PRUNING BARKING LAYING BARE THE ROOT. 283 



will have attained its proper shape, and from that period they 

 are classed and trained according to the systems of short and 

 long- pruning, and therefore no further directions will be found 

 necessary than to follow such of the general principles laid 

 down as may be deemed best calculated to ensure success, and 

 to prune frequently and sufficiently, so as to stop at all times 

 the lateral shoots, where they are calculated to impoverish the 

 vine without any manifest advantage ; in a word, to force by 

 art into the main branches of the vines, that sap which, with- 

 out such aid, would be lost in superfluous, weak, and useless 

 shoots. 



Pruning to restore the vigour of vines Taking off the bark 

 Laying bare the vine root. 



A vine may be renewed by cutting it down below the sur- 

 face of the soil, and suppressing the most of the shoots which 

 spring from it. In general, unless it be necessary to form 

 provins to fill up the ground, there should be but one left, 

 and that ought to be the strongest ; this should be pruned the 

 ensuing winter down to a few eyes as with a perfect vine ; 

 sometimes suckers keep springing up from the root for several 

 years, which must be destroyed. This manner of renewing 

 the growth of vines is founded upon the principle that the 

 vigour of trees is increased in proportion to the regular course 

 of the sap, and to its not being caused to deviate in its course 

 by angles or windings ; and these it is well known are numerous 

 in an old vine that has been annually pruned, whereas there 

 are none in a shoot which rises directly from the root. This 

 method is pursued only in a few localities, and it is to be re- 

 gretted that it has not been more generally adopted in cases 

 that require it. In some instances where vines have undergone 

 great exhaustion, they are allowed to lie fallow as it is termed, 

 during which period they receive no pruning. 



With all trees the removal of the old and rough bark is 

 found of great benefit, and this course has been applied by 

 many French vignerons to their vines with equal advantage. 

 Its effect is by allowing th new bark a more full expansion 



