92 



American Horticultural Society. 



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the straight one faster than in the other, because the bending of the latter 

 contracts the sap vessels and impedes its progress. If we cut the erect cane 

 oflf at five feet high the upper buds will make the strongest growth ; whereas, 

 if it was bent down like the other the flow of sap would be checked, and the 



buds along the entire cane would 

 make a more uniform growth. 



The habits and characteristics of 

 vines are so variable and the systems 

 of pruning and training so numer- 

 ous and suscei)tiblo. of so many modi- 

 fications to suit the ideas or whims 

 of the individual that it would be 

 folly to designate any particular one 

 as the best for all, as occasions and 

 circumstances may exist when any 

 one of them would be "more hon- 

 ored in the breach than in the observ- 

 ance." 



I shall therefore content myself 

 Avith noticing a few, including my 

 own practice, and give the reasons 

 for the faith that is in me. 



The pruning of a vine should com- 

 mence before it is planted. In vine- 

 yard practice I set a stout stake 

 where every vine is to be planted, 

 for the purpose of supporting not 

 only the vine but the wires of the 

 trellis also. To add to the durability 

 of these stakes, the bottoms should be 

 coated with coal tar, crude petroleum, 

 or something of like character. 



I plant a vine at each stake, short- 

 ening the roots to about ten or twelve 

 inches, and the top to three or four 

 buds. As these buds start I select 

 the strongest one, rubbing oflT the 

 rest, and keep this one tied to the 

 stake as it grows, and pinch oH' all ii'..:;. 



laterals as they appear to one leaf. By thus concentrating all energies of 

 the young plant (Fig. 2) into one channel I get a single cane of far greater 

 value than all would have been had they been allowed to grow. The next 

 season this cane is cut down to three or four buds, and unless it made a 

 growth of three feet or over only one cane is allowed to grow the second 

 year ; otherwise two are grown and treated as before. Sometimes a vine, 



Fig. : 



