66 THE tiite-dbessbr's manual. 



that the practice -was adopted, because it accidentally 

 proved successful from some local cause ; and I can 

 ■well imagine peculiar circumstances under which the 

 practice may be right ; but, as a general rule, I would 

 warn against it. I have taken up many grapevines, 

 from five to ten years old, and I can say, from practical 

 experience, that those vines were thriftiest upon whose 

 "stem" not only the "foot-roots," but also the "side- 

 roots," were in good condition ; and this is almost cer- 

 tain to be the case if the ground has been spaded up 

 and turned over deep enough. 



In " trimming " grapevines, due regard must he 

 had to the species of the grapevine — the soil — the 

 exposure — the age — the strength — ^the fertility of the 

 soil— and last, though not least, the possible injuries 

 likely to happen to a vine, from storms or accidental 

 mistakes of the vintner himself. In this labor Frank- 

 lin's motto should be ever present : " "What is fit to be 

 done at all, is fit to be well done." Great care and nice 

 judgment are requisite, and no bungler has any business 

 in a vineyard. 



The object of trimming is to remove all superfluous 

 wood, and thereby strengthen the vine, so as to render 

 it long-lived, and capable of bearing and ripening the 

 proper quantity of grapes. 



Vines which have a tendency to generate much wood, 

 as all American vines have, should be " loaded" heavy; 



