STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 79 



By the head pultun' arc meant all sprouts growing from the root, and which are nu- 

 merous, annually cut short, mostly to two eyes, by means of which a knot or lump is 

 the consequence. The name " head," is natural ou account of its resemblance. 



8. The canes have grown in the previous summer from the old wood, and are now 

 wood themselves and the producers of the coming harvest. They are cut according to 

 their future destiny, to a larger or smaller number of eye- and are called spurs. 



(a.) These are canes cut down to two or more eyes. The canes winch grow from them 



generally very rigorous, are intended for the continuation of the stock and fruit canes, 

 and require therefore the closest attention. In my system of pruning, hereafter described 

 there arc nine spurs, each allowed t\\ 6J es. 



(b.) Fruit Canes. — Cut short, probably one foot long. They are inferior to the stubs, 

 though of the same age, are destined to bring forth the fruit ; therefore cut short, ac- 

 cording to prevailing circumstances, to as many as ten eyes. 



4. Canes. — This is the name for all in course of the summer growing branches, and 

 are here more definitely described. 



(a.) Nurse Game. — Are those sprouts from the eyes of the stubs. 



(b.) Fruit Canes — Sprouts. — Are all those summer sprouts grown from the fruit 

 canes and intended for fruit bearing. Tbese growths arc assisted by clipping the 

 grapes. 



(c.) Wafer Sprouts — grow most anyplace from old wood of the stock. They sel- 

 dom bear grapes ; weaken if left to grow ; the growths are a detriment to the shap- 

 ing, but are sometimes allowed to grow for the purpose of raising substitutes for frost- 

 killed stocks. In this case, they are nursed with the usual care bestowed to Nurse- 

 canes, but destroyed under all other circumstances. 



5. Regulators. — Laterals — I consider the first name the more correct one. Those 

 are the sprouts which grow by each eye, the strongest in the middle part and 

 reach sometimes a considerable length. What nature by the growth of these 

 sprouts intended to accomplish is yet a matter of surmise, and all arguments 

 thereof in contradiction. While the one advocates their being let alone, nay, even as 

 being essential to the development of the vine, another demands their total destruc- 

 tion ; and curious! both results lead to naught. 



II. Gauss says in his "Grape Culture," page 117, in this connection : 

 ".Remember well, the Regulator should never be destroyed wholly, because they 

 are in too close contact with the organism of the eye. Unmistakably, their function 

 is to carry off a superfluous sap and to regulate the circulation." Keiht gives the 

 same view. The grapevine of the wilderness left entirely to itself, without any human 

 or artificial interference, shows a productiveness unexcelled, and demonstrates the 

 conclusive fact, that these Regulators are rather promoting the growth than other- 

 wise. Furthermore, they seem to be to them a necessity, on account of the numerous 

 wild tendrils. We are, by the culture of the grape directed to regulate according to 

 existing circumstances. Many reasons, which 1 shall give hereafter, to follow this 

 appointed road of nature ; It remains therefore for us to show how much, or how little 

 thereof, we have to adopt; in other words we have to show what will, under certain 

 circumstances, further our interest the most. I observed in Germany, grapevines 

 grown on houses for years. Every year after they were through blooming, each sprout 

 was cut down ; every Regulator then already large removed, and year after year they 

 were loaded with grapes. 



