Pruning the Vine. 127 



the crown of the tree is cut in the shape of a round 

 dish, on a stem of six to ten feet high, and supports the 

 vines on its outward surface. 



The yearly pruning tends to renew the young shoots 

 which are to succeed each other in the bearing of 

 the fruit ; to suppress those which deviate from the 

 proper direction, or cause confusion ; and, lastly, to lop 

 off those branches of the support-tree, which, by shad- 

 ing the vine, might retard its growth. 



The objects of this mode of cultivation are the fol- 

 lowing : the necessity of allowing Certain varieties to 

 acquire a large growth, which otherwise would be small 

 bearers ; and especially the hope of drawing from the 

 soil a double crop, by raising the vine-branches suf- 

 ficiently high above ground. 



Of all modes of cultivating the vine, there is none so 

 picturesque or pleasing to the eye, but we must confess, 

 wherever we have studied high-trained vines, in Beam, 

 in Dauphiny, we have invariably noticed the following 

 facts : the grapes, being shaded by the leaves, ripen 

 badly, and this defective ripening is retarded still more 

 by the too great hight of the branches above the ground. 

 It is for this reason that the wine produced by these 

 vines is always very inferior, even in Italy. Besides 

 this, the exhaustion of the soil by the roots of the trees, 

 and the vines, as well as by the shade thrown over its sur- 

 face, is such that other crops which are raised to- 

 gether with them, yield but poor results. Lastly, 

 we have also observed that these high-trained vines are 

 more liable to the Oidium than low vines, and this is the 

 more to be regretted, because it is more difficulty ap- 

 ply the sulphur to them, owing to their great hight, and 



