SUMMER PRUNING. 15 



is a much better mode than planting a young vine. The 

 layers may be put down late in summer, but spring is 

 preferred. 



Cultivate the yellow, and the osier willow, to make ties for 

 the spring pruning. They will grow in any wet place. 



SUMMER PRUNING. 



Consists in removing suckers, and pinching off all lateral 

 shoots, leaving but two stalks or canes to be trained for bearing 

 wood the ensuing year, and pinching off the ends of the 

 bearing branches, about the time of blossoming, some two or 

 three joints beyond, or above the last blossom bunch ; pull 

 no leaves off the bearing branches, and but very few from any 

 other. As the vines grow, tie them neatly to the stakes, with 

 rye straw (some use grass), and when they reach the top, 

 train them from one stake to the other, until the fruit has 

 nearly matured ; the green ends may then be broken off. If 

 this is done too early, there is danger of forcing out the fruit- 

 bearing buds for the next year, and of injuring the grapes in 

 ripening. 



Some of our cultivators are averse to removing any lateral 

 branches rom the fruit-bearing wood, merely pinching off 

 their ends. Others adopt close pruning, in summer, and even 

 taking off some of the leaves of the bearing branches. Both 

 these extremes, are wrong. The experience of the writer is in 

 favor of removing such lateral shoots as appear unnecessary to 

 the growth or ripening of the fruit to pinch off the ends of the 

 bearing branches two, three, or four joints beyond the upper 

 bunch of grapes according to the number it bears to take 

 off all laterals from the bearing wood intended for the ensu- 

 ing year ; and not to break off the ends of these branches at 

 all (as has heretofore been done about the time the grapes 

 began to color). The leaves are the lungs of the plant, and 

 while it is necessary to remove suckers and laterals, to throw 

 strength into the fruit and the bearing branches for next year, 

 2 



