TITE CULTUBE OF THE GRAPE. 225 



years, the vine would evidently be less and less vigorous, 

 and the new cane would be constantly growing smaller, 

 until the vine would not bear any fruit, when a year of 

 rest would be required to enable it to ripen a crop again. 

 By this system, you can grow very large bunches of fruit ; 

 but, if it is true, that large bunches are not so good as 

 smaller ones, (which I hold to be the fact,) then there is 

 no advantage in this. There is no difiBcmlty in having a 

 great abundance of fruit show itself, under any judicious 

 pruning ; the only fear is, that you will leave more on 

 the vine than can be ripened properly, and this risk is 

 increased by having very large bunches. 



Another plan is, to have one long cane the length re- 

 quired, and to be spur-pruned, as recommended as the 

 best system of pruning, differing from tliat, however, in 

 the cutting of the spur clean out, at the fall pruning, and 

 not at one eye, as there directed. The reason for prefer- 

 ring to cut at one eye is, that, at the base or crown of 

 the spur, are a large number of dormant eyes, which 

 will all, or a great many of them, push when close prun- 

 ing is practised ; and, where there are a great number 

 of vines, the trouble of rubbing out these is considera- 

 ble ; but when one eye on the spur pushes, it will pre- 

 vent these from growing ; and if, at any time, the eye, 

 from injury, does Hbt push, then the dormant eyes will, 

 and you can retain a shoot, and when this system of 

 pruning has been carried out many years, and the spur 

 becomes too long for convenience, or unsightly, then you 



can train one of the shoots that are constantly pushing 

 10* 



