WEEKLY CALENDARIAL REGISTER. 113 



wall by close contact. This operation must be per- 

 formed very carefully throughout this month, as the 

 young shoots are extremely tender and brittle. There 

 will be many shoots emitted from different parts of 

 the vine, that will neither show fruit, nor be of a suffi- 

 cient size to be retained for future bearers. All such 

 must be now rubbed off, unless foliage be required to 

 cover any adjacent bunches of fruit, in which case 

 pinch the tops off at the second or third joint, and they 

 will not then require to be nailed. In managing the 

 vine throughout the season, be careful to observe this 

 general rule ; that every operation in which the shoots, 

 leaves, or fruit are concerned, must be performed when 

 the weather is dry, and after the dew is dissipated in 

 the morning, and before it begins to fall in the 

 evening. 



May *2Qth. Nail the shoots that show fruit, and 

 that are intended to be cut out at the next autumnal 

 pruning, sufficiently near to each other to cause their 

 leaves, when they attain their full size, to form a con- 

 tinued unbroken surface, which will be hereafter of the 

 greatest service in protecting and maturing the fruit. 

 But such shoots as are intended to be trained for fu- 

 ture bearers, must have as much clear surface of the 

 wall to themselves as possible, never less, indeed, than 

 five inches on each side of every shoot. 



The whole crop of grapes will have been shown pre- 

 viously to this time. During the last three or four 

 weeks, the leafing of the vine, and the unfolding of the 

 bunches of fruit in rapid succession, will have presented 

 a sight of the most pleasing and gratifying nature. If 

 the cultivator has not, during the preceding year, im- 

 posed on the vine the task of ripening a greater quan- 

 tity of fruit than its strength would permit, without 

 encroaching too much on its vital energies, and has 

 subsequently used the pruning-knife in a skilful man- 

 j* 



