288 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



At the commencement of the fourth year, we begin to have 

 some idea that we are going to get a return. 



Mr. Lewis. Will you tell us what you tie your vines to 

 the trellis with? 



Dr. Fisher. Cotton string. It is a material that we get 

 from men who deal in jDaper-stock ; but anything will answer 

 that 3'ou can tie a knot with, it is entirely immaterial what. 



Two years ago, there was an invention gotten up, made of 

 wire, that was highly recommended by some gentlemen 

 engaged in vineyard culture, but my opinion is that they 

 never practically tried it themselves. They looked at it, 

 thought it was a good thing, and recommended it. I bought 

 some twenty thousand ties, used them the first year, and I 

 thought they were almost as good as string. Ever since then, 

 they have been a perpetual nuisance to me ; I will give any 

 man three times what they cost if he will go and take them 

 off. I have gone back to string. The strings should be tied 

 loosely, because they have got to stay there another year, and 

 the vine will enlarge. My habit is, to put my finger in and 

 tie the knot over my finger, and then there is plenty of room 

 for the vine to increase in size. 



At the commencement of the fourth year, we shall find 

 starting from every one of the buds, a shoot ; and these 

 shoots, after they have shown their clusters of grape-buds, 

 and have made two or three leaves beyond the last cluster, 

 should be pinched at the ends. I do not want them to extend ; 

 I do not want to go on making wood, as my object is to get 

 some half dozen large, thick leaves, to carry my crop. 

 Hence, as soon as I can see the top of the shoot beyond the 

 last cluster, so as to pinch it, leaving two or three leaves, I 

 pinch it. I then allow the shoots to progress for some little 

 time, until they get pretty well grown, so that they will not 

 break by bending, and then they are all tied up to the second 

 or fourth wire, as the case may be. Simply a string tied 

 round the shoot and the wire holds it. This is done some 

 time l)efore they blossom. If you attempt to tie them up too 

 early, as quick as they reach the wire, they are very apt to 

 lu'ouk. Therefore it is best to wait until they get consider- 

 able strength, from becoming woody, and you can then bend 

 them with freedom. Then tie them all up at once, make a 



