ol8 ON PRUNING. 
of August, or earlier if they are to the desired height. Iu 
November of the third summer's growth, you may now prune 
for fruit as above stated. Your horizontal branches will have 
fully matured four luxuriant upright shoots. Cut two of 
these alternately within one eye of the horizontal shoot, 
which will produce wood to be fruited the following year, and 
lay in the other two, in a serpentine form for fruit, to about 
three feet in length. The vine has now assumed the form 
in which it is permanently to remain, and it may be con- 
sidered as the foundation of a system of alternately fruiting 
four shoots, and training four out their full length every year, 
which method may be continued every year without any 
alteration. After several years, if it is thought proper, the 
arms may be lengthened by the training in of a shoot at 
their extremities, and managing it in the same manner as 
when the arms were first formed; but it is not advisable that 
the branches should be far extended, which would ultimately 
prove injurious to those branches arising from the bosom of 
the vine. This system of pruning and training the vine we 
do not advocate as something new or original, but one which 
we have seen in full and successful practice twenty years ago. 
By procuring well-grown plants in pots, one year may be 
gained on the above calculation ; for you can prune, and at 
once take two shoots to prepare for laying the foundation of 
3 7 our future plant; but more than this cannot be accomplished. 
We are aware that many of our readers are already startled 
at this tedious method of fruiting vines, and have almost con- 
cluded to have fruit the first year or none. Such are too 
frequently the conclusions of many; but, as sure as they 
practise it, they as invariably meet with a failure, and that 
in a very few years. The practise of training vines to get 
them up to the top of arbours, etc., cannot be done with fine 
vines without risk. As we have already said, it may and will 
do with our native kinds, but no other. The general system 
of spur-pruning has many advantages in in-door culture, but 
does not at all agree with growing grapes in the open air. 
Our limits do not admit of giving in detail our reasons for so 
saying, but those who doubt may go on in the old way, giving 
the system herein advised a trial with one plant only, and we 
guarantee that in less than five years their old vines arc 
luadcd clown to the stump, to begin on a system that yearly 
renews itself, and can be perpetuated for ages on the same 
