440 THE VINEYARD. [Julv 
any of the branches of their leaves, as some unskilful persons too 
often practise; for 'hese are absolutely necessary to the growth and 
protection of the fruit: the small side shoots growing on the main 
branches from the axillas of the leaves, should, if time permits, be 
nipped off as they are produced, which will tend considerably to 
strengthen the principal shoots. 
When the vines are suffered, for some time, to hang loose and 
trail about upon the ground, all their leaves grow upward; which, 
on the shoots being afterwards bound in an upright position to the 
stakes, are turned upside down; and until these leaves resume their 
natural position, which they are commonly eight or ten days in ef- 
fecting., the fruit is at a stand, and consequently, loses the advan- 
tage of that length of time, in the principal season of its growth. 
The ground should be kept constantly free from weeds, either by 
means of the plough and harrow, or by hoe; for where there are 
other plants suffered to grow, they not only rob the roots of the 
vines of their nourishment, but also by perspiring, cause a damp in 
the air, and prevent the sun and wind from exhaling and carrying 
away the vapours arising from the earth, whereby the fruit would 
be filled with crude nourishment and rendered of much less value 
for making good wine, as well as unpalatable. 
Towards the latter end of the month, the extremities of the fruit- 
bearing shoots may be nipped off, to check the too great luxuriancy 
of their growth, and to afford the bunches of grapes a greater por- 
tion of nourishment; but this ought not to be done too close to the 
fruit, as it would check the free ascent of the juices into those 
branches, by depriving them of the means of discharging such a 
portion thereof as is not convertible into wood or fruit: and more- 
over, though the fruit might by this means, be swelled to a greater 
size, it would be more replete with watery particles, and less with 
that refined saccharine juice, so pleasing to the palate, and so neces- 
sary for the making of good wine. 
Such shoots as are intended to be cut down in the pruning season, 
for next year's fruiting^ are by no means to be topped, but should 
be suffered to grow at full length, taking care to keep them con- 
stantly divested of any side-branches, which ought always to be 
rubbed off as they appear. Were those to be topped at this season, 
it would force out at an untimely period, many of the flower-buds 
■which nature had designed for the ensuing year, and consequently, 
at that time, render the vines barren and unproductive. 
