By Mr. John Robertson. 383 



prolonged, in proportion to the degree in which it is inflicted, 

 on which account, until the Grapes are well set, it should 

 be done gradually. 



The collateral shoots which break near the eyes or on the 

 young wood, should be carefully suppressed, and the tendrils 

 pinched off while young, but never torn away, as that might 

 cause a serious injury to the shoot. 



Pinching or Stopping the Young Wood. 



Stopping the young shoots by pinching off their tops at 

 certain periods of their growth is useful to fruit trees in general, 

 but especially to the Vine. The Vignerons of Thomery 

 practise it with much intelligence and success. It has the 

 effect of momentarily suspending the flow of sap in these 

 shoots, and by that means it accelerates their maturity, and 

 renders them more ligneous. It promotes the growth of the 

 eyes, and is indispensable for the purpose of filling the lower 

 eyes of the spurs on which cultivators rely for next year's 

 crop ; pinching or stopping the wood either prematurely 

 or tardily is alike productive of bad consequences. At 

 Thomery, the young wood is pinched after the bloom is 

 set, as soon as it reaches the cordon next above it, that is 

 at about the eighth or ninth eye ; weak shoots are pinched 

 sooner in proportion to their strength, but none are per- 

 mitted on any account to push beyond the cordon. Should 

 it appear that the shoots of the extremities impoverish those 

 of the centre, the former are pinched repeatedly until the 

 equilibrium is restored. 



When the Vignerons of Thomery, before the adoption of 

 the present system, during a period of thirty years, made 



