122 FRUIT-GARDENING. 



and light as it advances towards maturity. Sucli of these 

 shoots as issue from the bottom, and are to be shortened in the 

 winter pruning to a few eyes, merely for the production of 

 wood to fill the trellis, may be stopped when they have grown 

 to the length of four or five feet. Others that are intended to 

 be cut down to about two yards, and which issue at different 

 heights, may be stopped when they have run three yards, or 

 ten feet, less or more, according to their strength. And those 

 intended to be cut at or near the top of the trellis, should be 

 trained a yard or two down the back, or a trellis may be placed 

 so as to form an arbor ; or they may be placed to run right or 

 left a few feet on the uppermost wire. 



The stubs or shoots on which the clusters are placed will 

 probably push again after being stopped, if the plants be vigor- 

 ous. If so, stop them again and again. But after the Grapes 

 are half grown, the shoots will seldom spring. Observe to 

 divest the shoots, in training, of all laterals as they appear, 

 except the uppermost on each, in order to provide against acci- 

 dents, as hinted before, in training the newly-planted vines. 

 When these shoots are stopped, as directed above, they will 

 push again. Allow the lateral that pushes to run a few joints, 

 and then shorten it back to one, and so on as it pushes, until it 

 stops entirely. When the proper shoots get ripened nearly to 

 the top, the whole may be cut back to the originally shortened 

 part, or to one joint above it, if there be reason to fear that the 

 uppermost bud of the proper shoot will start. Divest the 

 plants of all damp and decayed leaves as they appear, as such 

 will sometimes occur in continued hazy weather, and be par- 

 ticularly cautious not to injure the leaf that accompanies the 

 bunch ; for if that is lost, the fruit will be of little value. 



THINNING THE GREEN FRUIT. 



■ " Everyone of penetration and discernment," Nicoll observes, 

 " will admit the utility of thinning the berries on bunches of 

 Grapes, in order that they may have room to swell fully ; and, 



