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HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL 



vator is exhibited in reducing this rambling habit ; and, 

 by high cultivation and judicious pruning, obtaining 

 fruit of improved quality and most abundant in quan- 

 tity within the radius of a few feet from the stem. 

 To effect this, the greater part of the wood produced 

 each summer is pruned away in the winter, by which 

 the vine is renewed every year on almost the same spot, 

 its vigor is maintained unimpaired, and every branch 

 produces fruit. It is impossible to lay down any rule 

 for pruning vines which will suit 'all alike, as the 

 different sorts vary much in habit, and even individual 

 plants of the same sort will differ in constitutional 

 strength. As among a family of children, some will 

 need encouraging and some repressing : so in the vine- 

 yard, the intelligent pruner will learn to distinguish 

 the individual characteristics of his vines, and modify 

 his pruning to suit them. Mr. Hoare, a standard 

 authority on this subject, after trying many experi- 

 ments, came to the conclusion that the bearing capa- 

 bility of the vine was in proportion to the girth of its 

 stem just above the surface of the ground ; and states 

 that no plant should be allowed to ripen fruit until its 

 stem is three inches in circumference, when it should 

 be limited to five pounds weight- (about ten bunches), 

 which may be increased by a further five pounds for 

 each additional half inch, as the stem grows. It is 

 important to remember that the vine should not be 

 allowed to bear until the second or third year after it 

 is planted out ; and that all the bunches which appear 

 before that time should be carefully removed ; for every 

 pound of grapes, produced under such circumstances, 

 will so overtask the plant as to cause the future loss of 

 from twenty to forty pounds of fruit. 



The young vines when planted should be cut back, 

 leaving only one bud on small plants, and not more 

 than two on the strong ones. The following season the 

 former may be cut down to two eyes, and may then 

 be treated as recommended by Downing, which mode 



