ANNUAL MEETING. 149 



In the above case, however, especially with the more vigorous varieties, the 

 plants may stand eight feet apart in the row, and two canes bo grown from a 

 single root; one trained to occupy the lower hnlf of the trellis, and the other 

 carried u|) to the center wire, and the arms laid in to supply wood for the 

 upper wires of the same. 



Fuller, in his Grape Culturist (from which we have drawn largely iti the 

 foregoing), describes a 



SINGLE OR OBLIQUE ARM SYSTEM, 



Which, with slight modification, and (as we imagine) improvement, we have 

 seen practiced in our State with very satisfactory results. 



Under this system tlip vines (planted at any desired distance in the row) 

 are grown the lirst year with a single upright cane, as heretofore described. 

 At the fall pruning cut this cane back to two buds, from which, the second sea- 

 son, one cane (instead of two, as heretofore) is to be grown. At the fall prun- 

 ing cut this back to within six or eight inches of the nexc vine, measuring from 

 its base to a point on the lower wire directly over tiie next plant, and the third 

 spring lay it down as a single arm, with its top elevated and tied to the lower 

 wire of the trellis. It should be kept as nearly straight as practicable, and, if 

 needful, a strand of trellis wire, or a wooden strip may be used for the purpose. 



The growth and renewal of canes, and the eqnalzation of their vigor by 

 pinching, should be conducted as heretofore described. 



If the growth of the single cane during the second season is not strong 

 enough to warrant leaving it the full length (from plant to plant), it must be 

 cut to such length as its strength sh;ill warrant, laid down and managed as 

 described above, except that the upright grown from its extremity must be 

 encouraged to grow strongly during the season, cut to the requisite length in 

 autumn, and the next spring laid down to complete the hitherto deficient arm. 



The simplicity of this system is greatly in its favor, and in localities in 

 which winter protection is needful, it affords the important advantage that 

 when the autumn pruning has been done, only a single arm with its spurs 

 remains, and that easily covered without the necessity of bending with the 

 consequent danger of breakage. 



FAN TRAINING 



Requires for the first two or three years nearly the same treatment as for train- 

 ing to stakes. The one year plant is cut back, and the next year allowed to 

 produce two canes, each of which in the fall is cut back to two or three eyes, 

 from which two canes are grown the third year. Tliese four canes are cut 

 back the next fall, producing at the close of the fourth year eight canes. This 

 process is continued till the trellis is filled with wood, which is distributed 

 upon it in the form of a fan — whence the name. After the trelhs is fully 

 occupied the fruiting wood is cut away and renewed, in a manner akin to that 

 heretofore described. 



The vineyardists of oui* State, generally, so far as we have had opportunity 

 to observe, practice a system of pruning (if system it can be calleil) somewhat 

 akin to the above, but lacking m.iinly the processes for equalizing the vigor of 

 the canes and developing the fruit, which are prominent feacures of the 

 systems described. Ttie process in question certainly avoids the necessity of 

 adopting and becoming familiar with a system, but we fail to apprehend that 

 even this haphazard process is more easily mastered than the more systematic 



