GENERAL AUTUMNAL PRUNING. 129 



branches be decayed, which will be easily seen by its 

 loose and ragged appearance, peel or scrape off all 

 such parts with a blunt-edged pocket-knife, taking 

 care not to wound, or in any way injure the live 

 bark. The decayed bark having lost its vitality, and 

 with it its power of resisting and throwing off the rain, 

 becomes so highly retentive of moisture, as to be al- 

 most sopping wet throughout the winter months, es- 

 pecially if several layers of it have been suffered to 

 accumulate. In this state, if permitted to remain, it 

 speedily generates moss, and becomes, also, the recep- 

 tacle of innumerable insects. And it is contrary to 

 every known principle of vegetable life, that a plant 

 like the vine, which is a native of a warm climate, 

 should ever flourish, while its stem and branches are 

 thus encircled with a decayed bandage, covered with 

 moss and saturated with moisture, which constantly 

 chills its juices, and thereby paralyzes the beneficial 

 effects of the sun and air, during a period of the year 

 when they are of the last importance to the health of 

 the plant. The annual removal of the decayed bark, 

 therefore, may be regarded as a point of culture, that 

 tends very greatly to promote the prosperous vegeta- 

 tion of a vine. 



5th. The barking of the vine being finished, the 

 whole operation will be completed, and the branches 

 must then be nailed to the wall in a temporary man- 

 ner. In doing this, remember that the wmd has very 

 little power over the naked wood, and that, therefore, 

 a few strong shreds nailed firmly over the branches at 

 proper distances, will be sufficient to protect them. 

 Let the bearing-shoots be nailed on those parts of the 

 wall, where they will receive the greatest portion of 

 the sun's rays, without any regard to the situation 

 which they will subsequently be made to occupy at 

 the winter training. The vine, thus pruned, barked, 

 and nailed, will be in readiness to receive the inffu- 

 ence of the season at the earliest period possible, and 

 will, throughout the winter, present a beautiful ap- 

 pearance of dormant vegetation. 



