254 Account of a Method of Managing Vines, $c. 



The preceding figure represents the plants after being 

 pruned the fourth season, the sides being reversed. 



With this alternation of pruning, the system has been con- 

 tinued to the present time, and may continue as long as it 

 shall be desirable to have the house in bearing. 



I consider it of the utmost importance to the bold break- 

 ing of the buds, and to the strength of the wood, not to force 

 the Vines hard, until the first leaves arrive nearly at their 

 full size. But after that period I give them a much less por- 

 tion of air, suffering the sun to raise the thermometer to 

 90° or 100°, before I give any. There is no danger of draw- 

 ing the wood after that stage of growth, and if the thermo- 

 meter sinks at night to 60°, the vines will do better in a 

 higher temperature in the day. 



During the last four years, I have stopped the bearing 

 branches at the bunch, instead of the next joint above it, 

 which is the usual practice ; for I found that the fruit did 

 equally well, and it divested the branch of an incumbrance, 

 while it allowed a much larger portion of light to come into 

 the house, together with a more free circulation of air among 

 the fruit and young wood. I blind all the eyes on each 

 fruit spur as soon as they push, except the uppermost 

 which I retain, to draw up the sap to nourish the fruit : I 

 never suffer them to push above a joint or two, before I 

 pinch them back, always cautiously retaining an eye. By 

 constant stopping, the eyes soon increase to a large cluster, 

 when I frequently find it expedient to pinch out a great 

 pari of them with my finger nails, unless J see danger of its 

 exciting my next year's fruiting eyes to burst prematurely. 



