BOOK V. VI. 28-32 



fruit, and it is the part which, being tied with a band, 

 grows upwards that provides the firm-wood branches 

 for the following year. There are two kinds of the fruit- 29 

 bearing shoots themselves, one that comes out of the 

 hard-Avood of the vine, which, because in the first 

 year it usually puts forth leaves but no fruit, is called 

 a tendril-bearing shoot, and another which is pro- 

 duced from a one-year-old shoot and, because it bears 

 fruit immediately, is called a fructuary shoot. In 

 order that we may have plenty of shoots of this kind 

 in our vineyard, the portions of the shoots up to three 

 buds must be tied back, so that whatever is below the 

 band may produce firm-wood. Then, afterwards, 30 

 when the vine has increased in years and strength, 

 the cross-branches must be conveyed to all the 

 nearest trees and after two years must be cut away 

 and others which are younger must be trained across ; 

 for when they grow old they wear out the vine. 

 Sometimes too, when the vine cannot occupy the 

 whole tree, it has been found useful to bend part of 

 it down and sink it into the earth and raise two or 

 three layers again into the same tree, so that it may 

 be surrounded by several vines and so be more quickly 

 covered. 



A tendril-bearing shoot ought not to be allowed to 31 

 grow on a young vine, unless it has grown in a place 

 where it is required, so that it may be wedded to a 

 branch which lacks a vine-shoot. Tendril-bearing 

 shoots which grow in the right place on old vines are 

 useful and are generally cut back to the third bud and 

 allowed to grow with very good results ; for in the 

 following year they produce firm-wood in abundance. 

 But if any tendril growing in the right place is broken 32 

 in the process of pruning or tying, provided that it 



63 



