BOOK XVII. XXXV. ] 82-185 



thought proper to allow an old main branch to shoot 

 out to a great length and as far as a fourth prop, 

 Uke the old growths called by some ' snake-branches ' 

 and by others ' cables ', so as to make what are named 

 ' male growths '. When a vine has bccome hard, 

 it is very bad to bring it across on a trellis. When 

 a vine is four years old the main branches them- 

 selves also are twisted over, and each throws out one 

 growth of wood, first one and then the next ones, 

 and the earlier shoots are pruned a^ay. It is always 

 better to leave a keeper-shoot, but this should be 

 one next the vine, and not longer than the lcngth 

 that was stated ; and if the main branches shoot too § w. 

 luxuriantly, to twist them back, so that the vine 

 may produce only four growths of wood, or even 

 only tAvo if it is trained on a single cross-bar. 



If the vine is to be trained by itself without a prop, vinesgrown 

 at the beginning it will want some sort of support ^tuppuTis. 

 until it learns to stand and to rise up straight, 

 while in all other respects it will necd the same treat- 

 mcnt from the start, except that it will need to have 

 the pruned stumps distributed by pruni ng in a regular 

 cluster all round, so that the fruit may not overload 

 one side of the tree. Incidcntally, the fruit weighing 

 down the bough will prevent it from shooting right 

 up high. With this vine a height of above a yard 

 begins to bend over, but all the others start bending 

 at five feet, only the height must not be allowed to 

 exceed the average height of a man, Growers also 

 put low cages round the vines that spread out on 

 the ground, to restrict their spread, with trenches 

 made round them, so that the straggHng branches 

 may not meet each other and fight ; and the greater 

 part of the world lets its vintage grapes Ije on the 



127 



