MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, kc. 81 



therefore never leave any but fine strong wood, always cutting 

 at the second, third, or fourth eye ; remembering to rub the 

 lowest bud off, and that which comes out at the joint between 

 the new and last year's wood. By these means you will get as 

 much fruit from these short shoots as you would have by the 

 common way of pruning. You must always observe to leave 

 two or three of the strongest shoots for next year's bearing 

 wood, and never top them. If you have not room to train 

 them, you may lead them over the tops of the other trees, if 

 the vines are planted against pears; or you may run them be- 

 hind the standards, if there be any, which is generally the case 

 when the walls are high ; thus you will cover all the wall, which 

 will have a very beautiful appearance when the fruit is ripe, 

 besides furnishing a plentiful supply of fine grapes for the table. 

 You may run the shoots over the top of the wall on the other 

 side, provided the walls are low^. I also train them over the 

 tops of trees on each side ; which never does any harm to the 

 trees below, provided you keep them nailed to the wall. I have 

 also planted vines between trees on North and East aspects, 

 and trained them over the tops of the South and West walls to 

 fill the upper parts, till the peaches and nectarines cover them. 

 I then cut away part of the vines, leaving only as many shoots 

 as I may think necessary. 



Two years ago I removed some old apricots that covered 

 a wall about one hundred and sixty-five feet long, and planted 

 them agaipst a new wall, leaving five vines that were planted 

 against the piers. These five plants have, in the course of 

 two years, covered the above wall from top to bottom, and 

 bear plenty of fine grapes every year. I also moved an old 

 vine on a wall near to the above, and cut it in pretty close ; it 

 has in three years spread twenty-six yards, and bears very fine 

 fruit. 



Against one of the piers had been planted a Black Ham- 

 burgh Grape, and at the other side of the same pier was planted 

 a Muscadine, at the distance of about two feet from each other; 

 I pruned them both according to my method, and the second 

 year after, they produced one thousand one hundred bunches 

 of fine grapes. 



* I saw an instance of this in Kensington Gardens, where the vines hav- 

 ing filled the side of the walls, on whic^i they were planted, had been trained, 

 in the manner above descril)ed, over the other side of the wall, whence the 

 fruit was hanging down in great absndance; and I understand it ripened very 

 well, though to East and West aspects. In America grapes will ripen in al- 

 most any aspect, provided the stem of tlie vine has an aspect towards and 

 point between South East and South West. 



