THE GRAPE. 306 



PRUNING. Decidedly the best mode of -pruning for a cold 

 house, or vinery without fire-heat, is what is called the long 

 or renewal mode, which we have already partially explained. 

 Supposing the house to be planted with good young plants, 

 something like the following mode of training and pruning may 

 be adopted. The first season one shoot only is allowed to pro- 

 ceed from each plant, and this, at the end of the first season, is 

 cut down to the second or third eye or bud. The year follow- 

 ing two leading shoots are encouraged, the strongest of which is 

 headed or stopped when it has extended a few joints beyond the 

 middle of the house or rafter, and the weaker about half that 

 length. In November these shoots are reduced, the strong one 

 having four or five joints cut from its extremity, and the weaker 

 one to the third eye from its lower end or place of origin. In 

 the third season one leading shoot is laid in from each of these, 

 the stronger one throwing out side shoots on which the fruit is 

 produced, which side shoots are allowed to mature one bunch of 

 grapes each, and are topped at one or two joints above the fruit. 

 No side shoots are allowed to proceed from the weaker shoot, 

 but it is laicl in, to produce fruit the ensuing season, so that by 

 the third season after planting, the lower part of the house or 

 rafters is furnished with a crop of fruit proceeding from wood 

 of the preceding year. At next autumn pruning, the longest 

 of these main shoots is shortened about eighteen inches from the 

 top of the rafter, and the next in strength to about the middle of 

 the rafter, and all the spurs which had borne fruit are removed. 

 Each vine is now furnished with two shoots of bearing wood, a 

 part of old barren wood which has already produced fruit, and a 

 spur near the bottom for producing a young shoot for the follow- 

 ing year. In the fourth summer a full crop is produced, both 

 in the lower and upper part of the house, the longer or oldest 

 shoot producing fruit on the upper part of its length, and the 

 shorter on its whole length ; from this last, a leading shoot is 

 laid in, and another to succeed it is produced from the spur 

 near the bottom. At the next autumn pruning, the oldest or 

 longest shoot, which has now reached the top of the house, is 

 entirely cut out and removed, and replaced by that which was 

 next in succession to it, and this in its turn is also cut out and 

 replaced by that immediately behind it, a succession of a year- 

 ly 'shoot being obtained from the lower part of the old stem. 

 (Mclntosh.) This is decidedly the most successful mode for a 

 vinery without heat, producing abundant and fair crops of fruit. 

 Hoare, who is one of the most experienced and ingenious wri- 

 ters on the grape, strongly recommends it, and suggests that 

 " the old wood of a vine, or that which has previously produced 

 fruit, is not only of no further use, but is a positive injury to 

 the fertility of the plant. The truth of this remark depends on 

 the fact that every branch of a vine which produces little or no 



