THE GRAPE. 



113 



those that remain are not well colored nor well fla- 

 vored ; this is the effect of the absence of sun and 

 air. 



The regular process of summer pruning the grape 

 vine is to commence early in the spring, as soon as 

 the young shoots are grown three or four inches in 

 length. The first thing to be done is to take off all 

 the weakly shoots where two or three are growing 

 together in clusters, leaving but one, the most healthy 

 and vigorous. (This is termed finger-pruning.) 

 The next operation is the stopping the wood, which 

 is performed by nipping it off between the finger 

 and thumb two joints above the bunches of grapes, 

 which are at this time to be seen in all parts of the 

 vine : but care must be taken to leave strong, healthy 

 shoots in a regular manner in every part of the vine, 

 for young bearing wood for the next year without 

 stopping. These shoots should be left about eighteen 

 inches apart in every part of the vine. In this oper- 

 ation the shoots should be regulated at their proper 

 distances and neatly tied with bass matting or strings, 

 and the young wood and bunches of fruit should be as 

 much as possible so placed as to have free access 

 to sun and a r. 



When the young wood is properly regulated at 

 equal distances, so that every part enjoys the sun and 

 air, the after management is to take away all dead, 

 decayed leaves, and keep the vine in every respect 

 in a clean and healthy state. The lateral shoots 

 should also be broken or nipped off at different 

 times, that the vine may not be weakened by them. 

 Lateral shoots are those w T hich grow from the eyes 

 of the young w T ood, and are of no use to the vine 

 either at this time of growth or the next year's 

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