294 



GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



black, and finally black. As soon as signs of colouring are noticed, 

 sprinkle a little water about the house, and give more air. After several 

 days when the change in colour becomes general, increase the amount of 

 air, and also leave the ventilators slightly open at night. Discontinue 

 to moisten the walls, paths, &c. In a few weeks' time the vineiy 

 may be thrown quite open during the day, and partially so at night, 



until the fruit is cut. 

 Then keep it quite 

 cool. Do not dimi- 

 nish the lire heat at 

 all until the Grapes 

 are well coloured, and 

 even when they are 



BUNCH PROPERLY THINNED 



ripe, 



a little heat 



should still be main- 

 tained so as to avoid 

 damp upon the 

 bunches. 



Pruning. This 

 is an important opera- 

 tion in the culture of 

 the Vine. The sys- 

 tem in almost uni- 

 versal practice in this 

 country, and un- 

 doubtedly the best 

 and most convenient, 

 is that known as spur 

 pruning. Let us take 

 as an illustration a 

 young Vine that has 

 made three seasons' 

 growth, the one we 

 have hitherto con- 

 sidered. At the end 

 of the first season 

 after being planted, 

 it will be remem- 

 bered that the Vine 

 rod was cut back to 



two eyes, the next year left four feet long, and the following spring 

 horizontal shoots were allowed to develop from the higher portion 

 of this, and the leader was trained up the trellis towards the roof of 

 the vinery. At the third winter pruning leave this leading shoot 

 two or three feet longer than it was at the beginning of the year ; 

 it will now therefore be about seven feet in length. The horizontal 

 shoots are to form permanent fruit spurs. Shorten them back to within 

 one or two buds of the base ; to one, if the basal bud is well de- 



