THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 195 



By this system, you can grow very large bunches of fruit ; 

 but, if it is true, that large bunches are not so good as smaller 

 ones, (which I hold to be the fact,) then there is no advan- 

 tage in this. There is no difficulty in having a great abun- 

 dance of fruit show itself, under any judicious pruning ; the 

 only fear is, that you will leave more on the vine than can be 

 ripened properly, and this risk is increased by having very 

 large bunches. 



Another plan is, to have one long cane the length re- 

 quired, and to be spur-pruned, as recommended as the best 

 system of pruning, diffisring from that, however, in the cut- 

 ting of the spur clean out, at the fall pruning, and not at one 

 eye, as there directed. The reason for preferring to cut at 

 one eye is, that, at the base or crown of the spur, are a large 

 number of dormant eyes, which will all, or a great many of 

 them, push when close pruning is practised ; and, where there 

 are a great number of vines, the trouble of rubbing out these 

 is considerable ; but when one eye on the spur pushes, it will 

 prevent these from growing ; and if, at any time, the eye, 

 from injury, does not push, then the dormant eyes will, and 

 you can retain a shoot, and when this system of pruning has 

 been carried out many years, and the spur becomes too long 

 for convenience, or unsightly, then you can train one of the 

 shoots that are constantly pushing on the bare wood of the 

 spur, and prune back on that, in the autumn, to one eye. 



Another plan of spur-pruning, which is recommended to be 

 practised, when the object desired is to grow large bunches, 

 and the regularity and neatness of the vine are not consid- 

 ered, is to prime the shoot at any length, cutting so as to 

 leave a full, strong eye at the end, for fruiting ; all the inter- 

 vening eyes, excepting the one at the base, are to be pruned 

 out ; this is to be grown for fruiting the next season, and is 

 to be pruned, at the autumn trimming, at the prominent eye ; 

 the shoot which has fruited, and all the back wood on the 

 spur, should be cut out entirely. 



