NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 63 



Disbudding signifies the removal of every opening bud, 

 at the period of leafing, which is not needed for the present 

 year's crop, or for filling up some space on the wall or trellis 

 which would otherwise remain bare. 



Thinning out. This process consists of going over the 

 vines again about the period they commence blossoming, and 

 then making a final selection of the shoots to be allowed to 

 remain. This is an operation too often neglected, and ends 

 in the vine speedily becoming a confused mass of shoots. 



Stopping. This is pinching off the ends of those shoots 

 which are to remain, and is generally performed at one 

 joint beyond the one bearing the bunch. The best time 

 for stopping will be about a week or so after the young 

 bunch is well developed. At this early stage, the house 

 should be kept moist by constantly wetting the floors and 

 walls. It should be borne in mind that leaf should not be 

 permitted to overlap leaf, and, above all, that no growing 

 spray, whether lateral or terminal, should be allowed to 

 shade the principal leaves. As the berries advance in size, 

 thinning will be necessary : of course, where vines are grown 

 on a large scale out of doors, for wine purposes, thinning 

 will be out of the question, but against fences and in houses 

 thinning must be attended to if fine, large, well-ripened 

 berries are to be obtained. 



Thinning. When the grapes are well set the bunches 

 should be looked over and thinned, removing one-third of 

 the young berries, reserving always the most promising ones. 

 The quantity of bunches to be left on each vine must depend 

 upon its size and age. The bunches should be handled 

 as little as possible. Immediately after thinning the bunches 

 the vine should have a good syringing (it must, however, 

 here be stated that many experienced vine growers object 

 to the use of the syringe, asserting that it should never be 

 used after the vines have burst into leaf). Where artificial 

 heat is used, it should now be increased to 80 during the 

 day, and from 65 to 70 at night. This will be in September. 



Pruning. There are commonly three distinct methods 

 of pruning practised First, spur-pruning ; second, long-rod 

 pruning ; third, ordinary pruning. Pruning should com- 

 mence as soon as the leaves are all off, on no account 

 deferred till Spring on account of the rapid rising of the 



