streiigtii 01 the stem, ao that the sap may be drawn m that chrectiou; 

 and the next year's harvest not suffer entirely in consequence of 

 the want of good wood. 



As may be seen from the above suppositions, the regulation of this 

 process is of serious importance ; it depends on the localities, on the 

 degree of richness in the soil, of the present and previous state of 

 the atmosphere ; so also, the period at which it must be done. 



As a general rule — the vine-dresser, before he begins to clip, and 

 crush away useless buds, must wait until the fruit is formed ; it must 

 be done in fine weather, when the sun has well dried the ground and 

 rendered it firm, so that the trampling and beating down of the feet 

 around the plants need not have as serious effects as if the earth were 

 moist or miry. To wait until the Vine is in blossom exposes it to 

 blighting. By leaving too many shoots for wood, that is sterile shoots, 

 the fruit-bearing branches are deprived of the necessary ahment ; and by 

 leaving too many fruit-bearers, the stock is exhausted, and several 

 bad seasons are the consequence. 



No clipping should be performed without the aid of the pruning- 

 knife ; by breaking off large shoots, already grown woody, large 

 wounds and rents are apt to made in the main-stems, which are hard 

 to be healed, and lead sooner or later to untimely decay. 



