Pruning and Training the Vine. 



99 



Fl(i. 13. 



Fig. 14 is a sketch of a vine trained with a view to lay it down with ease. 

 and is apphcable for tender varieties that will not stand exposure during 

 winter in severe climates. 



Fig. 14. 



It requires a good deal of nerve and moral courage for one accustomed to 

 the old method to cut, or see another cut, a vine so severely. They lament 

 the depravitj'' of the man who would countenance such reckless destruction, 

 but they generally get over it and grant complete absolution when the next 

 fruit crop is ripe, und condone the past. In case of short-jointed varieties, 

 like the Jed'erson, I cut the arms to eight or ten buds, removing alternate 

 ones, giving the remaining ones more space. With some varieties, like the 

 Berry, and occasionally in others, the buds persist in growing at right angles 

 with the arms, so that it is sometimes difBcidt to bend the cane needed for 

 the new arm around to its place, they are so rigid, but a little coaxing in 

 damp weather will generally succeed. Sometimes one is found too obsti- 

 nate for the purpose. In such cases I spur it to two buds and take the next 

 one for the arm. The spur will furnish the arm for the following year in its 

 proper place. The upper left hand arm in Fig. 11 shows a case of this kind, 

 the cane wanted for the arm turned the wrong way. It was spur-pruned, 

 and the next cane used as the arm for this season, which will be removed 

 entire at the next pruning, and the cane growing from the base of the spur 

 will furnish the arm for next year. 



Mention has been made of the tendency of the sap and fruit to the top or 

 extremity of the vines. As an illustration showing the value of this feature, 

 and how completely and easily it responds to the wants of man when intel- 

 ligently directed, I will give you an example : 



