

CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



211 



fervant may make, only let the top piece cover the whole,) 

 be put over the head, which will be a fafe and fufficient 

 covering. Otherwife a fmall fheaf of ftraw, bound well 

 round the flake, and the bottom brought handlbmcly all 

 round the head of the vine, and fecured by a band from 

 blowing open, will do very well. The vines fhould not 

 be covered till hard weather is ready to fct in, and they 

 fliould be dry when covered. 



Before I proceed to the management of vines for the 

 frame or efpalier, it will be neceffary to acquaint you with 

 fome things of a general nature, which you will find wor- 

 thy of notice. 



When vines are trimmed in the flill, which they ought 

 to be as foon as the vintage is over, or as foon as the leaf 

 withers and falls off, they feldom bleed, and never fo as 

 to hurt them. If vines have been negleded and not trimmed 

 in the fall, and this work mufl be done in the fpring, let 



m 



it be done in February, if good weather happens, or early 

 in March. If it be done later, they will bleed too much, 

 and endanger the crop. Searing the wound, as foon as it 

 is made, with a hot iron, it is faid, and I think with rea- 

 fon, will prevent the bleeding. In .trimming, keep about 

 two inches from the bud, or halfway between bud and 

 bud : fo fliall the upper bud that is left be free from danger. 

 The rule is, to cut flopping upward, on the oppofite fide to 

 the bud, that the flope may carry off the tears from the eye, 

 but I never found this anykindof fecurity to the eyes below* 

 If therefore fearing every wound with a hot iron be thought 



too much trouble, the only remedy, befides that, w^hich I 

 have yet been able to difcover, is, to wafh the branches 

 that are v/oundcd and bleed, and efpecially the buds, with 

 a rag dipped in v/arm water, without touching the wound, 

 which in H or lo days will flop of itfclf ; the liquor form- 

 ing a fliff jelly upon the wound, like coagulated blood, 

 and drying by degrees, heals up the wound. The wafli- 

 ing muft be deferred till they have done bleeding, Unlefs 

 this is done, the eyes below will be in danger of being 



blinded 



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