96 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWIN'G 



do a little thinking for tliemselyes, that we find among 

 them but very few good vine dressers. 



It is hardly necessary to state that the ground should 

 be kept mellow and clean through the summer, and 

 esi^ecially during the ripening of the fruit, but never 

 touch it m wet weather. 



At the end of this season, we find our vines, if Concords 

 or similar varieties, with the old fruit-bearing canes, and 

 a spur on each side, from each of which we have a cane, 

 as the smaller one was stopped, like all other fruit-bear- 

 ing branches, and which we now prune to a spur of two 

 buds. The other, the young cane, which was stoj^ped at 

 about 3 feet, on which the laterals were left to grow un- 

 checked, we prune as last season, each lateral being cut 

 back to four to six buds, and the old canes which had borne 

 fruit, are cut away altogether. With Norton's, C}TLthi- 

 ana, Taylor, etc., the old arms are left, and the well de- 

 veloped shoots are cut back to two buds each, as before 

 mentioned, while the small, weak ones are cut away 

 altogether. This leaves us with an arm on each side, to 

 be tied the next spring, as shown in figure 18, and 

 ends our operations for the season. Of the gathering of 

 the fruit, as well for market as for wine, I shall speak in 

 another place. 



CHAPTER XX. 



TREATMENT OF THE VINE THE FOURTH SUMMER. 



We now consider the vine as established, able to bear a 

 full crop. The oi^erations to be performed are precisely 

 the same as in its third year, only modifying the prun- 

 ing, fruiting, etc., according to the strength of the vine, 

 pruning shorter if the vine shows a decrease in vigor, 

 longer, if it grows too rank. 



