312 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



earlj and large crop, let liiin plant G feet by 4, and after five or 

 six years cut away every alternate vine. 



The reason for giving the vines this wider space to grow in, will 

 be obvious to the reader, when he recollects how large a space 

 single vines will cover under favorable circumstances, and that 

 there should be a proper balance between the roots and branches, 

 both of which should be as near as possible to what nature 

 designed ; that is to say, should have a good extension, that the 

 vine may be healthy and long lived. 



Pruning. — There are various modes of pruning the grape, all 

 of which have value and adaptation to particular circumstances, 

 as covering a certain space, an ornamental espalier, or the pro- 

 duction of large bunches of fruit. And this last is an object of 

 some importance, for, other things being equal, the largest and 

 hand&omest bunches are the most valuable, often bringing in 

 the market double the price which can be obtained for small 

 bunches. 



I shall speak of the renewal, or long cane system, and spur 

 pruning ; either of which, judiciously followed, will give good 

 crops and large bunches, always supposing the kind of grape 

 cultivated will give large bunches, for many kinds of grapes, 

 though of fine quality, cannot be made to give large bunches 

 under any kind of pruning. I should mention, also, that some 

 kinds of grape, as the Clinton Strawberry, and such grapes gen- 

 erally as make long, slender wood, must be laid in long canes 

 upon the espalier to give good crops. 



To begin at the beginning, then, we will suppose the vine just 

 planted and cut down to two eyes ; after these two eyes have 

 grown about a foot, pinch the weakest one at the end and train 

 the strongest one to the pole or espalier. If it run away weakly, 

 pinch it occasionally, which will set back the sap and thicken 

 the stem ; it will probably push out lateral shoots, which should 

 always be pinched at the second leaf ; this will prevent the for- 

 mation of weak, watery shoots, and strengthen the leader. At 

 the end of the season cut back the long shoot to the lower bar 

 of the espalier, which is usually about eighteen inches from the 

 ground, and cut the short one clean back to the old wood, your 

 purpose being to have a single stem for about a half yard from 

 the ground ; but if the grape is trained against a house, and it 

 is desired to lead off the side arms at a greater height, as 



