SPRING AND SUMMER PRUNING. 83 



my vines are carefully inspected by the vine-dresser, and from 

 ten to fifteen of the largest and most promising bunches are 

 selected, and all the others are pinched off, also all unfruitful 

 shoots that may have pushed out from the circle. I know 

 that many of our vine men allow every bunch to grow for fear 

 of casualties. This I have proved to be an error. Ten to 

 fifteen bunches, according to the strength of the vine, are 

 more likely to remain on and produce more mature fruit than 

 twenty or more. The vines must not be overtaxed — too 

 heavy a burden can never be carried to the end of the jour- 

 ney — but a light task will be more perfectly executed. 



Soon after the grapes are set and about the size of common 

 shot, my rule is to pinch off the ends of the bearing branches — 

 leaving four good leaves for the first bunch of grapes, and 

 two additional leaves for every other bunch on the same 

 branch — so that if there are three bunches there will be eight 

 leaves to supply their wants. I have tried leaving these 

 bearing branches to grow their full length without pinching 

 them off, but Ifind they incumber the ground too much, with- 

 out any perceptible improvement of the fruit. After these 

 bearing shoots have been pinched off, especially if done too 

 early, the buds in the axils of their leaves will push out. 

 These I pinch oft' also when quite young, sometimes permit- 

 ting one or two leaves to remain on them. The leaves on 

 these laterals do not seem to subserve the wants of the fruit, 

 like the original leaves on the bearing wood, which should be 

 carefully preserved. At the fifth spring-pruning the vines will 

 have the two good canes, as in the previous spring, with the 

 addition of the old hoop or circle that bore fruit. This I cut 

 off as close down as possible to the uppermost cane, and the 

 other two canes are managed exactly in the same manner as 

 in the preceding year. I never allow the old stock to rise 

 more than six to ten inches above the ground — the lower they 

 are kept the more healthy they will remain and be much more 

 easily managed. Pruning the vine for wine requires a bold 



