APPENDIX II a 59 



point B. The latter generally bears the clusters. There are, 

 however, two cases in which but a single shoot should be left 

 on the courson. First, when none of the shoots of the courson 

 bear clusters ; then a single shoot, that from the base, is useful 

 as a shoot of replacement. By the others being suppressed, the 

 remaining one becomes stronger and will yield finer fruit in the 

 following year. 



Second. When the two shoots of the courson both bear clus- 

 ters, which occasionally occurs in very fertile years. As it is 

 advisable to leave only two small clusters or one large one to 

 be supported by each courson, as we will presently explain, a 

 retrenchment will be necessary. In this case, the shoot from 

 the base only is preserved, and it will become at the same time 

 a fruit-bearing shoot and a shoot of replacement. In conse- 

 quence of this retrenchment the shoot in question will acquire 

 more strength, it will bear better grapes, and the new shoot 

 will afford the finest products of the following year. 



The proper time for putting in practice these different trim- 

 mings, is, as soon as the young clusters make their appearance^ 

 upon the shoots, that is to say, when they are about 10 inches 

 long. We must repeat what we have said concerning the cut- 

 ting of the shoots — that there should be left upon each one of 

 the shoots preserved only the clusters and the primitive leaves. 

 Then all the supplementary shoots and the tendrils should be 

 removed as soon as they appear. 



Pinching the Shoots. — The buds on the shoots of the vine, 

 as on those of other trees, should often be pinched back. The 

 end of this operation is to prevent the shoots from confused 

 growth, to diminish the growth of some of the shoots to the 

 profit of feebler ones, and finally to favor the development of 

 the grapes by enabling them to profit by the sap, which would 

 otherwise pass to the shoots which would spring from the buds 

 destroyed. 



In order to obtain these different results the buds on the 

 shoots should be pinched off as they develop themselves to the 

 length of from 16 to 20 inches, and their extremities only 

 should then be cut. 



