74 THE GRAPE. 



As the grapes continue to color, admit more air in clear 

 days, open the lower ventilators, a little at first, gradually 

 increasing, till a free current is obtained, which will assist 

 very much in improving the quality in all respects, and 

 likewise help in ripening the wood. 



After all are ripe, the house may be thrown open day 

 and night, excepting in storms or wet weather, when it 

 ought to be partially closed, so as to exclude the rain, and 

 at the same time leave air to prevent the grapes from be- 

 coming mouldy or cracked. 



When frosty nights begin to occur, the house ought to 

 be closed in the evening, and opened again early in the 

 morning. Let the temperature gradually cool down, but 

 keep the leaves from injury, for the grand object now is to 

 preserve them until they fall off perfectly ripe, when we 

 know that nature is satisfied, and the wood sufficiently 

 matured to insure all requirements for another season's 

 development. 



Immediately after the leaves are fallen is the best time 

 to prune ; and as we are now considered to be dealing 

 with vines which have had two summers' growth, cut 

 down the cane of the present season to the same length, 

 according to size or vigor, and likewise disbud it, as ad- 

 vised for the last fall pruning, which will make a total 

 length from the bottom of nine to twelve feet. Cut the 

 side spurs to three or four buds from the extreme base, 

 according as they may be plump or well rounded, and at 

 the same time peel off the loose bark from the outside of 

 the stem which has two seasons' growth, but do not injure 

 that which is immediately beneath the loose outer cover- 

 ing, nor remove any from the side spurs, or the present 

 summer's cane. The object of this peeling is to prevent 

 the lodgment of insects ; with this exception, it would be 

 better left on, for nature never forms any covering but 



