Practical papers—Grape growing. 
379 
SUMMER PRUNING. 
Pruning the vine has from the earliest times been deemed of 
the utmost importance to insure productiveness and fruit of the 
best quality. Yet there are those who of late years claim that the 
vine should not be pruned, but left to grow and bear fruit as na¬ 
ture shall direct; and there are others who have no thought on the 
subject, but simply neglecting it, leave it to its course. It is not 
difficult to show that all experience is opposed to this absurd 
theory, and that those who advocate it. are not only behind the 
age in which they live, but far back beyond the records of the old 
dead centuries. 
In the fifteenth centurv B. C., the children of Israel were com- 
manded “to prune the vineyard when they should come into the 
promised land,” and “ forbidden to gather the grapes of the vine 
undressed.” Isaiah in the eighth century B. 0., speaks of “ the 
vineyard trodden down ” that “ shall not be pruned.” 
Numa, the successor of Romulus (who lived in the same cen¬ 
tury with the prophet Isaiah), to encourage the pruning of vines, 
“ prohibited the use of any wines in sacrifices to the gods that 
were made from vines which had not been pruned.” The 
gods must have the best, hence we infer that the finest grapes and 
wines could only be had in those early days from pruning the 
vine. These instances might be multiplied indefinitely, but is is 
sufficient to add that the choicest grapes and finest flavored wines 
have always been, and are still produced from the pruned vines, 
and though our anti-pruning advocates may claim a more “ excel¬ 
lent way,” they have failed, and ever must, to show the more ex¬ 
cellent fruits. 
A practical grape grower has lately said that “ The success of 
grape culture in this country depends almost entirely upon a 
general diffusion of practical information relative to pruning and 
training.” 
For pruning there are two seasons. First, that of summer, or 
during the growing season ; second, that of fall or winter, after 
the leaves have fallen. The latter with us is necessarily done in 
the fall, as it has already been shown that we must cover our 
vines for winter. To the former let us give particular attention, 
