158 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



you do' it. It may be necessar}^ to do this twice during the early part of 

 the first summer. After this no irrigation should be allowed. 



The next point to be considered is pruning and training; and here I 

 should feel great diffidence were I not sure that the plan I shall here 

 recommend, though differing from many others, is the best that can be 

 pursued in order to produce the largest and richest crops of grapes, and 

 at the same time maintain the vine in ahealthy condition ; and I speak 

 from fifteen years practical experience and actual observation in Cali- 

 fornia. 



During the first summer no pruning will bo necessary. At the fall 

 pruning in October, the shoots that have formed during the summer 

 should be cut back to two or three buds each. Be careful to leave the 

 most prominent and well matured buds, in order to insure a good supply 

 of leaves next year, as on that will greatly depend the growth of the 

 roots and vigor of the vine. This will do for the first year, and during 

 the second summer the same course should be followed, allowing every 

 bud and leaf to expand to its utmost, and take nothing away until the 

 fall pruning in October, at which time the vines, if they have done well, 

 will measure from three to four inches round the stem near "the ground. 

 It is now time to prepare the vine to produce fruit-bearing wood, so as 

 eventually to bring it into a bearing condition. The vines should now 

 be cut back to within two or three buds of the stem, and the next spring 

 allow all the buds to grow till some of them are from four to six inches 

 long, then select the two strongest on opposite sides of the stem, if you 

 can. and lengthwise with the rows. Take all the others clean away, 

 and let none others grow through the summer but the two main shoots 

 mentioned above. 



These two shoots should be trained each way, lengthwise with the 

 rows, and any lateral shoots starting out from the joints should be 

 allowed to make one joint, and then pinched off just beyond the first 

 leaf, taking care never to remove or injure a full grown leaf. These 

 main shoots should be so trained as to get as much light and sunshine as 

 possible, in order to mature the wood and fruit bearing buds for next 

 year's crop, and stopped about the tenth of September, so that the first 

 fall frosts may not injure the vine, by freezing the young green wood. 



I suppose scareel}'' any one will read this essay who is not aware 

 that grapes grow only on the wood grown the previous year; care 

 should therefore be taken that enough of this wood is produced, well 

 matured, stout, and strong, with plenty of large, plump, unbroken buds, 

 in order to insure a crop of fruit each succeeding year. The two shoots, 

 managed as above directed, will produce a plenty of both well matured 

 wood and buds. I have had them twenty-five feet long, and measuring 

 for two thirds the distance three fourths of an inch through. At the 

 fall pruning they should he cut back, according to the strength of the 

 vine, to eight or ten buds each, beginning to count with the fourth bud 

 from the stem, and counting outward, reckoning the three buds nearest 

 the stem as not fit to bear fruit. An inch of blank wood should be left 

 outside the outermost bud, to guard the bud from drying up. 



In the spring the buds should be all examined, and thinned out to four 

 or five on each cane, so that each bud is left in the best position possible 

 alone: the cane. A small stake, say an inch square and thirty inches 

 long, should now be placed firmly in the ground, near the out end of 

 each cane. Small tacks driven not quite home, in each stake, four to 

 six inches apart, to keep the strings from sliding down as the cane gets 

 loaded with fruit, will be an advantage. The canes should be tied just 



