86 THE GRAPE CULTURIST. 



Fig. 28, E, represents a portion of a vine in summer, 

 Now, while this vine is growing, it produces young 

 branches from a bud near the axils of the leaves ; that is, 

 from that point where the leaves join the main stem ; / 

 shows one of these young branches, which is called a lat- 

 eral ; at the point where this lateral unites with the 

 main stem there is also a bud. Now if this lateral were 

 broken out entirely it might injure this bud, or cause it 

 to push into growth ; or if the lateral is allowed to grow 

 unchecked, the strength of the vine is divided into so 

 many branches that none of them will become strong or 

 well ripened. To prevent this, and retain as many 

 leaves for the elaboration of the sap as is necessary for 

 the full development of the plant, we pinch off, with the 

 forefinger and thumb, the end of the lateral at , when 

 it has made two or three leaves, taking off all but one 

 leaf. If the vine is growing rapidly, the lateral will 

 start again and produce a young shoot from the base of 

 this leaf, and when it has grown a few inches it should 

 be pinched off at #, leaving one more leaf ; c shows where 

 it would be stopped the third time, should it be neces- 

 sary ; d shows a lateral as it appears when first starting. 

 This checking the growth of the laterals not only con- 

 centrates the strength of the plant into the main cane, 

 but it prevents the formation of a large number of small, 

 thin leaves, which are of no benefit to the plant, and 

 are, of themselves, so feeble that they cannot resist dis- 

 ease like large and strong ones, consequently they are 

 often attacked while others escape. 



While I am fully aware of the fact that to raise 

 vines in this way is rather expensive, and would scarcely 

 yield a profit to the propagator, in these times of sharp 

 competition and low prices, but I practiced it for many 

 years with the best results ; but vines at that time sold 

 for about five times their present price. I still claim 

 that it is the proper way of managing young vines, 



