THE GRAPE. 



127 



Art. 3. — Second Year's Management. 



Pruning the Vines. — The vines should be pruned 

 in January or February, more or less, according to 

 their structure ; but the grape makes such luxuriant 

 wood in this country, that I have known fine crops 

 of grapes taken from the second year's growth. 

 However, it is a system which I cannot recommend, 

 nor, indeed, for any fruit trees or vines that are to 

 acquire a large growth. If the habit is strong when 

 young, it will be sure to be weakened in time. But 

 I would not advise, in any case, for nature to be im- 

 peded, by any process, to hasten fruiting ; which 

 will always, in a measure, retard the future growth 

 and luxuriance of trees, vines, &c. Therefore, the 

 method that I would recommend is, to shorten the 

 vines to two eyes at the end of the rafter at the front 

 of the house, in order to take one or two canes up 

 the second year, and the vines may be treated in 

 every way as in the first year of their management. 



Art. 4. — Forcing the Grape. 



Pruning the Vines. — The first consideration in 

 grape-forcing is in pruning the vines, which may be 

 performed any time in the month of January or the 

 beginning of February. The methods, as before 

 stated, are various. The most simple and generally 

 adopted in this country with the greatest success, is 

 that which is recommended in art. 5, chap. v. 



Forcing the House.— Supposing the pruning to 

 be performed, and the house to be begun, the latter 

 end of February, or the beginning of March, — begin 

 by first merely warming the flues at night, and giv- 



