304 CULTURE OP THE VINE AT THOMERY. 



if it has at that place a double eye or two eyes. If it has not, 

 you must cut it above the eye which is next above the lowest 

 rail of the trellis. These two eyes are destined to furnish the 

 two lowest branches (to right and left) on the lowest rail of 

 the trellis. The one that is too high must be bent down 

 gently, and that which is too low, trained up and fastened to 

 the trellis, so that both shall be in the some horizontal line. 

 The second bearing branch [cordon] being at two feet from 

 the ground, cannot be formed as soon as the first, the third 

 will be still later, and so on. Whatever be the height to which 

 you propose to carry your stalk or stem, you ought not to 

 advance it more than twelve or fifteen inches each year, and 

 should preserve its lateral buds to increase its growth and fur- 

 nish fruit. But as soon as the stem has reached the requisite 

 height, it is absolutely necessary to suppress and cut off all 

 lateral buds on the main stem throughout. Let us now sup- 

 pose all the stems arrived at the requisite or proposed height, 

 and that their two last or upper branches are extended to the 

 right and left to form the two arms of the bearing branches : 

 we will now show how these two arms or branches are to be 

 cut till they have gained the length of four feet each. The 

 first year you will cut so as to have three good eyes from four 

 to six inches apart. Two of these eyes will be cut so as to 

 form bearing wood, and the third will be employed to lengthen 

 the branch. Care must be taken to train vertically the shoots 

 destined to bear the fruit. At the second cutting the bearing 

 shoots thus trained vertically must be cut, leaving two eyes or 

 buds ; and the terminal branch in like manner must be so 

 trimmed as that there will be three eyes, two of which will be 

 reserved for bearers, and the third to prolong the shoot as in 

 the former year, and so proceed till each lateral branch shall 

 have attained the length of four feet. Each branch ought 

 then to have eight bearing eyes or shoots, all if possible on 

 the upper side. When all the five plants shall have reached 

 their height and length, you will have on a surface of eight 

 feet square, (or sixty-four square feet,) eighty bearing branches, 

 which being pruned to two eyes, will each form two branches, 



