1 1 6 Vineyard Culture. 



given side of the stakes ; whether this be north or south, east 

 or west, it is immaterial; but they should all be the same. 

 This systematic order saves time, as it enables us always to 

 look at once to the right place for the young vine, in all our 

 operations among them in the vineyard, and thus we may 

 often avoid injuring them with the hoe, or other implement, 

 we may be using. So, also, in plowing across the rows, as 

 we sometimes wish to do, while vines are young, we may 

 know where to hold the plow or cultivator shallow, so as to 

 avoid disturbing the main roots of the vine, which might 

 otherwise be ruined by the plowshare cutting them oiF, or 

 tearing them away, as has often occurred with careless work- 

 men.] 



VII. 



PRUNING THE VINE. 



^^BjECT OF THE OPERATION. — If, after being plant- 

 ed, the development of the vine were left to 

 itself, the long, spreading' shoots would creep over the 

 surface of the ground, which it would soon cover, in 

 tangled confusion. The tillage of the soil would be- 

 come impossible, and the branches, deprived of the sun, 

 and in contact with the ground, would rot, and yield 

 very poor fruit. 



Besides, the fruit-bearing shoots, springing all the 

 time from the young wood, and thus becoming more 

 and more removed from the parent stock, would be- 

 come less and less vigorous, and would soon end by 

 producing nothing but poor and mean bunches. 



The pruning of the vineyard must have, for its ob- 

 ject, the giving of such a shape to the vines as will 



