124 Vineyard Culture. 



require a pretty large frame in order to bear largely — 

 such are the " Panses," and most of the varieties of the 

 South. If too much confined they produce a very large 

 number of shoots, and leaves of prodigious size, but 

 scarcely any fruit. Other varieties must be much more 

 reduced in size, as they w^ill soon be exhausted j such 

 are the " Piriots," and many of the varieties of north- 

 ern regions. The size of the frame, therefore, must 

 be in proportion to the vigor of the plant. 



[These postulates of our author should be gladly received 

 by the American reader, who will find great advantage from 

 their application, as fimdamental principles, in the treatment 

 of some of our vigorous growers that are also unproductive in 

 fruit, as is often the case with the Diana, Union Village, and 

 some others, but especially with the Taylor ; by a proper 

 mode of pruning, adaptfed to the extreme vigor of these va- 

 rieties, there is no doubt their productiveness might be won- 

 derfully increased. Thus I have seen a combination of long 

 training, and vigorous summer pruning, attended with an 

 enormous crop of grapes, upon some vines of"lhe Taylor and 

 Oporto, and the bunches were unusually large.] 



Might of the Plants abm>e Ground. — Experience has 

 shown, in all vine regions, that the nearer the grapes 

 are to the ground, without touching it, the earlier and 

 more perfectly do they ripen their fruit. This is owing 

 to the reflection of the sun's rays, which, striking the 

 soil, are thrown back upon the surrounding objects ; 

 moreover, the soil having been warmed during the day, 

 throws off this heat during the night, radiating caloric 

 for the benefit of the nearest objects. From this, we 

 must conclude that the further we are removed from 

 the South, the nearer the ground should our plants be. 



