JULY] THE NURSERY. 467 



stems, cleared or cut away; but by no means divest any of the 

 branches of their leaves, as some unskilful persons too often* prac- 

 tise ; for these are absolutely necessary to the growth and protection 

 of the fruit : the small side shoots growing on the main branches 

 from the axillas of the leaves, should, if time permits, be nipped off 

 as they are produced, which will tend considerably to strengthen the 

 principal shoots. 



When the vines are suffered for some time to hang loose, and trail 

 about upon the ground, all their leaves grow upward ; which, on the 

 shoots being afterwards bound in an upright position to the stakes, 

 are turned upside down ; and until these leaves resume their natural 

 position, which they are commonly eight or ten days in effecting, the 

 fruit is at a stand, and consequently loses the advantage of that 

 length of time in the principal season of its growth. 



The -ground should be kept constantly free from weeds, either by 

 means of the plough and harrow or by the hoe ; for where there are 

 other plants suffered to grow, they not only rob the roots of the vines 

 of their nourishment, but also by perspiring, cause a damp in the air, 

 and prevent the sun and wind from exhaling and carrying away the 

 vapors arising from the earth, whereby the fruit would be filled with 

 crude nourishment, and rendered of much less value for making good 

 wine, as well as unpalatable. 



Continue to nip out the renewed extremities of the fruit-bearing 

 shoots, to check the too great luxuriancy of their growth, and to af- 

 ford the bunches of grapes a greater portion of nourishment ; but 

 this ought not to be done too close to the fruit, as it would check 

 the free ascent of the juices into those branches, by depriving them 

 of the means of discharging such a portion thereof as is not con- 

 vertible into wood or fruit : and moreover, though the fruit might by 

 this means be swelled to a greater size, it would be more replete 

 with watery particles, and less with that refined saccharine juice so 

 pleasing to the palate, and so necessary for the making of good wine. 



Such shoots as are intended to be cut down in the pruning season, 

 for next year's fruiting, are by no means to be topped, but should be 

 suffered to grow at full length, taking care to keep them constantly 

 divested of any side branches, which ought always to be rubbed off 

 as they appear. Were those to be topped at this season, it would 

 force out at an untimely period, many of the flower-buds which na- 

 ture had designed for the ensuing year, and, consequently, at that 

 time render the vines barren and unproductive. 



THE NURSERY. 



BUDDING OR INOCULATING. 



The budding or inoculating of cherries and plums, and all such 

 other trees and shrubs as are subject to become bark-bound in autumn, 

 is generally commenced in the middle States about the fifteenth of 



