Jan. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 53 



to re-form the worn-out vines whose debilitated condition is indicated by very 

 weak growth from spurs at the summit of the arms. Finally, we may tind 

 a number of water shoots forced out as the result of severe frost destroying 

 the spring growth. This is an occurrence, fortunately rare, which implies a 

 very short crop in the following year. There is no alternative but to use 

 such fruit canes as may be available and re-form the vine from the water 

 shoots. In all cases the surplus ones should be cut out as close as it is 

 possible to get them. The remainder will be used as spurs in order to renew 

 the portions killed by the frost. 



A true water shoot — that is, one which arises from a latent bud upon old 

 wood — is not fruit-bearing, but if cut back to a spur will pi'oduce canes 

 which will develop fruit-bearing buds. In the succeeding pruning these 

 canes may be used either as spurs or rods for fruit production. Their buds 

 develop canes which will carry fruit, for the reason that they have behind 

 them two consecutive seasons' growth. (See Fig. 7.) 



Fig. 10. — The same vine as in Fig. 9, pruned to form a new stem and main arms from 



one of the water shoots. 



In all cases, superfluous water shoots should be cut off below the base 

 buds. If this is not done, they tend to grow again from year to year, robbing 

 the fruit wood of much valuable energy, and proving a source of additional 

 cost in pruning. The best way to deal with all unnecessary growths is to 

 rub them off during the spring while in a soft condition and easily broken 

 out. Skilfully carried out, this practice will go a long way to reducing the 

 cost of winter printing. 



Treatment of Secondary Arms. 



It has been previously pointed out that one of the aims of pruning is to 

 prevent undue lengthening of the secondary arms of a vine. It becomes 

 only a matter of time, however, when the annual accumulations from the 

 base of the spur place the fruit-bearing wood at the summits of long, bare 

 arms. No matter what care is put into the treatment of these arms, there 

 comes a time when the general vigour of growth is reduced by the distance 



