VINEYARD; 



59 



early in their growth, is to cause the remaining buds in 

 the axils of the leaves, which are to produce fruit in the 

 following year, to rapidly develope, and form fine, large 

 fruit buds. The continual pinching of laterals, prevents 

 the vine from neglecting these buds during the whole 

 of the growing season. The same causes also operate 

 to develope the fruit which is upon the same spur, and 

 it grows very large, and ripens evenly and early. 

 Another effect produced is, that the leaves that are left 

 to grow, being few in number, grow very large and 

 healthy. A single large leaf is of more value than a 

 number of small ones, and is more able to resist disease 

 and especially premature decay. When we come to 

 prune in the autumn, although we are obliged to cut 

 away some very fine buds, yet the second one from the 

 base of the spur is nearly or quite as good as any of 

 those removed, and will give very fine clusters. Many 

 of mine this year weighed upwards of 13 ounces each. 

 The principal advantage, even above all the others, is 

 that the vine is always kept within a small compass, 

 and is a permanent affair ; inasmuch as it will bear as x 

 much fruit, and carry as much foliage at five or six years, 

 as at 50 or 100. I think that the special efforts of the 

 grape grower should always be directed to producing 

 the buds for his future crop, the present one being 

 already mostly beyond his control. 



I have not usually given the Concord any winter 

 protection. It is generally so well ripened and so hardy 

 in its nature, as to endure ordinary winter weather 

 without protection ; but in unfavorable seasons it is 

 liable to be insufficiently ripened to withstand the 

 influence of extreme cold without suffering, and in such 

 cases there follows a partial or even a total failure of a 



