ON THE PRUNING OF VINES. 81 



further, if the foliage be weak, which is invariably indi- 

 cated by the shoots and leaves being small in size, and 

 sickly in appearance, and the vine contain many naked 

 branches, then the quantity of proper juice prepared in 

 the leaves will be so small, in proportion to the demands 

 which in its descent will be made upon it, that a new 

 layer will with difficulty be formed at all, while but a 

 very small portion of the proper juice will be left to de- 

 scend into the roots. 



Again, the formation of this concentric layer being 

 continued from the stem downwards on all the roots, 

 the latter become increased in their solid diameter, in 

 direct proportion to the quantity of the proper juice 

 which they thus receive. Whatever, therefore, con- 

 tributes to diminish this quantity of proper juice, pre- 

 vents in a proportionate degree the growth of the roots ; 

 while, on the other hand, whatever causes an increase 

 of it, produces effects precisely opposite. Further, there 

 is no reason to believe that the naked branches of a vine, 

 especially such as are more than two or three years old, 

 are in any way instrumental in increasing the volumo 

 of sap in its ascent ; the processes of transpiration and 

 absorption which they carry on, being limited in their 

 effects to the preservation of their own vitality. 



From the foregoing observations, therefore, it appears 

 that every naked branch of a vine, or one that does not 

 directly produce foliage, diminishes the capacity of the 

 plant for the production of young bearing shoots, inas- 

 much as it contributes nothing to the growth of the vine, 

 but, on the contrary, requires to be fed annually with a 

 certain portion of the elaborated juice of the plant, which 

 would otherwise be expended in the enlargement of the 

 diameter of its stem, and thereby the increase of its ca- 

 pacity to mature fruit ; and in the extension and multipli- 

 cation of its roots. Naked branches,therefore, are consu- 

 mers but not producers ; or in other words, drones in the 



j* os ma 



