AND WINE MAKING. 87 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE SECOND SUMMER. 



We find the young vine at the commencement of the 

 second summer pruned to three buds. From these we 

 may expect two or three strong shoots to ripen into bear- 

 ing canes for the next year. The first work will be to 

 cultivate the whole ground. This can be done by a com- 

 mon turning plow, first throwing away a furrow at each 

 side of the row, as in the first cultivation of corn, taking 

 care not to go too deep, so as to injure the vine or its 

 roots. Then hoe the space under and around the vines, 

 either with the two-pronged German hoe, or the Hexa- 

 mer hoe, stirring and inverting the soil to the depth of 

 about 3 inches. Then take the plow again and throw 

 the soil back to the vines, using care, however, not 

 to cover them ; stir the whole to a uniform depth, and 

 leaving a shallow furrow in the middle. The ground 

 should be dry enough to work well, and not clog ; rather 

 wait a few days than to stir the soil in wet weather. Of 

 the three shoots which may grow, leave two to grow un- 

 checked ; the weakest is to be pinched as soon as about 

 five or six leaves are developed, taking off the top of the 

 young shoot with your thumb and finger. The other 

 two, if Catawba or Delaware, you can let grow unchecked, 

 but all the strong growing kinds, as Concord, Martha, 

 Goethe, etc., and all the cBstivalis and cordifolia class, 

 should also be pinched when the shoots have attained a 

 length of 3 feet, or just above the second, wire from 

 above ; this will force the laterals into a stronger growth, 

 so that each will attain the size of a medium cane. On 

 these we intend to have our fruit the coming season, as 

 the shoots from buds on these laterals will produce more 

 and finer fruit than those on the main canes, if left un- 



