CULTIVATION OF THE VINE. 



429 



CULTIVATION OF THE VINE. 



(Concluded from page 337. J 



Management during the Second Year. 

 — March 1. — lleniovo the covering, and 

 fi)rk up the surl'ace of the ground, to the 

 depth of two or t.liree inches, that tlio sun 

 and air may freely jieiietrate it. April 1. — 

 Keep the soil round the roots free from weeds, 

 and the surface of it loose, either by raking 

 or forking it up as often as necessary. May 

 1. — Now remember that only a single shoot 

 is permanently to be trained throughout the 

 summer; the object of leavnig two buds the 

 previous autumn being to provide against the 

 loss of a shoot in case of any accident. As 

 soon, therefore, as the strongest has grown 

 sufficiently to be out of danger of being ac- 

 cidentally rubbed off, the other is to be cut 

 out, as hereafter directed. If any other shoots 

 liave pushed besides the two principal ones, 

 rub them all off. As soon as the shoots have 

 grown about a foot in length, nail them to the 

 wall or fence, as the case may be. Do this 

 very carefully, for they are as yet extremely 

 tender. When they have grown about si.x 

 inches from the last nailing, they must again 

 be nailed, and continually kept so, never suf- 

 fering the tops of the shoots to be blown about 

 by the wind. As the tendrils and lateral 

 shoots successively ap[)ear throughout the 

 summer, pinch off the ibrnier when they have 

 gi'own about three inches in length, and the 

 latter to an inch beyond the first eye. June 

 1. — Throughout this month, and the two fol- 

 lowing ones, whenever the ground appears 

 pai'chcd through by the heat of the weather, 

 givo the roots, once a day, about half a gallon 

 of soap-suds, or dung-water. Keep the groiuid 

 irce from weeds, and the surface loose and 

 open, by raking or forking it up om^e a week 

 throughout the summer. July 1. — The young 

 shoots being firmly united to the preceding 

 yt;ar's wood, and therefore past all danger of 

 being broken off by any accident, uniiail the 

 weakest .shoot of the two and cut it out close 

 to the stem, making the surface of the wound 

 quite smooth and even. The renr.iining shtiot 

 must be kept nailed to the wall as before di- 

 rected. November 1. — Cut the vine to the 

 two lowermost buds, and in the winter, if the 

 weather be frosty, cover the ground over in 

 the same manner as in the preceding winter. 



Third Year. — March 1. — The winter cov- 

 eriug nray now bo removed, (provided there 

 ehould be no hard frost.) and the surface of 

 the ground must be made quite; m(41nw liv i 

 using lightly a garden fork or trowel, observ- j 

 ing great care to avoid disturbing the roots, I 

 as they will now be found very near the sur- I 

 lace. Let the subsequeat treatment through- ! 

 (861) 



out the season be precisely the same as in tho 



preceding summer. If any fruit be shown, 



pinch it off as soon as it appears. November 



L — It is presumed the stem of the vine will 



now be more than two inches in girth, and 



therefore two leading shoots are to be perma- 



m-nlly retained the next year. 



For this purjjose, cut the vine 



down to the three lowermost 



buds, thus i-esei-\-ing one to 



spare, in case oUaccident. The 



vino will then resemble the 



adjoining figure. The roots 



being now sufficiently strong 



to withstand the severity of the weather, -will 



not in future require covering. 



Fourth Year. — March 1 . — Clean the sur- 

 Hice of the ground, and fork it up lightly, and 

 let the subsequent management throughout 

 the season be the same as before. May 1. — 

 As soon as the shoots have grown a sufficient 

 length, nail or tie thi;m carefully to the wall 

 or trellis, and rub ofi" all the others, if any 

 should have pushed.. If fruit be shown, pinch 

 it off as in the preceding year. July 1. — tJn- 

 nail and cut out the weakest of the three 

 shoots, and train the two remaining ones care- 

 fully during the remainder of the season. 

 Sojjt. 1. — Pinch off the tops of the shoots. 

 November 1. — As the girth of the stem will 

 not be less now than three inches, the vine 

 may be permitted to mature fruit the next 

 year, not exceeding five pounds weight ; for 

 this purpose, cut down the two shoots to the 

 seven lowennost buds each. Prune away 

 the remaining portion of the tendrils and dead 

 wood close to the shoots ; and cut out care- 

 fully all the lateral shoots close to the base of 

 the buds, whence they have sprung. If the 

 outer bark of the stem be decayed,"rub it oft' 

 clean ; and then n;iil or tie the shoots to the 

 wall or trellis in a temporary manu(;r. 



Fifth Year.— February 1.— As soon after 

 this time as tho weather is open, cut out of 

 each shoot the first, second, fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth bads ; then bend the two shoots care- 

 fully down, and secure them in a horizontal 

 position, similar to that represented by the 

 shoots in the adjoining figure. March 1. — 

 Clean the surface of the ground, and fork it 

 up as in the preceding year. May I. — Traia 

 the shoots that push from the buds 3 and 7, 

 in the maimer represented by the dotted lines 

 1, 2. 3, 4, and if more fruit shows than is 

 equivalent to the weight before mentioned, 

 the excess must be cut off Vvhen the berries 

 are set. July 1.5. — Continue the same courae 

 of management as in the preceding yeai', and 



