practical papers—grape growing. 3S1 
dormant buds will push into laterals and thus the hopes for next 
year’s fruit be blasted. 
These are some of the effects of summer pruning, and show 
conclusively that it should never be practiced. Better by far 
adopt the practice of the anti*pruners and take such fruit as unas 
sisted nature gives. 
STOPPING GROWTH. 
Now all the evils of summer pruning are avoided by stopping 
growth in the shoots and laterals while in the succulent state. 
The remedy is not the knife, but the thumb nail. On this sub¬ 
ject, our author says: 
“ When we reflect that the amount of organizable matter which can be fur¬ 
nished by any vine is limited, and also that all rank and succulent growth is 
prejudicial to the production of fruit, we can readily appreciate the advan¬ 
tage of directing the sap to the production of fruit, rather than wood and 
leaves. 
“ By early stopping the shoots, and thus preventing the further production 
of leaves and wood, we render summer pruning unnecessary; no sudden 
check is given to the vines, the sap is fully elaborated as fast as it is supplied, 
and the fruit receiving an extra supply of properly prepared sap, (which 
would otherwise have gone to the production of wood and leaves) is enlarged 
in size and improved in flavor.” 
This process of checking growth should commence the first 
season of planting, by pinching laterals on the first shoot, and be 
continued each year on every shoot grown. When the laterals 
have formed the second leaf they should be pinched back to one 
leaf, and when a new lateral starts from the one thus checked, it 
should also be pinched back in the same manner, and so on 
through the season. 
An able writer and practical grape grower has recently said : 
“ This checking the growth of laterals not only concentrates the strength of 
the plants into the main canes, but it prevents the formation of a large num¬ 
ber of small leaves, which are of no benefit to the plant, and are of themselves 
so feeble that they cannot resist disease like large and strong ones, conse¬ 
quently they are often attacked while others escape.” And again, “It'is a 
fact not to be controverted, that whenever the vine has unripened branches, 
there is also a corresponding number of immature roots, and these are as 
likely to become diseased, if not entirely destroyed during winter, as the un¬ 
ripened branches.” 
