it, by taking away
all imperfect bunches, and feeble shoots. We should allow no more wood
to grow than we need for next season's bearing; if we allow three canes
to grow where only two are needed, we waste the energies of the vine,
which should all be concentrated upon ripening its fruit in the most
perfect condition, and producing the necessary wood for next season's
bearing, and that of the best and most vigorous quality, but no more.
If we prune the vine too long, we over-tax its energies; making it bear
more fruit than it can perfect, and the result will be poor,
badly-ripened fruit, and small and imperfect wood. If, on the contrary,
we prune the vine too short, we will have a rank, excessive growth of
wood and leaves, and encourage rot and mildew. Only practice and
experience will teach us the exact medium, and the observing vintner
will soon find out where he has been wrong, better than he can be
taught by a hundred pages of elaborate advice. Different varieties will
require different treatment, and it would be foolishness to suppose
that two varieties so entirely different, as for instance, the Concord
and the Delaware, could be pruned, trained and pinched in the same
manner. The first, being a rank and vigorous grower, with long joints,
will require much longer pruning than the latter, which is a
slow-growing, short-jointed vine. Some varieties, the Taylor for
instance, also the Norton, will fruit better if pruned to spurs on old
wood, than on the young canes; it will therefore be the best policy for
the vintner in pruning these, to retain the old arms or canes, pruning
all the healthy, strong shoots they have to two buds, as long as the
old arms remain healthy; always, however, growing a young cane to fall
back upon, should the old arm become diseased; whereas, the Catawba and
Delaware, being only moderate growers, will flourish and bear best when
pruned short, and to a cane of last season's growth. The Concord and
Herbemont, again, will bear best on the laterals of last season's
growth, and should be trained accordingly. Therefore it is, because
only a few of the common laborers will take the pains to think and
observe closely, that we find among them but few good vine-dressers.

At the end of this season, we find our Concords or Herbemonts, with the
old fruit-bearing cane, and a spur on each side, from which have grown
two canes; one of which was stopped, like all other fruit-bearing
branches, and which we n