Other Operations. 201 



nipped ofF in preference to all others. While remov- 

 ing these leaves their stalks are left attached to the 

 shoots, that the bud at that point may suffer less* This 

 thinning has another effect, not less important, namely, 

 that the maturity of the young wood is more complete, 

 and has a great influence on the abundance of product 

 for the next year. 



[In this country no sane man would ever attempt to defoli- 

 ate his vines the second time. The high sanction of author- 

 ity, and European usage, might possibly induce an intelligent 

 American vine-dresser — even one who had some knowledge 

 of vegetable physiology — to experiment upon the effect of 

 removing the leaves from his grape-vines, but the disastrous 

 consequences which would be sure to follow such treatment 

 would certainly deter him from ever making another attempt 

 of the kind. Leaves are too important in the vegetable econ- 

 omy for us to sacrifice them, and the effect of their removal, 

 in maturing the young wood, would not be satisfactory, but 

 quite otherwise.J 



Mild, overcast weather, rather moist than dry, should 

 be chosen, in order that the shoots, flowers, or grapes 

 laid bare, may not be suddenly exposed to the heat of 

 the sun. 



The different operations we have just spoken of — the 

 rubbing out and pin,ching of the shoots, thinning of the 

 leaves, etc. — are very rapidly executed by women. — ■ 

 The products of this sort of work — such as the shoots 

 and leaves — compensate, in a great measure, for the ex- 

 pense. The vine-leaves, when dried, afford a very good 

 winter fodder for cows, sheep, goats, and asses. At 

 Mont-Dore, near Lyons, the vine-leaves, slightly fer- 

 mented in cisterns, where they are soaked with a suiE- 



