ON PRUNING. 



317 



well about the roots, whieli will encourage the plant to put 

 forth new roots for its farther support. Transplanting should 

 always be done in dry and mild weather, and when the soil 

 is mellow and free. During the removal the roots must be 

 carefully kept from exposure ; the atmosphere would dry up 

 their tender extremities, and cause much injury; and, when 

 vines are brought from a distance, this precaution ought to 

 be carefully put in practice. Its first season's growth should 

 be confined to one stem only, carefully cutting off all lateral 

 shoots within one ^ye of the main shoot, as directed on the 

 subject of propagation. 



ON PRUNING. 



The first year's growth of a transplanted vine should, in 

 November, be cut down within four inches of the ground, and, 

 on the appearance, cover the plant with about three inches of 

 stable litter, allowing it to remain in this state till the middle 

 of March. The plant will now push strongly, and two of the 

 best shoots should be trained their full length during summer, 

 carefully nipping off tendrils and laterals, and, at all times, 

 securing the shoots from the effects of high winds. If walls 

 are used for training, there should be slats fixed about one 

 inch from the wall to tie the shoots thereto, using soft mate- 

 rial for the purpose of tying : if the vines should show fruit, 

 cut it off. 



Having the previous season retained two well-grown shoots 

 from near the surface of the ground, you will now, in Novem- 

 ber, tie these in a horizontal position, about six or eight 

 inches above the surface, cutting them at nearly two feet dis- 

 tance from the main stem. In the following month, February, 

 when the weather is mild, displace every alternate bud, ob- 

 serving that it is those on the under side of the shoot. If 

 everything has been attended to in soil, planting, and pruning 

 that we have advanced, there may be expected to arise four 

 shoots from each of these horizontal branches, which, if any 

 show fruit, it must be cut off : these young shoots must be 

 trained upright during summer, being careful to displace every 

 other as they appear. Some approve of training these young 

 upright shoots in a serpentine form, which, in our opinion at 

 present, is of little consequence ; but top them about the end 



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