GENERAL AUTUMNAL PRUNING. 139 



commences, and the fruit is cut, the general pruning 

 should be done, and the buds, in consequence, increas- 

 ing in size by the accumulation of the sap, become there- 

 by endowed with a greater degree of vitality than they 

 would otherwise possess. They are thus enabled to 

 attract the sap at its rising with more power, and con- 

 sequently to expand themselves earlier than the buds 

 of a vine pruned later in the season ; and this is an 

 advantage not to be estimated lightly in a country 

 where the summers are barely long enough to ripen 

 the fruit. 



In addition to the foregoing reasons, others will here- 

 after incidentally appear, in favour of early autumnal 

 pruning. 



In giving directions for the general pruning of the 

 vine, it is scarcely possible to lay down any rules for 

 the guidance of the pruner, except such as are of gen- 

 eral application. If the vine has been attended to 

 throughout the summer in the manner directed in the 

 Calendariai Register, there will be, comparatively, little 

 to do at the autumnal pruning. As vines, however, are 

 managed in a great variety of ways, it appears necessa- 

 ry to give such directions as will apply in a general man- 

 ner to any vine, whatever may have been the method 

 in which it has been previously pruned and trained. 



Before doing this, however, a few observations may 

 be made relative to vines that have been suffered to 

 cover a disproportionate extent of walling, and which 

 have, as a necessary consequence, a great number of 

 old, naked, and barren limbs. Vines of this descrip- 

 tion, when their leaves are shed, present a perfect chaos 

 of useless branches, the general appearance of which 

 bids defiance to any thing like systematic pruning. 

 To give any directions, therefore, that can be practically 

 followed ia the pruning of such vines, is next to impos- 

 sible ; the only course that can be recommended 

 to be adopted, with respect to any vine that is in 



