76 THE CULTURE OF THE GKAPE. 



house through the night, the roots of your vines, at that 

 season, will be in active work, preparing and gathering 

 food for the following day. 



" As the season advances, your vines will be I'ast ap- 

 proaching maturity ; keep your house less humid tian 

 before. If the weather proves open and warm, you may 

 reduce the manure at the root, taking away the whole as 

 your vine ripens towards the extremity'', as it will have 

 performed its good oflices to your satisfaction ; but you 

 had better leave two or three inches of the shortest dung, 

 or else lay on a few decomposed leaves, as you will per- 

 ceive the heat of the dung will have kept and encour- 

 aged the roots, on and near the surface of the border. 

 By the time the wood has attained a good brown russet 

 color at the extremity, you may prepare them for next 

 year, as they will bear pruning, though the leaves may 

 not drop for weeks, any time without danger. 



" My practice is, to disbud the cane as soon as the 

 wood is ripe. You maj proceed thus : beginning at the 

 bottom of the vine, leaving a bud you think is well 

 placed and on the side of the shoot, then cut clean out 

 the two following, leaving the fourth, taking out the 

 next two, and so on till you reach eight or nine feet in 

 height, as to that length the cane must be cut back ; pro- 

 ceed again at the bottom, disbudding the other side in 

 ijie same manner, so that, in that lengtli, you will be 

 able to leave eight or ten permanent eyes, to form fruit- 

 bearing spurs for the following year, or five on each side. 

 Having cleared your border- of the superfluous manure, 

 which will be the case by the beginning of July, during 

 that month and August I keep my border nearly exposed 



