82 ON THE PRUNING OF VINES. 



hive. If the vine were cultivated for the sake of its 

 wood, the case would be different. The growth and 

 extension of large branches, and the increase of their 

 diameters, would then be the legitimate object in view ; 

 but when fruit only is sought, and the operation of 

 pruning resorted to, in order to obtain the largest quan- 

 tity within the smallest possible extent of a given surface 

 of walling, it is obvious that no description of wood 

 should be suffered to remain in a vine but such as di- 

 rectly contributes in some way or other to the produc- 

 tion of fruit. 



It follows, therefore, that as the sole object in view 

 in pruning a vine, is to increase its fertility, the best 

 method to accomplish this must be that which leaves a 

 sufficient supply of bearing -shoots on the least possible 

 proportionate quantity of old wood. 



It will be necessary now to examine, which of the 

 three methods of pruning before-mentioned agree 

 best with the principle here laid down. First, there- 

 fore, of 



The Fan Method. Vines pruned according to this 

 method have their branches trained in from their stems 

 in a similar manner to the spokes of a fan. To this 

 method there are several objections, the two principal 

 of which a,re,jirst, the shoots in the vicinity of the stem 

 are too near each other to admit of either the wood 

 or fruit being properly matured, and too far distant 

 from each other at their extremities to allow of the 

 fruit being judiciously shaded and protected by the fo- 

 liage of the adjacent shoots. And, secondly, a vine 

 pruned to be trained in this manner, must of necessity 

 possess several branches radiating as it were from a 

 common centre. These branches cannot conveniently 

 be trained otherwise than in straight lines, and betwixt 

 a horizontal and a vertical position, which is the most 

 objectionable position that the fruiting shoots of a vine 



