BOOK X^'II. xxxv 213-XXW1. 215 



La Riccia, which are pruned every other ycar, not 

 because that is bcneticial for a vine but because 

 owing to the low price at which the wine sells the 

 expenses might exceed the return. In the Casigliano 

 district they follow an intermediate compromise, 

 and by the plan of pruning away only the decayed 

 parts of the vine and those begiuning to wither, and 

 leaving the rest to bear grapes reUeved of superfluous 

 weight, the scantiness of the injury infiicted serves • 

 instead of all nutriment ; but except in a rich soil 

 this method of cultivation degenerates into a wild 

 vine. 



The trees for training vines on require the ground jreaiment of 

 to be ploughed as deep as possible, although the ',^^7-^0^*."' 

 svstem of growing corn there does not need this. It 

 is not customary for them to be trimmed of leaves, and 

 this economizes labour. They are pruned togetlier 

 with the vine, light being let through the density of 

 branches that are superfluous and consume nutriment. 

 We have given the rule against leaving lopped ends § 84. 

 facing north or south, and it is better not to let them 

 face west either, as wounds facing in those directions 

 too suffer for a long time and heal witli difficulty, 

 because of undergoing excessive cold or heat ; tiiere 

 is not the same freedom as in the case of the vine, 

 since trecs have fixed aspects, but it is easicr to liide 

 away the wounds of a vine and twist them in any 

 direction you like. In pruning trees cuplikc hollows 

 should be made with a mouth sloping downwards, to 

 prevent water from lodging in them. 



XXXVI. Props should be placed against a vine srasomfor 

 which it may catch hold of and climb up if they are vruning,etc. 

 taller than it is. It is said that esj)aliers for vines of 

 high (juaHty should be cut about March 19tli-23rd, 



149 



