286 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



produce fniit of as high quality as they do when the trees become 

 older, and it is equally true that the fruit of the vine does not 

 get its full quantity of richness until the plant has become fully 

 established. 



There has been many theories advanced for the purpose of ex- 

 plaining the cause of this change. Joseph Hay ward, in 1815, 

 declared that it was his opinion that the greater length the sap 

 has to pass through the body of the vine, the more abundant, 

 fine, and high-flavored will be the fruit. But when thoroughly 

 tested, his theory was found to be erroneous. Tiie real truth of 

 the matter is, that it is necessary to have old or well matured 

 wood as a basis upon which to grow your fruit. A superabun- 

 dant quantity, instead of being beneficial, is deleterious. 



This is one reason why all the various plans that have had for 

 their object the entire renewal of the vine biennially or trien- 

 nially from the same root have been discarded when thoroughly 

 tried. These renewal plans have often been brought forward by 

 theorists, but what is equally true, none of them have succeeded ; 

 and at the present time not one of them is in successful opera- 

 tion. Another difficulty which we have had to cojitend with 

 when growing vines on these renewal plans is, that we are obliged 

 to resort to such severe pruning at the time of renewal that we 

 destroy the equilibrium between root and top. When the vine 

 has become fully established (say from five to ten years, and no 

 vine can be considered as established in less time) it is with 

 great difficulty that it can be restrained sufficiently to produce a 

 healthy shoot from the one eye or bud to which it is pruned. 



The large amount of food which will be accumulated in the 

 roots of a healthy vine, and is constantly being collected by them 

 cannot find employment, and the new shoots or shoot which put 

 forth cannot consume this superabundant supply, and a sort of 

 plethora is produced. A portion of the roots become inactive, 

 and consequently decay. 



Let any one examine the stump of a large tree that has been 

 cut down, and he will see this fully demonstrated. A few trifling- 

 shoots may be produced which will grow rapidly, but the greater 

 portion of the old roots will die in consequence of the sudden 

 check they have received. Some varieties of trees will not pro- 

 duce sprouts at all from the old root when the top has been cut 

 away, while others will produce them in abundance. 



We believe the only true mode of renewing the entire vine 



