ready made as much wood as they can mature. In the Middle states
this should be done about the last of July, and at the South a month
earlier. Weak lateral branches, that bear no fruit, may be removed, but
not all of them, for it is on the wood of this year's growth that the
fruit will be found the following season. Old wood does not send out
wood in spring that will bear fruit the same season; that wood will bear
fruit next season if allowed to remain. Whoever observes will notice
that grapes grow on young shoots of the same season; but they are
shoots from wood of the previous year's growth, and not from old wood.
Many suppose if they trim their vines very closely, as the old vines
send forth abundance of new wood, and it is new wood on which the fruit
grows, of course they will have abundance of grapes; and they are
disappointed by a failure. The explanation of the whole is, fruit grows
on new wood, from wood of previous year's growth, and not from old
vines; hence, in lessening a vine, remove old wood. This is the renewal
system, whatever the form of the vine, and is the whole secret of
successful pruning. This accounts for the great success of the Germans
in producing such quantities of grapes on low vines. In their best
vineyards, they do not allow their vines to grow more than six or seven
feet high, and yet they produce abundantly for many years. They so prune
as to have plenty of last year's wood for the production of fruit the
current season; after this has borne fruit, they remove it to make room
for the young wood that will produce the next season. This principle is
applicable to vines of any shape or size you may choose to form. The
removal, in summer, of excessive growth, and shortening the ends of
those you design to retain, throws the strength of the vine into the
fruit, and to perfect the wood already formed. Liberal fall-pruning is
necessary to induce the formation of new wood the next season, for
bearing the following year. Parts that grow late do not mature
sufficiently to bear fruit the next season; hence, cut off the ends in
summer, and let what remains have the benefit of all the sap.

_Reduction of Fruit._--The grape is disposed to excessive bearing, which
weakens the vine, and injures the quality of the fruit. Liberal pruning
in autumn does much to remedy this evil, by not leaving room for an
excessive amount of fruit: hence, when you have a plenty of
fruit-bearing wood, cut off the ends, so as t