494 Transactions op the 



through this row, return to the first end and start as before. One man 

 will take roots in his arras and hold them in place, while another will 

 with a shovel throw dirt around them to hold them. When a row is 

 set take a one-horse plow and fill up the trench. In this way the holes 

 need not be dug, except enough to get the roots fairly in and the vines 

 straight. All of the old wood should be put in the ground, leaving out 

 but one eye. 



In this way a vineyard can be planted quickly and cheaply, and much 

 better than if the holes were dug by hand. If strong roots are planted 

 they will make sufficient wood the first season to form a good, straight 

 shoot, for the vine. When the young shoot gets eighteen inches high 

 cut it off at twelve inches high. Place a stake by it and tie the top of 

 the vine to the stake. The two top eyes will start and make spurs for 

 a head. Keep all undergrowth below cut oif so as to make them strong 

 and stocky. At the next pruning time cut these two limbs off to two 

 eyes. At the second pruning, when there will be plenty of wood to 

 form a head, leave three or four spurs, cutting back to three eyes. 



At the third pruning cut back to the three eyes. This season they 

 will bear considerable fruit. Pains should be taken in forming a good, 

 well balanced head, the wood equally distributed around the stake so as 

 to give it a perfect equilibrium. In leaving three eyes on the spurs it 

 does not induce so much non-bearing wood, as the first eye is a wood 

 bud; the next two produce fruit. These second and third budsabsorb 

 the sap of the vine so as not to force the first. In this way there is 

 less wood and more fruit, and foliage to protect the fruit from the sun 

 and admit plenty of heat, light, and air for the development of the fruit. 

 If pruned back to one bud the dormant buds will be forced, which will 

 make wood and very weak. At the fourth pruning sided six or eight 

 of the strongest and best limbs of your head, always cutting back to 

 the nearest to the old wood. In this way the head of the vine does not 

 increase in bight. I think a vine trimmed one footi high is the best 

 bight for many reasons: first, it is more easily cultivated; in plowing, 

 the singletrees pass over the head and are less liable to break the shoots; 

 the fruit is not so easily sunburnt; gets the benefit of the warmth of 

 the earth at night. The fruit nearest to the end on the ground is less 

 liable to mildew or any other disease. In fact, I have never seen a 

 bunch of grapes lying on the ground mildewed, and generally they are 

 larger and more perfect in bunch and beriy. The ground should be 

 well cultivated every year. I use a one-horse shovel plow; for breaking 

 up ground, a small harrow made for that purpose. Plow both ways and 

 harrow so as to pulverize; then level the ground, using the horse hoe 

 to keep the weeds down and ground mellow through the Summer. The 

 stakes used in supporting vines should be eighteen inches long, sharp at 

 one end, driven in six inches by the side of the vine. They can be 

 made of oak, redwood, or sugar pine cheaply. They can be removed 

 the third year, as the vine will be able to stand alone. They can be 

 used in young vineyards. Using stakes on a young vine is a great 

 advantage in many ways. They keep the vines straight till they are 

 able to hold up the fruit; they are more easily worked and bear more 

 fruit. 



J. E. NICKESON, Placer. 



