BOOK V. VI. 22-25 



that this bending-back may cause a profusion of 

 firm-wood branches, the strongest of which we may 

 make the head of the vine in the following year. 

 But long experience has taught me that it is much 23 

 more expedient to apply the pruning-hook to the 

 vines on the first possible opportunity and not allow 

 them to become bushy with superfluous shoots. I 

 also hold that the firm-wood branch which is to be 

 allowed to grow at first, should be cut back with the 

 knife as far as the second or third bud, so that it may 

 put forth more vigorous shoots, which, when they 

 have taken hold of the first " story " of the tree, will 

 be trained in different directions at the next pruning, 

 and furthermore will every year be raised to the 

 story above, one firm- wood branch being always left 

 which, applied to the trunk, will face towards the top 

 of the tree. 



Once the vine is set in its place a fixed rule is 24 

 applied to it by husbandmen. Most of them crowd 

 the lower " stories " with firm-wood branches, their 

 object being a more abundant yield of fruit and easier 

 cultivation. But those whose chief object is high 

 quality in the wine, encourage the vine to mount to 

 the top of the trees, and, as each firm-wood shoot 

 offers itself, they stretch it out to the highest possible 

 branch in such a way that the top of the vine keeps 

 pace with the top of the tree, that is, that the two 

 furthest vine-shoots are applied to the trunk of the 

 tree so that they face its top and, as each branch 

 gathers strength, it takes up the burden of the vine. 

 On the stouter branches more shoots should be placed, 25 

 separate from one another, but fewer on the slenderer 

 branches, and the young vine should be attached to 

 the tree with three bindings, one on the stem of the 



59 



