24 A TREATISE ON THE 



should the border be ready then, but not later than the month 

 of March, so as to enable them to strike out young fibres 

 before the buds begin to swell. In pruning, leave only two 

 buds at a foot-and-a-half from the ground : those under them 

 should be cut off with a sharp knife, after they are grown to 

 the length of a foot or so. Select the strongest, and remove 

 the other. Train the young shoot to the nails, but be careful 

 not to tie them too tight, which would impede the free 

 circulation of the sap. When the shoot has reached to the 

 top of the wall or building, which it will very soon do, 

 provided proper care and attention is taken to give water when 

 the weather is dry, and occasionally to loosen the surface by 

 lightly forking the portion of the border nearest to the stems, 

 you must cover the whole surface with a thin dressing of 

 well-rotted manure to prevent too rapid evaporation, and also 

 to screen the roots from the too powerful rays of the sun. 

 Pinch the shoot off when it has attained the required height, 

 and follow the directions previously given for the treatment of 

 those vines planted in the vineries. It will, however, require 

 some degree of care and attention in keeping the lateral shoots 

 removed so as to admit the sun and air to the wood, in order 

 to get it well ripened before the cold weather sets in, as much 

 of the success depends on the wood and eyes being well 

 matured. When this end is fully accomplished, prune off the 

 stems of the lateral shoots nearly close to the eye from which 

 they proceed. The vines will now be in a state of repose, and 

 will therefore require nothing further beyond a good dressing 

 of rotted manure being forked into the border. As the spring 

 advances they will begin to bud forth, when care must be 

 taken to select the strongest shoots, leaving them at regular 

 distances, as shown in the sketch. 



It would well repay the grower to take pains in thinning 

 each bunch properly, only one of which must be left on each 

 shoot ; for, by pursuing this plan, a greater weight of fruit 

 will be obtained, as well as a better quality, than if they were 



