OF VINES^ 181 



ground as possible ; you will then have no fruit for 

 that year. Or you may cut every other shoot, leav- 

 ing the old ones to produce some small Grapes. 

 The next year you will have plenty of fine wood, 

 provided you take care to nail in the strongest 

 shoots, and pick off all the side shoots that are 

 produced from the eyes, pinching them off with 

 the finger and thumb, or cutting them out with a 

 sharp penknife close to the bud or eye ; but never 

 twist them, for by twisting them, you will hurt 

 the bud that produces the Grapes next year ; al- 

 ways observing to cut as near to a bud as possible, 

 and taking care to lay in the wood very thin in= 

 Summer, that the sun and air may be freely ad- 

 mitted to ripen it: by these means it will grow^ 

 very strong. Take care also to keep the shoots 

 nailed to the wall, which will "prevent their being 

 broken by the high winds ; observing to pick off 

 all the side-shoots every time you nail them, 

 which ought to be done several times during the 

 Summer months, according to the quickness of 

 their growth. In fine weather they will grow so 

 very quick, that you will have occasion to look over 

 them once every fortnight or three weeks, if you 

 wish to have them in good order. Never suffer 

 the Vines to run together in a cluster and to mat,, 

 which will infallibly ruin them for bearing the sue-* 

 ceeding year. Top the shoots that have been 

 trained in a sei'pentine manner, as soon as the 

 Grapes come to the size of very small Green Peas, 

 a joint or two above the fruit ^ but never top the 



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