GRAPE VINES. 49 



ing the bottom of it and pressing the earth close to it 

 with the foot. Put the whole in except the upper bud, 

 which is to become the shoot, all the others, 4 or 5, are 

 to become I'oots. Sometimes 2 buds may be left out. 



46. Keep the ground very clean and free of weeds at 

 all times, but above all the first years, by working it 

 often with the plough or hoe, or by pulling the weeds. 

 At the end of the first year, cover each vine with a hil- 

 lock in November, and uncover it the next spring. 



47. Second year. Begin to preserve the vine either by 

 rubbing the buds or cutting weak shoots, leaving only 2 

 or 3 strong buds or shoots. Put in the stakes or poles 

 on which they are to climb. Plough or hoe the ground 

 and clear the w^eds. 



48. Third year. Rub off the lower buds and prune the 

 side shoots. Put on cross poles if meant to be used. 

 Plough, hoe, and weed. Many vines will begin to beai* 

 grapes this year, 



49. The fourth year ought to be the first crop, a full 

 bearing beginning at 5 or 6 years old. The annual 

 pruning and ti-imming must then depend on the mode 

 adopted for cultivation. 



50. It is well to rub off in the spring all the buds ex- 

 cept such as are meant to bear, in the summer to cut off 

 all superfluous or weak shoots without blossoms, and in 

 the fall to make cuttings for planting, selling, or burn- 

 ing of all shoots grown too long. But it must be re- 

 membered, that too much pruning weakens the vine as 

 much as extra foliage and extra bearing. 



51. Trim the vines to suit the chosen method, leading, 

 bending, and fastening them over the poles, cross poles, 

 treillisses, trees, bowers, side walls, &c. of the vineyard 

 or garden. The poles or stakes must be of durable wood, 

 oak, chesnut, locust, or cedar with us ', but need not be 

 large nor thick. Thin split ones will do for cross bars. 

 Even canes and split canes will do well, and are com- 

 monly used in south Europe as cheap and light : the 

 large ones being used for standing stakes. 



52. The grapes commonly grow on the spring shoots, 

 and these on the last year shoots : it is therefore need- 

 ful to spare these in pruning. All dangling branches 

 must be raised ; when trees are the support, they may 



