, and it is necessary 

 the wood should be strong and well ripened. 



The third year you may take a few bunches, if your vine is 

 strong, but it is better to wait until the fourth year, as the 

 bearing even a few bunches checks the extension of wood. 

 Your side arms will push every eye. Train upright shoots 

 from these horizontal arms at about eighteen inches distance ; 

 this will usually be every alternate bud ; rub out tlie bud in the 

 interval, all buds, if there be more than one between these 

 upright shoots ; pinch all laterals at the second leaf as before, 

 whether on old wood or new, and pinch the upright shoots 

 when tliey. get to the top of the espalier ; sooner, if they run 

 away weakly. 



In the autumn, cut every alternate upright shoot back to one 

 eye, to make new shoots next year for subsequent bearing, and 

 leave the others at full length for bearing, unless they are not 

 strong ; in that case cut them back to a strong bud. It may 

 happen that the side shoots will take several years to fill up the 

 espalier with strong wood ; but do not fail to cut them back at 

 every fall pruning to a strong bud, making sure of getting 

 strong wood, though you get it little by little ; cut away all 

 laterals as before. 



You have now got a number of upright shoots for bearing ; 

 every eye will push and probably set fruit, and now, unless you 

 have the firmness to cut out two-thirds of the fruit, you are in 

 danger of over-cropping the vine with its first crop. Not more 

 than twenty bunches of fruit should be allowed to remain, and 

 these should be of the largest and best placed. The thinning 

 should be done when the young grapes are as large as young 

 peas ; pinch these laterals, now bearing fruit, at four leaves 

 beyond the bunch you leave on ; this will generally be the first 

 or second bunch, the largest of course. If the laterals push 

 again, pinch at the second leaf as before. You will train up 

 the alternate shoots, pinching them at the top of the espalier, 

 and also all laterals as before. These are to be the bearing 

 wood of next year. After the fall of the leaf, prune out all the 

 upright shoots which have borne fruit to one bud, and all 

 laterals from the new shoots which you have trained up for 

 bearing next year. 



