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204 CULTIVATION OF THE VINE. 



flake, they fuffer greatly for want of the Sun and air to 

 dry them after rains, mifls and heavy dews; and in clofe 

 mup-gy weather, they will mildew and rot. Let therefore 

 the^'branches he tied up fingly to the flakes on each fide, 

 with a foft band, as foon as they are long enough, leaft 

 they be torn ofl' by hard winds, which would ruin the 

 vine I need not tell you again, that your vineyard is al- 

 ways to be kept clean and free from weeds and grafs; and 

 the dryer the ground is, and the hotter the weather, the 



ffedually they are deflroyed, by hoeing, ploughing 

 and harrowing. But remember never to meddle with 



more e 



your ground when it is wet, you do more hurt than good. 

 This fecond fummcr your main branches fliould be fuf- 

 fered to grow about five feet long, and then the ends of 

 them rauft be nipped off, in order to curb them, to keep 

 them within proper bounds, and to hinder them from 

 crrowing wild. The lateral or fecondary branches fliould 

 be nipped off'at the end, when they are about a foot long, 

 the nephews alfo fliould be nipped ofl'when they are about 



— ■ ■ much better, than the taking all 



fix Inches long. Thi » • , • , r.- 



thefe fmaller branches clean away, which is the praiLtice 

 of fome, who are more nice than wife. For I have found, 

 by experience, that, when thefe fecondary branches are 



clean taken away, the main branches fuffer ; they grow 

 flat and appear diftorted ; u hich plainly fliews, that nature 



is deprived of fomcthing, that is effentially necciTary to h- 



er 



well being. It is quite neceffary to nip off the ends of the 

 main branches, when they are grown about five feet long. 

 They grov^ the larger and flronger, the wood ripens the 

 better, the lower buds are well filled, and better prepared 

 for the bearing of fruit. Befides it teaches the vines to 

 become reconciled to a low and humble ftate, it curbs their 

 pride and ambition, which is always to climb and mount 

 up above every thing that is near them, and educates them 

 to bear fruit within your reach. Some time after the tops 

 of the main branches are nipped off, they will flioot out 

 a fecond time, and then they generally throw out, irom 



near 



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