48 THE AMERICAN VINE-DRESSER'S GUIDE. 



espaliers. At all events, do not set them too 

 close to the wall. 



OF CROPPING, AND STRIPPING OFF THE LEAVES. 



CROPPING is chiefly practised on vines of 

 vigorous growth ; it serves to turn to the 

 profit of the fruit the sap that would be lost 

 in a profusion of stems, and to prune the vine 

 in order to facilitate ploughing and afford air 

 to the plant. 



This operation, which is very simple, is 

 performed from the fifteenth to the thirtieth 

 of June. All the stems are cut two or three 

 feet from the insertion of the branches, thus 

 driving the sap back, nourishing the shoot, 

 and hastening the maturity of the grapes. 



As for the stripping off of the leaves, it is 

 principally resorted to in cool summers, when 

 it is feared the fruit may not ripen. It con- 

 sists in removing the leaves, so that the 

 grapes may be more exposed to the sun, and 



