176 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



The fifth year, we double again, as shown in Fig. 19, which 

 will give us four to six Spurs, according 

 to the strength of the vine, which, for 

 very heavy bearers and in ordinary soil, 

 will be about enough. If the vine is very 

 vigorous, and the soil strong, however, 

 we can keep on increasing the number of 

 spurs even to twelve ; this must be left to 

 the discretion of the intelligent vintner, ^ 

 as it is impossible to give any fixed rule as to number of buds 

 to be left. In fact, the health and vigor of the vine depend 

 largely on pruning according to individual strength. As long 

 as a vine makes a vigorous, well ripened growth of wood, 

 ripens its fruit evenly and well, developing the full amount of 

 sugar, it has not been overloaded. But when the growth 

 decreases, the berries and bunches become smaller, and ripen 

 unevenly, it has been overtaxed, and should be pruned 

 shorter. If, on the contrary, the vegetation is too rank, the 

 berries abnormally large, it shows that-it was not pruned long 

 enough, and it will suffer easier from coulure and mildew, its 

 wood will not ripen so well, nor be so fruitful. The results 

 of the vintners labors depend largely on his nice discrimina- 

 tion in pruning and summer pruning. A man who is not, to 

 a large extent, able to judge the capacity of a vine when he 

 looks at it, is not fit to prune it, and will do more harm than 

 good in a vineyard. My rule is, to prune full as long as I 

 think the vine is able to bear, should it show more fruit than 

 I think it is well able to bear, I thin with an unsparing hand 

 in summer pruning. It is always easier to rub off a superflu- 

 ous shoot or bunch, than to add one when they are " not 

 there." But do not let greed, or the desire of an immense 

 crop, stay your hand, when you know that your vines have 

 too much. Thin out evenly, or your crop will be poor next 

 year and the following, vines will feel and resent such abuse. 



