^48 ^HE VINEYARD. [Feb. 
The three years old plants must be headed down, to two good 
buds, leaving not more than two shoots to each plant, which 
•will produce four for the ensuing season; and these, if the plants be 
in good health, will yield fruit very handsomely that year. 
The fourth year of a plant, leave it three of the best shoots, head- 
ing them down to two good buds each; and observe to cut off the 
extra branches close to where they were produced, and in like man- 
ner any decayed wood, as well as the spurs or stumps occasioned by 
last year's pruning: by which treatment, all the parts will get co- 
vered with bark, and the stock be continued in health and vigour. 
According as your vines increase in age and strength, you may 
leave from four to eight shoots on a plant, in proportion to its strength, 
each headed down from two to four or five good buds, always leav- 
ing the greatest number of buds on the most vigorous shoots. 
When a vine is extremely vigorous, and well furnished, you may 
head one or two of its best shoots, at the height of three or four 
feet, which will bear an abundance of fruit; but the others must be 
headed down to two or three buds each, in order that they may pro- 
duce good wood for the ensuing years bearing, and not too many 
fruit; for, those which you headed so high, must be effectually cut 
out close to where they were produced in the next pruning. 
Having finished your pruning, see that each plant has a good firm 
stake, to support the young shoots when produced and advancing in 
growth, and if ifcbe vigorous and of many shoots, a second, or even 
a third, would be more eligible. 
Some inconsiderate persons may think, that eight are too few for 
a full grown vine; but if they consider that the eight shoots so 
pruned, may produce on an average twenty-four, and each of these 
bear three bunches of grapes, making in all sixty-two, they will 
probably view the matter in a different point, especially, when they 
consider that the ground occupied by this plant, is no more than 
about six feet square. However fond people may be to see their 
vines bear great quantities of fruit, the overbearing of them, espe- 
cially while young, and indeed at any period, is allowed on all hands 
to injure them materially. 
You are particularly to observe, that the young shoots of last 
summer's growth, are the only bearing wood; that is, they produce 
new shoots which bear fruit the same season: therefore, if you 
expect a regular supply of grafpes, you must manage your plants so 
as to have an annual succession of new wood, which you cannot ex- 
pect, if the vines are suffered to overbear. 
The above being the method of managing vines in vineyards, the 
heads being formed near the ground, which is the present practice 
in most of the vine countries; I shall now proceed to give some di- 
rections form the pruning of such as are trained against walls, trel- 
lises or espaliers. 
Pruning of Viyies against Walls, Trellises and Espaliers. 
In order to have well formed espaliers and wall-vines, 8cc. you 
must train the two first good shoots produced by the plant, horizon- 
