354 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



their prescribed boundaries, whether allowing five feet or twen- 

 ty, nipping and renipping their extremities as may be required 

 to effect the object. 



In doing this, leave at least one or two extra joints, to be cut 

 from the end in the winter pruning ; and if the canes are de- 

 sired to make cuttings, omit nipping the extremities of the main 

 shoots entirely until two or three weeks before the growth ceases 

 in the fall, which will afford time for perfectly maturing the 

 cane throughout its length. 



Faithful summer pruning will be found not only essential to 

 the perfection of the growing crop, but largely conducive to 

 the amount and character of the next year's product ; it should, 

 however, be done regularly, and not neglected until its per- 

 formance becomes analogous to the French practice of strip- 

 ping off the leaves for fodder. American vines will not bear 

 this ; fullness of foliage is essential to their vigorous health ; 

 and, unless the leaves are so massed as to exclude air, the fruit 

 will ripen fairer and sweeter in their shade. 



WINTER PRUNING. 



The winter pruning of grape-vines in both systems is per- 

 formed, as already shown, by cutting out to a single bud all 

 the bearing canes of the preceding summer, cutting also clean 

 away all the side shoots or summer spurs of the new canes, and 

 shortening these to their proper length for producing the com- 

 ing crop, according to the bearing capacity of your vine. This 

 winter pruning may be properly performed at any convenient 

 time from the fall of the leaf to at least a month before the 

 actual opening of spring ; but the best time to do it is imme- 

 diately on the dropping of the foliage, chopping up all trim- 

 mings not required for cuttings, and burying them with the 

 fallen leaves around the vines from which they came. The 

 green summer trimmings throughout the season should also be 

 either buried or strewn beneath the vines to decay, and not be 

 carried off. 



The cuttings also may be made and planted before winter, as 

 directed page 197 ; or, if desired, the canes for cuttings may 

 be buried a few inches deep until spring. 



