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CULTIVATION of the VINE. 203 



betten I have told you before, and I now repeat it, (be- 

 caufe It is a work that muft by no means be negleded,) 

 when you trim your vines, if you find that any of them 

 have mifcarried, which is very common, plant others in 

 their room immediately, if you have any plants of the 

 fame fort growing in your nurfery; if not, then do not 

 delay to provide cuttings of the fame kind, and preferve 

 them _ till fpring, as you were before direaed, and plant 

 them m the vacant places, that your vineyard'may be full 

 and complete as foon as poffible, fo flaall it grow and flou- 

 rifh the better. 



The fecond fummer you will find more branches flioot- 

 ing from the heads of your vines, than did the firft fum- 

 mer; and here the ikill of a Vigneron is neceffary for form- 

 '"" the head of a vine in the beft manne-r. Let the 



ing 



fhoots grow, till they are ten or twelve inches long, then 

 choofe eight, that arc fliort jointed and much of a fize, 

 that grow on all fides of the vine, and with your finger 

 ftrike off all the reft. If any one branch among the whole 

 number, appears much more thrifty than the reft, you may 

 perhaps be tempted tofave it; but let not your eye fpare 

 it. It will only prove a thief and a robber. It will draw 

 to itfelf the chief nourifliment of the vine, and ftarve the 

 reft of the branches, and after all will bear but little fruit. 

 The fliort jointed branches, prove the beft bearers, and 

 thefe ftanding on all fides of the head, preferve the vine 



in full ftrcngth and vigor. .For this reafon the rounder 

 the head of the vine is formed, the better. If the branches 

 be fuff'ered to grow from one fide of the head, the other 

 fide fullers greatly, and is apt to perilh. 



This year there fliould be two ftakes to a vine, one on 

 each fide, to faften the branches to, by this means they are 

 fpread at a diftance from each other, and grow the ftrono-- 

 erand better; the Sun, air, and winds come to every pari- 

 the wood ripens well, and the buds fill^ and they are the 

 better prepared to become fruitful in due lime. Whereas, 

 vvhen they arc huddled altogether, and faftencd up to one 



ftake 



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