The Harvest—Pruning.

The harvest commences in dry seasons like this about the fifth of August, and continues about a month. Upon the richer land they are later. The reason of their being a month earlier than California I attribute to the climate being milder in the months of April and May, and the nights being warmer throughout the year. It may be that their maturity is hastened by the manner of planting. The crowns of the vines only are level with the surface, the dirt being drawn away from them and hilled up between the rows, leaving the vines in little hollows. The manner of pruning is like ours, by the short spur system, leaving from three to five spurs, which are cut back to one eye. Sometimes, when the vine is quite thrifty, a shoot is left some three feet long, but this is not considered good culture, and when vineyards are let out they have it understood that not more than one eye shall be left.