The Grape Culturist. 



thoroughly aroused to the importance 

 of this subject, and that the old prac- 

 tice of cutting and slashing the young 

 growth in July and August is generally 

 discountenanced. It has murdered 

 more promising vineyards than any 

 other practice. But people are apt to 

 run into extremes, and many are now 

 advocating the "let alone" doctrine. 

 We think both are wrong, and that the 

 true course to steer in is the middle. 

 We shall be happy to ventilate this sub- 

 ject thoroughly, and communications 

 on this subject from our grape growers 

 •are earnestly solicited. We do not 

 claim to be infallible, nor an authority, 

 but will try and give our rules, and the 

 reasons for th^m, hoping that others 

 will do the same. 



1. Perform the operation early. Do 

 it as soon as the young shoots are six 

 inches long. At this time j'ou can over- 

 look your vine much easier. Every 

 young shoot is soft and pliable. You 

 do not rob the vine of a quantity of 

 foliage it cannot spare (as the leaves 

 are the lungs of the plant and the ele- 

 vators of the sap). You can do three 

 times the work th»t j'ou can perform 

 a week later, when the shoots have 

 become hardened, and intertwined by 

 their tendrils ; and you can, at the 

 same time, destroy the small white or 

 blue caterpillars, which are biis}^ at this 

 time making their webs in the tops of 

 the shoots, and destroying the embryo 

 bunches and leaves. Eemember that 

 the knife should have nothing to do 

 with summer pruning. Your thumb 

 and finger should perform all the work, 

 and they can do it easil}', if it is done 

 early enough. 



2. Perform it thoroxigldy and sys- 

 tematically. Commence b}' picking 



out the shoots you intend to leave for 

 bearing wood for next year. These 

 are left unchecked ; but do not leave 

 more than you really need. If you 

 do, you squander the strength of the 

 vine. Iiemember that each part of the 

 vine should be thoroughly ventilated, 

 and if you crowd it too much, none of 

 the canes will ripen their wood as 

 thoroughly, nor be as vigorous, as 

 when each has room, air and light. 



When you have selected these, com- 

 mence at the bottom of the vine, rub- 

 bing off all superfluous shoots, and all 

 which appear weak or imperfect. Then 

 go over each arm or part of the vine, 

 pinching ever}' fruit - bearing branch 

 above the last bunch of grapes, or, if 

 this should look weak or imperfect, 

 remove it, and pinch back to the first 

 perfectly developed bunch. Should 

 the bud have pushed out two or three 

 shoots, which is very frequent with 

 some varieties, it will generally be 

 advisable to leave only the strongest, 

 and remove the balance. Do not think 

 that you can do part of it a little later, 

 but be unsparing in taking awa}' all 

 you intend to take this time. You will 

 not find it so easy the second time, 

 and by leaving aii3'thing you intend 

 to take otf some other time, 3'ou are 

 squandering the strength of your vine. 

 Destroy all the caterpillars, and all the 

 insects you find feeding on the vines, 

 the steel blue beetle, who will eat into 

 the buds ; but protect the lady-bug, 

 mantis, and all the friends of the 

 vine. 



In our next issue we intend to describe 

 the second and third operations of sum- 

 mer pruning, and hope, by that time, to 

 have received communications from our 

 friends upon this important subject. 



