OF THE VINE. 



In November, and the beginning of December, 

 the leaves of the Vines change from green to 

 beautiful variegated colours, and soon after fall 

 off. 



The time when the leaves of the Vine begin to 

 fall, is the best season for pruning. In the hot- 

 house, this will generally be in the month of De- 

 cember. In the first season of pruning, supposing 

 the Vines to have grown with an exactly equal 

 degree of vigour, it will be proper to prune the 

 shoots at every other rafter down to three, four* 

 or five eyes, and the other to about twenty-one or 

 twenty-two feet. Here I wish to be understood, 

 that the above mode of pruning is only to be used 

 when Vines have grown remarkably strong the 

 preceding summer ; for when Vines have grown 

 only moderately strong, the shoots should be 

 pruned down to about half the above length, viz. 

 eleven feet. 



The intent in this alternate difference in pruning 

 is, that^ the former should make fine wood for the 

 succeeding season, and that the latter should pro- 

 duce a crop of fruit, (after which, . these fruit* 

 bearing shoots must all be cut down nearly to the 

 bottom of the rafters) j but when any of the Vine* 

 plants appear weak, and have not made shoots 

 more than eight, ten, or twelve feet long, it will 

 be proper to prune every such shoot down to two, 

 three, or four eyes, without having regard to the 

 aforesaid direction of furnishing every other rafter 

 with a fruit-bearing shoot. 



