302 CULTURE Otf THE VINE AT THOMERY. 



a passing tribute to one, alike to be reverenced and esteemed 

 for his great intelligence on the subject of horticultural science, 

 for his general urbanity of manners, and for the distinguished 

 liberality which has marked his course. 



The practice of shortening the fruit branches is often adop- 

 ted in garden culture in cold localities, and sometimes even in 

 vineyards, as stated at page 280, its object being to cause a 

 greater accumulation of the sap in that part of the shoot which 

 supports the fruit, and to prevent its exhaustion by a great 

 and sometimes unnecessary extension of those shoots ; and if 

 these branches are to be pruned out in autumn, and their places 

 supplied by new ones the ensuing season, their great extension 

 is of no use whatever, and it is in such case much the prefera- 

 ble course to husband the sap in the manner before named. 

 This operation is executed in cold and unfavourable localities 

 as soon as the berries are fully formed, and in others when 

 they have attained two thirds or nearly their full size. The 

 period should be selected according to the circumstances of 

 the occasion, which should also have their influence in deciding 

 upon the number of buds or joints to be left beyond the last 

 cluster of fruit, the number of these to be allowed being pro- 

 portionably greater according to the warmth of the climate* 

 the duration of the summer, &c 



Culture of the Vine at Thomery. 



The walls against which they train their vines are about 

 eight feet high, (Berneaud says seven) and are covered with a 

 coping or cornice which projects about nine inches. This pro- 

 tects the vine against frosts and against the violence of rain, 

 without shading it too much, and it also prevents the upper 

 shoot from pushing too vigorously. These walls are furnished 

 with trellises, the upright standards of which are two feet apart, 

 the sloat, or horizontal pieces or rails, nine inches apart, and 

 the lower one six inches distant from the ground. 



The grape border along this wall is dug and manured to 

 the width of five feet at least, and to the depth of fifteen dr 



