894 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



ductiveness. To do it, bend the slioot in a circular form, 

 and fasten the top within three or four inches of the stake, 

 having previously made a tie at the bottom and another 

 at the centre of the bow. From this bow the fruit is to be 

 produced the current year, and the bearing wood of next 

 year from the spur left for this purpose. The next winter 

 this bow is to be cut away, and the bow for another crop 

 is formed from the best branch of the new wood of last 

 year. Keep the old stalk within eighteen inches of the 

 ground. Tie the vines carefully, without breaking them, 

 in damp weather, when the buds are swelling, the last of 

 February or early in March. In the summer, remove 

 suckers, and pinch off lateral shoots, leaving but two for 

 the next year. Pinch off the ends of the bearing branches 

 when they blossom, some three joints beyond the 

 last blossom bunch. Remove no leaves from the bearing 

 wood, but unnecessary lateral shoots may be pinched 

 off when small. The object is to throw the strength of 

 the vine into the fruit and the next year's bearing branches. 



The vineyard should be heavily manured once in two 

 or three years. Wood-ashes and gypsum are good appli'- 

 cations, and- are thought to prevent the rot. The trim- 

 mings of the vines dug in, are found beneficial ; but leaf- 

 mould well rotted, by the addition of lime and ashes, is 

 the best application. . Vines highly manured, and allowed 

 to grow rampant, covering a large space, will produce a 

 weak and worthless wine, and continue in bearing but two 

 or three seasons. 



Where grapes are liable to rot, it is best, for the more 

 desirable kinds of table fruit, to train them to a trellis 

 eight or ten feet high, and protect them by a coping of 

 boards, projecting over one foot on each side of the trellis. 

 This coping protects the plants from the heavy dews and 

 excess of moisture, and seems nearly as efficacious as a 



