WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 



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June, at the same time rubbing out all barren and superfluous 

 shoots (suckering). When the foliage is once fully developed, 

 it is much more difficult to look through the vine and do the 

 proper thinning, besides the first will develop so much more 

 evenly and perfectly. In fact, winter and spring pruning are 

 but the beginning of the training ; if not followed by judicious 

 summer pruning and thinning, it is incomplete. The fourth 

 winter or spring we find our vine with two or three strong 

 shoots from the upper buds, presenting a miniature tree or 

 bush. These we cut back again to three buds each as shown 

 in Fig 1 7 at the cross lines, and tied to the stake, as in Fig. 1 8. 



FIG. 17. 



FIG. 18. 



We call these spurs, and from each of these spurs we expect at 

 least two strong shoots, from the two upper buds on each. As 

 the buds on the vine grow in triplets, the main or fruit bud in 

 the centre, with two smaller buds, one on each side, it is often 

 the case that two of them or even all three will start and grow. 

 Only one, and this the strongest, should be left from each bud, 

 all others rubbed off, nor should more than two be left to each 

 spur, so that we double the amount of shoots or canes we had 

 the second summer. Summer prune as the summer before, 

 first thinning out the superfluous shoots, by rubbing or pull- 

 ing them out at their base, and then pinch the remainder. 



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