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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Nov. 



Vines on the open walls, in favorable situations, are no un- 

 important part of the produce of tlie fruit-garden ; and, in 

 situations where the fruit does not quite ripen in ordinary sea- 

 sons, it is, in its unripe state, of some consequence to the 

 owner, not only for the use of the kitchen, but also for the 

 more important purpose of wine-making. 



Vines, under such circumstances, may be trained and pruned 

 in a variety of forms, and fancy may here be more indulged 

 than with such as are in the vinery. As this plant, like some 

 others, produces its fruit on young shoots arising from the 

 wood of the preceding season, it therefore becomes necessary 

 that, that description of wood should be encouraged and equally 

 distributed over the whole tree ; and as the vine is apt to be- 

 come naked, or thin of such wood towards the bottom, parti- 

 cularly under bad management, it is the more necessary to 

 point out the necessity of counteracting that habit by a judi- 

 cious use of the pruning-knife. However advantageous it 

 may be in the management of vines under glass, to retain the 

 shoots at some length, often of several feet, it is obvious that 

 the same principle is not applicable to those in the open air. 

 The practice of those, who cultivate vineyards for the purpose 

 of wine-making, teaches us that cutting them short is advan- 

 tageous, even in good climates ; it is therefore more so with 

 us in our less congenial one ; and the success of those, who 

 with us have carried this branch of horticulture to any extent, 

 bears us out in the assertion. \'ines in the open air break 

 more regularly than when forced ; therefore there can be no 

 want of fruitful shoots, should the wood of the present year 

 be shortened in at this time, to two, or often, where the buds 

 are strong, to one eye. However, the eye nearest to the old 

 wood is often weak, and less likely to produce a fruitful shoot. 

 Our practice, in such cases, has been to rub off the eye nearest 

 to the old wood, when weak, and to depend upon the next two 

 for our supply. Where neatness is attended to in the minu- 

 tiae, this practice we own will in time make the spurs more 

 bulky, but the extent of the crop will be proportionably great. 

 As the finest flavored grapes are supposed to be produced at 

 the extremities of the branches, or on those that are fliithest 

 from the root, it consequently follows that a mode of training 



