66 MY VIXEYARD. 



flower-clusters appeared, they were taken off. Two new 

 canes were produced from the buds left for that purpose 

 at the base of the canes cut away the year before. Their 

 treatment was the same as that already described, except 

 no fruit was allowed to grow. 



In the flxll, there were four canes to each vine, two of 

 them grown the year befoi'e and now bearing fruit ; and 

 two others grown the present season. Over three hundred 

 and fifty dollars worth of grapes were sold from this acre 

 of vines, besides which a half barrel of wine w^as made 

 by means of a small press, extemporized for the purpose. 

 The fall pruning consisted in cutting down to the last 

 bud the two canes which had borne fruit, leaving the other 

 two for next year's crop. The vineyard w^as now fully 

 established. 



OBVIATING A DIFFICULTY. 



One difficulty, however, presented itself. The four 

 canes to a single stake were so crowded as to interfere 

 with pruning, and what was a still greater objection, 

 some of the leaves shaded others so mucli that the latter 

 could not perform their proper work. This trouble was 

 remedied in the following manner : — I obtained from a 

 saw-mill, where they had a buzz saw for making lath, a 

 quantity of slats, about inch by inch, and nine and a half 

 feet long. These slats were fastened to the stakes with a 

 six-penny nail, one end of each slat at the bottom of a 



