FRUITS. 151 



In the first year thrifty vines will grow from six to ten feet. If 

 they run up weakly and slender, pinch off the end of the main 

 shoot occasionally, to check the flow of the sap and make the vine 

 stouter. The object is to get ripe and strong wood, no matter 

 how long it takes ; and, if possible, to get a brown, hard stem as 

 high as the top of the stake at the end of the first year. In 

 November, after the fall of the leaf, cut off all the laterals close 

 to the main cane ; and, if that is slender or unripe, cut that 

 back to three buds, and grow a single cane again the next year. 

 If the cane is strong and ripe, cut it off at the top of the pole. 

 Cut off all green wood at the fall pruning, as it will winter-kill 

 if you do not. In the winter, or late fall, cut the vines loose 

 from the stakes and let them lie upon the ground, so that they 

 can move with the wind and shake off rain and ice. In the 

 spring, tie them up again, and rub out every other eye on the 

 cane ; or, in other words, leave buds enough to get shoots alter- 

 nately, right and left, about nine inches apart, the lowest one 

 fifteen to eighteen inches from the ground, the highest close to 

 the top of the vine. These are spurs for the next year's crop. 

 Keep them pinched in, so that they will not make over two feet 

 each of ripe wood in the season, and cut off any fruit that may 

 set, at once. Let the top shoot grow, without pinching, until 

 September, when it may be broken off at the end. In Novem- 

 ber, of the second year, cut every other spur back to one bud, 

 and the intervening ones to three buds ; these will fruit the 

 third year, and the single buds will make spurs for next year's 

 bearing. In the month of November, of the third year, cut the 

 spurs which have fruited back to a single bud, and prune the 

 others to three buds, for next year's bearing. The vines are 

 now established, and must be pruned in the same way during 

 their life. Always let the top spur grow as long as it will ; this 

 will prevent the pushing of the next year's fruit-buds duruig the 

 current season, — an accident which is liable to occur from close 

 summer pruning. Do not overlop the vines while they are 

 young, a practice which has injured many fine vineyards. 

 When the grapes have set, go through the vineyard and cut out 

 bravely one-half of the bunches, or even two-thirds, leaving 

 only the largest and finest clusters. The crop will ripen earlier, 

 weigh more, and be much finer, if treated in this way. 



