210 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[July 4. 
| vine, at one eye or point beyond the fruit; and where j 
the spur system is practised, to stop those shoots which 
i may not show fruit at a similar length ; as, if allowed 
' to grow longer, their shade would injuriously affect the 
others. As a general rule, this cannot he bettered, 
j When vines are weak, however, it is advisable to allow 
! the shoots to grow a few joints farther, if there is room, 
in order to promote a more vigorous root action—the 
! profusion of roots, and the extension of branches, or 
I the increasing the number or the size of leaves, ever 
! acting as relative and correlative to each other. Hence 
it is also advisable, in such cases, not to cut off part of 
a shoot, but in due time merely to nip out its terminal 
hud, as thus less of a check will be given to the system. 
When the shoot thus nipped is found too long for the 
space, it may be gradually shortened, when the first- 
formed leaves have so increased in size, or the laterals 
left are so numerous, that the reciprocal action between 
the roots and top may he maintained without any great 
check to the system, though a joint or two at the end of 
the shoot he removed. In very vigorous vines, where 
from the size of their leaves much more space is requisite 
for their full expansion to light, the hearing shoots may 
he stopped one inch or so beyond the bunch, taking 
care, however, to give full exposure and justice to the 
leaf situated close to the hunch, as then it will he suffi¬ 
cient to maintain a requisite flow of nutriment to it. 
When it is desirable to strengthen the base end of a 
young vine, the terminal hud may he nipped out with 
advantage when the shoot is from three to six feet in 
length. This will cause the free protrusion of laterals, 
which, according to the room, must again he nipped at 
the first, second, or third joint. The development of 
the secondary or lateral shoots will strengthen the main 
stem, and increase the size of the buds in the axils of 
tho leaves, upon the same principle, that the more nu¬ 
merous and extended the branches and leaves of a tree, 
the more bulky will be its timber. In this case, how¬ 
ever, a compromise must he made in the early part of 
autumn between mere growth and fruitfulness, by re¬ 
moving these laterals by degrees, and leaving only the 
primary leaf at each joint, so that the juices may he 
more perfectly elaborated; otherwise the buds, though 
strong, will he apt to he pointed instead of being round, 
and more productive, in a following season, of wood 
than of hunches. In thus nipping out tho terminal 
bud of a young shoot, to increase its strength at its 
base, some of tho buds near the point will start into 
growth, and of these the strongest must he selected as 
the leader. This fresh-formed part will not he so strong 
as if no stopping had taken place; hut that is a matter 
of less moment, as in a young vine that part will be cut 
away in the winter pruning; while, as we have seen, 
| additional strength and vigour will have been transferred 
j to the base of the rod, where it is most required. With¬ 
out something of this kind being done, it often happens 
i that the strongest wood, and the best swelled buds, are 
! situated on the extreme ends of the shoots which arc 
pruned away during winter, without being of any other 
advantage than swelling the contents of the rubbish or 
charring heap. 
This stopping and pruning must be regulated in 
accordance with tho system of culture, as respects the 
plants being treated upon tho long rod, and the suc- 
, cession rod, or what is termed the spurring system; 
booauso all tho shoots produced and retained during 
j summer upon established vines—and all, with tho ex- 
; coption of tho leading shoot in young vines—are cut 
, down in winter to one or more buds. In either of the 
first cases, unless where there is plenty of room, laterals 
need not be allowed to remain upon the stopped fruitful 
I shoots; and towards autumn they may be deprived of 
j all the buds in the axils of their leaves, as they will be 
, cut away altogether in winter, and, in fact, any time as 
soon as fruit is removed; while laterals should be en¬ 
couraged upon the main shoots, for producing in the 
following season, gradually removing them in the autumn, 
and even disbudding the points of the shoots, for reasons 
already given. 
On the other hand, when tho spur-system is followed, 
and it is the best of all for a greenhouse, because involv¬ 
ing least shade, laterals should be encouraged, but 
chiefly at the base of the young bearing shoots—those 
nearest the end next the fruit being first removed ; and 
then in autumn, when there is no danger of starting the 
smaller-looking buds at the base, those from the point 
downwards may be picked out, leaving the leaves un¬ 
touched, and thus a greater proportion of organisablo 
matter will be lodged in the buds and wood ultimately 
left, than otherwise would have fallen to their share. 
Under such treatment, winter pruning may be effected 
shortly after cutting the fruit, or as soon as the leaves 
turn yellow. 
Under such a disbudding, encouraging, and removing 
lateral system, vigour and fruitfulness are alike encou¬ 
raged. Under such management, other circumstances 
being favourable, so great is the quantity of organisable 
matter stored up in the main stem, that fruit wiU show 
from whatever part shoots are produced; so that even 
spur pruning is dispensed with ; some first-rate cultiva¬ 
tors, at the winter pruning, cutting off all close to tho 
main stem. From such cut parts, buds that were latent 
are developed during the increased temperature of spring; 
from these one or two are selected, and the others rubbed 
off, and when these have fruited they arc cut clean off in 
a similar manner. Let not young beginners, however, 
try such a system without clearly seeing through it in 
all its bearings. Several have already binned their 
fingers by recklessly adopting it; and the chief cause 
of failure arose from leaving part of a young shoot upon 
the end of the main one, from which all the young 
shoots had been closely cut off'. As the sap would flow 
more copiously into its natural prepared channels than 
into those which required to be aroused from inertness, 
the consequence was, that the buds on the shoot left 
broke and grew with unusual strength, while no stop¬ 
ping or doctoring afterwards could tempt the juices to 
find an exit by the latent undeveloped buds. Those, 
therefore, who, seeking the pleasure of excitement in 
something new, would try the smooth whip-handle system 
of pruning, had better sec that not one truly developed 
bud was allowed to remain. 
Thinning the Fruit .—This should be done early, as 
soon as the berries are the size of half-grown green peas. 
The sooner they are cut out, the better will it be for 
those that are left. The thinning should be regulated 
by tho average size that the berries of tho respected 
kinds arrive at. At this season, and especially in a 
greenhouse, something more shoidd be done, as, if left 
thick and firm in the bunch, the berries are apt to 
mould with damp in autumn. While close bunches, 
therefore, may be a desideratum for the early part of tho 
season, they should hang looser in the autumn, so that 
the air may percolate freely through them. In thinning, 
cut out the centre berries, leaving the outsides; use 
sharp pointed scissors, and a hooked stick for holding 
the bunch, that you may have no necessity for touching 
it with the hand. 
Air and Temperature .—During tho summer and be¬ 
ginning of autumn the temperature of our climate will 
be sufficient under glass, with plenty of air during the 
day, shutting it off as the cold nights of autumn arrive. 
In cold weather in September, a little fire will be more 
effectual for ripening the wood than half a dozen such 
fires in the end of October; but then a portion oi air 
should bo admitted all night. This is always a safe 
course to follow, as, if shut up, and the sun strikes upon 
the house before opened, tho berries are frequently dis- 
