ON TRmMING GEN-ERALLY. 65 



consequence thereof tlie vine is apt to become sicMj, 

 and to decay even. It wonld be well if our vintners 

 would use all the pleasant days through the mnter 

 for this purpose ; but trimming too early is not to be 

 recommended. We have, in the United States, very 

 warm days during autumn, in which the sap is apt to 

 rise in the vines, enough to swell some of the best buds. 

 Such buds, if the vines were trimmed in the fall, would 

 be sure to be frosted during winter. The outermost 

 buds are also liable to dry out ; and hence, I would 

 designate February as the best time for trimming 

 grapevines. 



Before trimming, it is proper to remove the earth 

 from around the head, so as to expose for three or four 

 inches the "stem." This is necessary, so that the 

 *' trimmer " may, by examining the thickness of the 

 " stem," have a safe guide as to the quantity of bearing- 

 wood to be left to the vine. This the German vintners 

 call "loading the vine heavy or light," ^^vieloder wenig 

 aufladen.^^ The " surface roots " growing annually out of 

 the head, are now cut away, so as to leave the head 

 nice and clean of weeds, sprouts and roots. But I 

 must here remark, that I doubt the propriety of 

 going down to the third joint on the "stem," below the 

 "head," and there cutting off the "roots." Many 

 vintners do this, for the purpose of furthering the 

 growth of the " foot-roots." I incline to the opinion 



