BOOK IV. XXIV. 7-IO 



The wounds which a vine receives in its hard wood 

 should be made slantwise and rounded, for they grow 

 together more quickly and, as long as they have not 

 formed a scar, they shed water to better advantage ; 

 while crosswise cuts receive and hold more moisture. 

 Let the vine-dresser especially avoid this fault. 

 Let him cut off branches that are far extended, old, 

 badly formed, crooked, and turning downward ; and 

 let him permit the growth of those that are young 

 and fruitful and straight. I>et him preserve the young 

 and tender arms, and remove the old and withered 

 with the pruning-hook. Let him trim off the tips " of 

 the reserve stubs when they are one year old. When 8 

 the vine has been raised to about four feet above 

 the ground, let him arrange it in the same number of 

 arms, each facing in the direction of one cross-piece 

 of the frame. Then let him allow the growth of 

 one rod to each arm if the vine is rather slender, or two 

 if it is more stocky ; and, having placed them upon 

 the frame, let him cause them to hang down. But 9 

 we must bear it in mind not to allow two or more 

 branches of firm wood to be in the same line and on 

 one side of the arm. For it is especially injiu-ious to 

 the vine when every part of the arm does not exert 

 itself equally, and when it does not dispense its 

 juice to its offspring in equal portions, but is drained 

 on one side only ; whereby it comes about that that 

 vein whose moisture is entirely taken away withers 

 as though struck by lightning. 



There is also a shoot, called the " throat-shoot " 10 



" Lit. the nails (of the " thumbs "), for the stubs have been 

 cut slantwise (Chap. 9, above). 



* vocatur M : ocatur a : videtur SAc. 



415 



