HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 369 



one or two leaves beyond the fruit ; all lateral growths are also removed on 

 their first appearance. Growth is thus prevented from extending, and the 

 sap is consequently concentrated into the short branch and fruit. The 

 leading shoot is also stopped in its longitudinal growth to give more vigor to 

 the side branches. It will be seen that this continued pruning during 

 growth, will check the progress of the roots, and although it is the most 

 popular method of treating the foreign grape under glass, and if otherwise 

 well managed will insure heavy crops, I am convinced from extended^ obser- 

 vation of the practice, that, after a few years, the plants gradually decline 

 and do not burst into growth with their former vigor. This method is not 

 at all suited for our native sorts. 



Alternate spurring is an improvement upon the foregoing, and for amateurs 

 who wish to cultivate a variety of foreign grapes in one small house, or 

 where the grapery also serves the purpose of a greenhouse, I consider it 

 the best method that can be adopted. 



In pruning on the short spur plan, the shoots are cut down to one eye or 

 bud, thus sacrificing larger and better developed buds nearer the extremity 

 of the branch. To remedy this, and at the same time secure to the fruit 

 all the advantages of close pruning, as well as encourage the formation 

 and extension of roots by retaining a greater amount of foliage, led to the 

 practice of selecting the most prominent bud on the branch and pruning to 

 it, without reference to its distance from the main stem, at the same time 

 all other buds are cut out except the lowest. Supposing the branch has twelve 

 buds, and the sixth (from the main stem) appears most promising, the 

 branch is cut to within half an inch of it. It and the first bud are undis- 

 turbed, the immediate four buds are cut clean out tft prevent them growing. 

 When growth commences, these two buds will form two shoots, whose future 

 treatment is quite distinct. The extreme bud produces the present crop, while 

 the lower bud forms a shoot to bear the next year's produce : if any fruit 

 appear, it should be promptly removed. The summer management of these 

 shoots, is simple. The bearing branch should have its point pinched out 

 two or three leaves beyond the bunch of fruit, and all subsequent efforts 

 of growth quickly checked. The lower, or non-bearing branch, on the con- 

 trary, should not be disturbed until after midsummer, when the extreme 

 point should be pinched off. When the fruit is cut, the branch that pro- 

 duced it should be cut clean off. The shoots for future bearing will now 

 ripen thoroughly, and in winter pruning, undergo the same treatment as 

 their predecessors — pruned down to the best bud, all others being removed 

 except the lowermost, as before. 

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